By Wayne HesterJournal contributorIf you were like Rip Van Winkle, who fell asleep and woke up 20 years later, you might not recognize the game of college football.Teams are racking up points by the sacksful, and the old saying “Offense wins games, defense wins championships” is taking a beating.Last week in Starkville, Mississippi State rolled over Auburn … [Read more...]
Eagle Tout
By Lee DavisJournal Sports WriterEven as Oak Mountain rolled through August and September with a 5-1 record, doubters quietly wondered if the Eagles were legitimate contenders for a long playoff run or merely riding a wave that will eventually come to a screeching crash.While it was true enough that Coach Cris Bell’s team had collected some quality wins, there … [Read more...]
Area Teams Taking Surprising Turns as September Ends
By Lee DavisAs the 2014 high school football season opened, almost all observers agreed it would be memorable in at least two ways.First, the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s reclassification offered up a four-region, 32-school “super division”–better known as Class 7A. Second, 2014 would be the year Vestavia Hills coach Buddy Anderson earned his 310th … [Read more...]
Floor Leader: Mountain Brook’s Smith Loves to Defend
By Lee DavisSome athletes measure their success by the number of trophies that are on the mantel at home.Mountain Brook’s Julia Smith values trophies as well. But Smith’s favorite trophies aren’t made of metal–they come from flesh and blood.As the outstanding senior setter for the Lady Spartan volleyball team, Smith is tasked with keeping the ball in play, … [Read more...]
Hoover Breaks Losing Streak, Shuts out Spartans
By Lee DavisThe opening of the 2014 football season was a new world for the Hoover Bucs, but it wasn’t feeling all that brave.Hoover had begun respectably enough on Aug. 23, as the Bucs fell to Miami Central by a late field goal in a made-for-television game on ESPN. The next week was far worse. Georgia’s Colquitt County, led by former Hoover coach Rush Propst, … [Read more...]