By Tyler Waldrep There’s plenty of new faces on the Mountain Brook volleyball team, and all of them are young. Then again, the whole team is young; there’s only one junior and one senior returning. The head coach who guided Mountain Brook to three state titles in the past three seasons is gone. The list of reasons the Spartans’ luck should finally run out this year could go … [Read more...]
Paddling Against the Odds: Vestavia Man Headed to South America for Kayaking Championship
By Sarah Kuper Auburn University sophomore and Vestavia Hills local Bennett Smith is headed to Argentina this fall to compete in the Freestyle Kayaking World Championship. For those unfamiliar with freestyle kayaking, it is like a combination of whitewater kayaking and gymnastics. Competitors paddle kayaks into the wave of a river rapid and attempt as many tricks as they can … [Read more...]
Cross-Country Routes: Hoover Runners Heading to First All-Star North-South Race
By Tyler Waldrep Sydney Steely has been a mainstay finisher in the cross-country top eight since she joined Hoover’s varsity team as an seventh-grader five years ago. Her success likely wouldn’t have been possible without her mother, Sonia Steely, who runs two or three miles almost daily before heading to work as a CrossFit trainer. At some point, Sydney Steely began joining … [Read more...]
Technique and Intensity: Oak Mountain Player and Coach Head to All-Star Soccer Matchup
By Tyler Waldrep Almost two years ago, Clay Holstad watched his older brother, Hunter Holstad, represent Oak Mountain in the North-South All-Star boys’ soccer game. As a fan of the sport, Clay Holstad admired the talent on display; as his brother’s biggest fan, he cheered; and as a player, he added another goal to his list. “It was always something I strove for,” Clay … [Read more...]
Back From the Brink: Mountain Brook’s Wetzler Caps Football Career With North-South Game
By Tyler Waldrep When Mountain Brook met Tuscaloosa County on the football field last fall, the Spartan’s head coach, Chris Yeager, watched as 10 of his defenders ran to shut a play down. The only one not running to the ball was team-leader and middle linebacker Will Wetzler. But he didn’t have to take off running to the ball. It was coming to him; the handoff had been a … [Read more...]