By Rubin E. Grant Andie Freedman had little time to prepare for her first season as the Homewood Patriots’ volleyball coach last year. She wasn’t hired until July, barely a month before the 2020 season started. But this year, as she embarks on her second season, she has a firm grasp on the program. “It’s like night and day,” Freedman said. “I’ve had an offseason to … [Read more...]
2021 OTM High School Football Preview
It’s a snap! And just like that, it's time for football again. Over the Mountain high schools have kicked off their seasons, and we want to make sure you’re as prepared as your favorite team. To help you get the most out of your Friday Night Lights experience, we’ve put together a special football section spotlighting every school in our coverage area. Read about … [Read more...]
Team to Beat?: Spain Park Opens Volleyball Season With Juanita Boddie Title
By Rubin E. Grant Spain Park volleyball coach Kellye Bowen doesn’t put much stock in rankings. When the AL.com preseason volleyball poll came out with the Jaguars perched at No. 1 in Class 7A, Bowen greeted it with a shrug. “What matters is how you play in October,” she said, referring to the postseason. “The main question is, are we just an August or September team? It … [Read more...]
Whirlwind Transition: Calhoun Adapting as He Embarks on First Season as Vestavia Hills Football Coach
By Rubin E. Grant For the past seven months, Sean Calhoun has been so busy with non-football-related stuff that he has had little time to think about following a legend as Vestavia Hills’ new football coach. Calhoun was hired in January to replace Buddy Anderson, who had been Vestavia Hills’ head coach since 1978 and retired at the end of the 2020 campaign. In his 43 seasons … [Read more...]
‘I Thought It Would be a Street Fight’: New Players Step Up as Mountain Brook Knocks Off Vestavia Hills
By Rubin E. Grant Mountain Brook football coach Chris Yeager was concerned going into the Spartans’ 2021 season opener against rival Vestavia Hills. The Spartans entered the game with a plethora of new faces following the graduation of 36 seniors from the 2020 team, which reached the Class 6A semifinals. “We had a lot of kids who had never played in a big game before, and … [Read more...]