By Lee DavisThere was a time when John Mark Goodman absolutely hated running.As a young teenager in the Vestavia Hills school system, he participated in cross-country until deciding that enough was enough.“I reached the point where I didn’t like running at all,” he recalled. “So I gave it up to play basketball.”What a difference the years have made.Now a … [Read more...]
Patriotic Rout: Homewood Sweeps Boys and Girls Class 6A Championships
By Lee DavisThe state Class 6A cross-country meet took place in Oakville, but the event certainly looked as if it took place in Homewood.The Patriots swept to championships in both the boys and girls competitions, marking the fifth consecutive boys title for Homewood.Homewood’s boys totaled 55 points to easily outdistance runner-up Cullman’s 72 total. Helena … [Read more...]
Triple Crown: Lady Spartans Claim Third Straight Class 7A Title
By Lee Davis When Mountain Brook volleyball coach Haven O’Quinn talked about her team’s prospects for the 2016 season, she said all the right things, expressing confidence that the Lady Spartans could win their third straight Class 7A state championship.The experts thought they knew better. After all, Mountain Brook had lost three of the finest players in school … [Read more...]
A Spartan Looks at 50: Former Mountain Brook Star Remembers Inaugural Season
By Lee DavisWhen Mountain Brook High School first opened its doors in the fall of 1966, it looked like anything but the site of what would become one of the state’s perennial athletic powers. There was no football stadium. The baseball field was at the bottom of a steep hill with an outfield that had more rocks than grass. Makeshift tennis courts backed up to a … [Read more...]
Supporters Say Passage of Amendment 14 Essential to Growth
By Lee Davis Everywhere you go, there is a lot of talk about the 2016 election. While the hotly contested presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump may be gathering the lion’s share of attention, there’s a vote much closer to home that could have a direct effect on all Over the Mountain municipalities. A proposed amendment to the Alabama Constitution would … [Read more...]