By Blake Ells Spain Park has known its postseason plans for a few weeks, which could be to blame for late season complacency and losses to Hoover, Mountain Brook and Oak Mountain. In its final region game against Mountain Brook, the Jaguars had five turnovers. “Against a team like Oak Mountain that eats up the clock, you don’t get many opportunities on offense,” said head … [Read more...]
Crossing the Country: Mountain Brook Runners Compete in Oregon to Prepare for Sectionals
By Blake Ells Mountain Brook Cross Country trekked to the Nike Portland XC Invite in late September and earned a 10th place finish among boys’ teams and a 13th place finish among girls’ teams. More than 6,000 runners from across the country competed in the prestigious meet. Sophomore Amanda Jones topped all of her competition in the sophomore girls race, a promising sign for … [Read more...]
The Big Picture: Briarwood Coach Hits Rare Milestone While Keeping Priorities Straight
By Blake EllsBriarwood Christian School football coach Fred Yancey inked his name in the record books last month when he scored his 300th victory as a high school coach with a 23-6 win at Fairfield.The Sept. 22 win, Yancey’s 259th in the state of Alabama, ranks him fifth among active coaches for victories in the Alabama High School Athletics Association.But Yancey’s … [Read more...]
7 Up: Spain Park’s Braxton Barker Follows in His Father’s Footsteps
By Blake Ells Hoover needed some late heroics to survive their cross-town rival on Sept. 15. They got it in the form of a play with 1:18 left on the clock. Quarterback Jalen Parker connected with Shedrick Jackson on a 25-yard touchdown to capture a victory over No. 6 Spain Park. Despite coming up short in the 24-27 game, Jaguars’ quarterback Braxton Barker rolled up big … [Read more...]
Back For More: Volleyball Coach Returns to Re-Establish Her Legacy
By Blake Ells Mandy Burgess returned to Vestavia Hills for her second stint as the head coach of the girls volleyball team last year. She led the team from 1999 to 2012 before hanging up her whistle to focus on her family. When the position opened back up in 2016, she couldn't fight off the itch to return. "The opportunity came back up and I was approached,” she said. “There … [Read more...]