By Loyd McIntosh
Vestavia Hills erased a 10-0 first-half deficit and dominated the second half in a gutsy 39-30 win over 7A Region 3 rival Hoover Friday at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. The word “gutsy” is the best term to describe the victory, as head coach Robert Evans threw out the coaches’ manual, throwing everything he could at the Buccaneers, keeping them off-kilter much of the night.
The Rebels attempted multiple onside kicks, including the game’s opening kickoff, ran a perfectly executed trick play on a punt return for a touchdown, overcame two touchdowns called back due to penalties in the first half, and deployed an aggressive defense that all but shut the high-flying Hoover offense down in the second half.
However, the gutsiest call of the night – possibly of the season – came with about nine minutes to go in the third quarter. Trailing 24-18, Vestavia opened the third quarter with a promising drive moving the ball inside the Hoover ten-yard line when multiple penalties threatened to stall the Rebels’ momentum.
Facing fourth-and-16 from the Hoover 22, Evans rolled the dice. The gamble paid off as quarterback Charlie Taaffe found Luke Stubbs over the middle, who rambled up the gut for a 19-yard completion to the Hoover three-yard line. Moments later, Carson Purdy took the direct snap straight up the middle for the touchdown, capping a nine-play, 61-yard drive and giving Vestavia Hills its first lead of the night, 25-24.
With a talented Hoover squad coming into Vestavia Hills after a win over Thompson last week, Evans knew his team needed to take chances, and this fourth-down call was indicative of that mindset.
“It was a scoring game. We had to score. They had too much skill for us to punt,” Evans said. “We had to win like this, where the game was upside-down and choppy. I’m really proud of our team. We worked really hard this week and made plays when it counted.”
Taaffe said they worked on the play all week in practice, and he felt confident they could exploit the Hoover defense for a big gain. It just so happened they found success at a critical point in the game.
“We thought it was going to be open, I just had to look off one defender and throw it back to Luke,” said Taaffe. “I knew I could trust Luke to catch the ball every time.”
Vestavia Hills extended its lead to eight points on a thrilling special teams play early in the fourth quarter. The Rebels’ defense pinned Hoover deep in their own territory, forcing a punt from the Buccaneers’ end zone.
Lined up for the kick, Taaffe fielded the punt at the Hoover 37 and threw a lateral pass to Stubbs, who found a seam down the left sideline for a 37-yard touchdown return. With 11:04 to play in the game, Vestavia Hills held a 32-24 lead over Hoover.
Hoover responded with a four-and-a-half-minute drive finished off with a four-yard touchdown run by Jabari Mosley. Hoover lined up for a two-point conversion, but repeated penalties pushed the attempt back to the 28, where it failed. With 11:03 to play, Vestavia Hills held a two-point lead, 32-30.
Starting their ensuing series from their 13-yard line, Vestavia Hills put together a solid drive, aided by multiple Hoover penalties, icing the game with another three-yard touchdown run by Purdy midway through the fourth quarter.
“I just told my coach, ‘give me the ball and I’ll get it done for you,’’ Purdy said. “I’ve got trust in me, and trust in my guys, and I just know we’re going to get the job done.”
The Rebels’ defense held strong, stopping Hoover’s final two drives. Final score, Vestavia Hills 39, Hoover 30. Their fourth win in a row, Vestavia Hills improves to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in region play, earning a victory over their fiercest rival. They also earned the No. 3 seed in the upcoming AHSAA football playoffs.
“Any time we beat Hoover, it’s a big deal, but it’s really more about the playoffs and trying to get good seeding,” Evans added. “Both of us have to hit the road, but I thought we were the better team tonight. Our goal was to go right at them, and that was my message to our team – go right at them.”
“We were treating this pretty much like a playoff game, so it’s just a massive win,” said Taaffe. “We had a lot of people out here supporting us. Great community and a great win.”
Taaffe completed 14 of 22 passes for 148 yards and added 115 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Purdy led the Rebels on the ground with 125 yards and two touchdowns, while Noah Boylan added 11 yards and one touchdown. Stubbs was the top receiver with four catches for 47 yards, followed by Grayson Harper with three receptions for 40 yards.
Vestavia Hills finished with 267 rushing yards, 148 passing yards, and 415 total yards of offense. Hoover totaled 124 yards rushing, 210 passing, and 334 overall.
Vestavia Hills will close out the regular season at home, facing Montgomery Catholic on Thursday, October 30.
