By Lee Davis Spain Park and Mountain Brook weren't playing for a state, regional or even an area basketball championship last Friday night. But a casual spectator would never have known it based on the intensity of the fans in the stands and the quality of the play on the court. The home-standing Jaguars defeated the Spartans 77-65 in a Class 7A Area 6 battle that actually … [Read more...]
Young Life: Freshman Wrestlers Help Lead Spain Park
By Lee Davis Most high school freshmen spend much of the school year finding their way through the hallways and counting the days until they get their learner's driving permit.That's not the case for Spain Park wrestlers Jack Rivers and Gavin Pudlick. As freshmen, Rivers and Pudlick already are the leaders of a young Jaguar team composed of only … [Read more...]
The 500: Shepler Reaches Milestone Victory as Homewood Keeps Winning
By Lee Davis The next time Homewood basketball fans want to show their appreciation to coach Tim Shepler, they might want to thank Rand McNally. That’s because a map might be the reason Shepler is coaching the Patriot boys team. Three decades ago, Shepler was the head coach at Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge and brought his team to Birmingham every year for UAB … [Read more...]
Double Hatter: Smith Combines Business With Civic Duties
By Lee Davis Some people drink coffee every day. Hatton Smith is one of them. The Mountain Brook resident also lives and breathes the world’s most popular beverage.As the CEO emeritus of Birmingham-based Royal Cup Inc., Smith helps operate the top coffee supplier to restaurants, hotels and offices across the nation. Last year, Royal Cup produced $360 million in sales … [Read more...]
Sign Language: Random Road Placard Sent Jags’ Cunningham to Swimming Stardom
By Lee Davis A random ride along U.S. 280 as a pre-teen may have started Rac, short for Rachel, Cunningham on the path to become one of Alabama’s best high school swimmers. Cunningham, a junior at Spain Park, remembers the moment as if it had happened yesterday. “I was about 11 years old and, to be honest, I was a pretty typical lazy kid,” she recalled. “I wasn’t serious … [Read more...]