By Rubin E. GrantSpain Park’s Audrey Rothman has been named the 2021 Gatorade Alabama Volleyball Player of the Year.She becomes the first Spain Park player to earn the honor and the third consecutive Over-the-Mountain volleyball player to be selected as the Gatorade state winner, joining Hoover’s Rya McKinnon (2020) and Mountain Brook’s Grace Carr … [Read more...]

   Congratulations to Robert Evans, who has been named the new Vestavia Hills High School head football coach.  Announced in a press release from Vestavia City Schools, the Vestavia Hills High School alumnus is returning home to coach the Rebels. Evans has served since 2018 as defensive coordinator at Mountain Brook High School. … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantOak Mountain boys basketball coach Chris Love doesn’t talk to his team about repeating as Class 7A state champions.Instead, he focuses on the daily improvements the Eagles need to make.“I don’t know whether we’ve said two words about repeating all season,” Love said. “We talk about having fun, being a family, giving great effort and trying to get … [Read more...]

 By Rubin E. GrantJohn David Smelser took the Vestavia Hills girls basketball team to the brink of the Final Four in his first two seasons as head coach only to see the Lady Rebels come up short in the regional finals.This year, Smelser believes the Lady Rebels will finally break through and earn a berth in the Class 7A state tournament. He is counting on a … [Read more...]

Last year, Vestavia’s Zach Flurry became only the third Rebels wrestler to finish undefeated, posting a 21-0 record while capturing the Class 7A 113-pound title. Flurry has been wrestling for 10 years, starting when he was 8 years old because a neighborhood buddy was a wrestler. Journal photo by Jordan Wald.By Rubin E. GrantVestavia Hills senior Zach Flurry was … [Read more...]