By Lee Davis
Most people in athletics are cautious when they use the word “dynasty,” but there may be one brewing in Vestavia Hills.
The Lady Rebels girls soccer team broke Oak Mountain’s two-year stranglehold on the state 7A soccer title last season by winning their first blue trophy since 2007. The fact that Vestavia was chosen as the number one girls high school soccer team in America by MaxPreps was icing on the proverbial cake.
Now the Lady Rebels would like to have a stranglehold of its own. Ending last week with a 15-1-3 record, Vestavia is ranked number one in the most recent Alabama Sportswriters Association polls, and the team is an early favorite to win a second consecutive championship.
A closer inspection shows that the Lady Rebels record is even more impressive than the won-lost mark indicates. One of the ties came against out-of-state power North Gwinnett of Georgia. The lone loss was a 1-0 squeaker at the hands of Hewitt-Trussville.
The Lady Rebels’ offense has been potent as Vestavia has scored at least eight goals in three different contests. On the other end, the defensive effort has been phenomenal. Vestavia has posted 12 shutouts and has not yielded more than two goals in a game all season.
For veteran Lady Rebel coach Brigid Littleton, 2017’s success has been a continuation of the foundation that was built last season.
“The team has a great work ethic and will to succeed,” Littleton said. “Our defense has been tenacious and our attack has come along. We know that toward the end of the season we will face our greatest tests. Our team chemistry and how willing we are to ‘be there’ for each other will be a leading factor in how far we go.”
The coach knows what it takes to win. Littleton has posted a 239-62-26 record in 17 years at Vestavia, along with three state championships.
“Defense is always a big reason for our success,” Littleton said. “But in the past two years our offense has improved. If you’re playing well both offensively and defensively, you can be difficult to beat.”
A prime example of Vestavia putting its best effort together offensively and defensively came in a 3-1 win over highly regarded Spain Park last week. The Lady Rebels scored on a corner kick from Katherine Savage, followed by goals from Taylor Korn and Caroline Silvio. The sturdy Vestavia defense held the strong Lady Jaguar attack to just a single goal.
Korn leads Vestavia scorers with 17 total goals, with Caroline Causey contributing 10. Silvio has added six goals. No less than 17 Lady Rebels have contributed goals this season.
Midfielder Anna Hogewood leads the team with 10 assists.
“The midfield continues to be the heart of our team,” Littleton said. Faith Hauberg is second with eight assists.
Consistent play from the goalkeepers has been a key to Vestavia’s impressive streak of shutouts. Anna Woodson has produced 27 saves, with A.G. Darty earning 12 and Haleigh Hollard getting two.
As imposing as the numbers are, Littleton believes the intangibles are her team’s greatest strength.
“Our girls play unselfishly, and this drives them to perform because they don’t want to let one another down,” she said. “They always have each other’s back on the field. If one falls or fails, there are 10 more on the field and 11 on the bench there to pick her up. I’ve always asked them to give more than they think they have, and that’s what they do. It’s all about our girls’ commitment, work ethic and discipline.”
It may be far too early to mention “Vestavia soccer” and “dynasty” in the same sentence, but for the moment the Lady Rebels seem to be on the way to something special.