If you think that the 2015 high school football season is going by quickly, it’s probably not your imagination. Schools that played their first game on Aug. 21 will reach the halfway point of their regular schedules a full week and a half before the end of September. So now is as good a time as any to take stock of what we have seen. The Hoover Bucs, to the surprise of no … [Read more...]
Family Tradition: Hoover’s Vacarella is Following His Father’s Footsteps
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 … [Read more...]
Call to Duty: Mountain Brook’s Tanner Fought Terror on Two Fronts
By Lee Davis Christopher Tanner didn’t grow up wanting to be a soldier. The call to serve found him. The Mountain Brook native was attending the prestigious Lawrenceville School in Princeton, New Jersey, where he excelled in track and field. Tanner wanted to find a college where he could compete in track at the NCAA Division I level and pursue a degree in engineering. The … [Read more...]
The Long Run: Smith Has High Goals for Senior Season
By Lee Davis For those unfamiliar with the sport, cross-country running can, almost literally, sound like a walk in the park. After all, the athletes are competing in an attractive wooded setting with pristine running trails and are surrounded by nature. So how hard can that be? Actually, cross-country is one of the most demanding sports an athlete can choose. The five … [Read more...]
Mitchell’s Run: Spartan Setters Looks to Senior Year
By Lee Davis When Sara Chandler Mitchell meets someone for the first time, she has only one request. Please don’t call her Sara. “It’s Sara Chandler,” she said, when contacted last week. “I know it’s a little unique for a double name, but I like to use them both.” Mitchell’s first name combination may be unusual, but she and her teammates became household names in the … [Read more...]