By Lee Davis
Hoover quarterback Christopher Vacarella is in his first year as a starter, but he already has proven himself as a winner in the clutch.
In the Bucs’ first two Class 7A Region Three victories, Vacarella directed his team to hard-fought fourth quarter victories. In a 21-14 win against Mountain Brook, he led a 65-yard touchdown drive. The following week, the senior signal-caller scored on a short run in the final stanza to help Hoover edge Oak Mountain 17-14.
Helping a team to an exciting win is a Vacarella family tradition.
In 1973, Vacarella’s father, Chris, was a freshman at Auburn University. After injuries to other quarterbacks, Vacarella drew the starting assignment for the Tigers against a well-regarded Houston team. He scored the game’s only touchdown in a dramatic 7-0 upset, in what turned out to be the Cougars’ only loss of the season.
As one of Auburn’s most versatile athletes of that era, Chris Vacarella also would excel at wide receiver and tailback under Coaches Ralph “Shug” Jordan and Doug Barfield.
The elder Vacarella remembers that cool afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium well. “Freshmen had just become eligible, and here I was starting in a varsity game at the (NCAA) Division One level against a good team,” he said. “Coach Jordan was a tremendous mentor for me. I had a lot of help and we got a great win that day.”
The younger Vacarella said his dad is his role model – both as an athlete and as a man.
“My dad is fantastic,” he said. “Since he’s played at the next level, he understands what it takes to be successful. He’s been incredibly supportive of me in everything I’ve tried to do.”
Since Vacarella stepped in as starter quarterback to replace the graduated Jack Hutcheson in the season opener against Oakland, Tennessee in late August, the Hoover offense hasn’t missed a beat.
“It’s a lot easier since I was part of the program and played some in both my sophomore and junior seasons,” Vacarella said. “So by the time I was a senior I felt that I was prepared. Our offense is complicated, so it was good that I had Jack and others who helped me learn and get ready.”
Hoover’s goal every season is to win the state 7A championship, but the 2015 edition of the Bucs face a special challenge. They are attempting to win their fourth consecutive title, an accomplishment only equaled by Hoover’s teams of 2002-2005 under the leadership of former coach Rush Propst.
“The task of winning four (state titles) in a row puts a lot of pressure on everybody,” Vacarella said. “But it’s what we accept as being a part of Hoover’s program. It’s an honor to carry on the tradition that the guys who came before us built.”
Another part of carrying that tradition is the understanding that there will be no easy games on the Bucs’ schedule.
“We always have a big target on our backs,” Vacarella said. “Every team we face brings their A-game because we’ve had so much success. If we let down, someone will beat us. The close wins we had against Mountain Brook and Oak Mountain show how tough our league (Region Three) is, but also is a reminder that we will have a struggle on our hands every week.”
Vacarella thinks his team has a legitimate shot at its fourth consecutive blue trophy. “If we play together and improve every week, we have a chance to win the state championship again,” he said.
Hoover coach Josh Niblett and his staff deserve great credit for bringing the Hoover players together, according to Vacarella.
“Coach Niblett is a players’ coach in the sense that he truly cares about every player on this team – not just the stars or the starters,” he said. “We all know he has our backs. He also puts a lot of emphasis on team leadership coming from the players, as opposed to the coaches just telling us what to do.”
The elder Vacarella believes his son’s work ethic is a big part of his success.
“When Christopher was younger, we would go to the field and recruit some receivers and he would practice his passing,” he said. “He knew that if he kept working, his day would come.”
After Hoover plays, the Vacarellas watch a tape of the game. “We go through the tape and I just try to show Christopher what he might have done differently on certain plays,” said Chris. “It’s easy for armchair quarterbacks to criticize, but when you are in a game situation and have to make a split-second decision, it’s a lot different. I try to make any critiques I give very positive and constructive.”
Although football is clearly in his blood, Vacarella’s future will likely turn toward baseball. An outstanding second baseman, he was named Most Valuable Player of the Hoover baseball team last spring.
“I’d like to play college baseball,” Vacarella said. “But I’m not sure where I’m going yet. It would be great to get a shot at professional baseball as well.”
For the moment, Vacarella is fully focused on helping Hoover earn yet another football crown. And his father’s inspiration adds even more incentive.
