By Tyler Waldrep The cheers were deafening. Only moments before, Martin Methodist baseball coach Jody Evans had asked the kids at the baseball camp the school was hosting to make some noise for their favorite coach. As Evans worked his way down the line of coaches, he couldn’t help but grin. He knew all along the kids were going to pick Conner Rivers. “People are drawn to … [Read more...]
Young, But Not Green: In Class 7A, Only the Spartans Know What It Takes to Win a Championship
By Tyler Waldrep There’s plenty of new faces on the Mountain Brook volleyball team, and all of them are young. Then again, the whole team is young; there’s only one junior and one senior returning. The head coach who guided Mountain Brook to three state titles in the past three seasons is gone. The list of reasons the Spartans’ luck should finally run out this year could go … [Read more...]
Cross-Country Routes: Hoover Runners Heading to First All-Star North-South Race
By Tyler Waldrep Sydney Steely has been a mainstay finisher in the cross-country top eight since she joined Hoover’s varsity team as an seventh-grader five years ago. Her success likely wouldn’t have been possible without her mother, Sonia Steely, who runs two or three miles almost daily before heading to work as a CrossFit trainer. At some point, Sydney Steely began joining … [Read more...]
Technique and Intensity: Oak Mountain Player and Coach Head to All-Star Soccer Matchup
By Tyler Waldrep Almost two years ago, Clay Holstad watched his older brother, Hunter Holstad, represent Oak Mountain in the North-South All-Star boys’ soccer game. As a fan of the sport, Clay Holstad admired the talent on display; as his brother’s biggest fan, he cheered; and as a player, he added another goal to his list. “It was always something I strove for,” Clay … [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...]
