By Blake EllsWhen Patrick Davis took over the Vestavia Hills boys basketball program last season, he was eager for the opportunity to lead the Rebels, which had won two state championships before his arrival.In his first season, the Rebels reached the state semifinals.They return eight players from that ’16-’17 team this year, with hopes of going even … [Read more...]
The Forty Year Plan: Vestavia’s Buddy Anderson Reflects on the Past But Looks to the Future
By Blake Ells Buddy Anderson still remembers the night his life’s path became clear to him. It was Jan. 12, 1968, and he was sitting in his father’s old pickup that he had driven to play in a high school basketball game. “It wasn’t completely overcast, but there were clouds,” he recalls, as if the date nearly 50 years ago were yesterday. “I had been struggling with … [Read more...]
‘This Is A New Team’: Young, Inexperienced Hoover Volleyball Team Renews Title Quest
By Rubin E. Grant The Hoover volleyball team is not in the habit of making excuses, but the Bucs are still wondering whether they would have been 2016 Class 7A champions if they had gone into the state tournament completely healthy. The Bucs lost starting setter Jamie Gregg to a knee injury before the season began and, just before the start of the Elite Eight state … [Read more...]
Back From the Brink: Mountain Brook’s Wetzler Caps Football Career With North-South Game
By Tyler Waldrep When Mountain Brook met Tuscaloosa County on the football field last fall, the Spartan’s head coach, Chris Yeager, watched as 10 of his defenders ran to shut a play down. The only one not running to the ball was team-leader and middle linebacker Will Wetzler. But he didn’t have to take off running to the ball. It was coming to him; the handoff had been a … [Read more...]
Spain Reign: Hawkins, Widra, Tedder Lead All-OTM Team
By Lee Davis Spain Park may have fallen short of its goal to win the Class 7A softball championship, but in every other way, 2017 was the year of the Jaguars. Coach C.J. Hawkins’ team compiled a 48-9 record, won its region and spent much of the season in the top three of Class 7A ranking. Spain Park also earned recognition as one of the nation’s best high school … [Read more...]