By Lee Davis Any time Hoover and Vestavia Hills meet in football, the odds are that something special is going to happen. Certainly that was true Oct. 16, when the underdog Rebels shocked the Bucs 20-13 in what had to have ranked as one of long-time Vestavia coach Buddy Anderson’s sweetest victories. As fate would have it, the pair met again Friday night in the second round … [Read more...]
Playoff Fever: Intriguing Match-ups May Come Later
By Lee Davis It seems like we’ve been waiting forever, but the Alabama high school football playoffs finally begin this weekend. Last week’s season finales were important, but they had the feel of NFL exhibition games in that they meant nothing in the region standings. Now we are back to business, and the first round – as always – is intriguing and fraught with danger for … [Read more...]
Rebel Cause: Vestavia Stuns Hoover With Late Victory
By Lee Davis Buddy Anderson is the winningest coach in the history of Alabama high school football. And while Anderson probably wouldn’t admit it, he’s probably never had a sweeter victory than the one his Vestavia Hills Rebels earned last Friday night. A late touchdown by Walker Minor gave Vestavia a 20-13 upset of defending three-time state champion Hoover at the Rebels’ … [Read more...]
Breakthrough: Jags Finally End Hoover Domination
By Lee Davis In the school’s 14-year history, Spain Park has had many great moments in athletics, including state championships, Final Four appearances and rousing victories in virtually all sports. But there has never been a night quite like Oct. 1, 2015. That date will forever live in Jaguar glory, as Spain Park earned its first-ever football win over cross-town … [Read more...]
OTM Students Recognized as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists
Earlier this month, the National Merit Scholarship Program announced the semifinalists for the 2016 competition. The program began with about 1.5 million entrants. In this round, that number is whittled down to 16,000. In the spring, 7,400 students will be selected as National Merit Scholars and will receive $32 million in scholarships. At Hoover High School, Juhee Agrawal, … [Read more...]