Vestavia Hills closed out the 2025 regular season with a dominant 40-13 dismantling of Montgomery Catholic on Thursday at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. The Rebels jumped out to a quick start, scoring on their first two possessions and building a commanding 30-6 halftime lead in their final tuneup before the AHSAA playoffs.
Senior Carson Purdy opened the scoring on a two-yard run midway through the first quarter to give Vestavia Hills an early 7-0 lead. Moments later, quarterback Charlie Taaffe broke loose on a 29-yard keeper for a touchdown, extending the lead to 15-0 after a successful two-point conversion by Price LaMaster.
In the second quarter, Taaffe got his arm warmed up, tossing two touchdown passes to Luke Stubbs, covering 34 and 59 yards, respectively. Stubbs had a huge night, catching eight passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns while also picking up seven yards on the ground. His ability to stretch the field kept Montgomery Catholic’s defense off balance all evening.
LaMaster also contributed through the air, connecting with Stubbs for another touchdown in the third quarter — a 35-yard strike that pushed the Rebels’ lead to 37-6. Taaffe finished with another solid outing, accounting for three touchdowns and 227 total yards.
Vestavia’s ground game was equally effective, racking up 230 rushing yards. Purdy finished with 39 yards and a score, while Noah Boylan and Major Weaver combined for 92 yards on 16 carries. Carter Stagner added 35 yards, helping the Rebels move the chains and control the clock. In total, Vestavia compiled 458 yards of offense and 23 first downs.
Defensively, the Rebels limited Montgomery Catholic to just 29 rushing yards on 20 attempts and forced six punts. Linebacker Walker Hogue recorded a sack, while the unit as a whole gave up most of its yardage through the air in prevent situations. The Knights’ only highlights came from a pair of touchdown passes in the second and third quarters that accounted for nearly all of their 205 passing yards.
Kicker Sloan Morgan capped the night with a 21-yard field goal late in the third quarter and was perfect on all three of his extra-point attempts. He also averaged 58 yards on kickoffs, keeping Montgomery Catholic pinned deep in its own territory.
Vestavia Hills ends the regular season 8-2 overall and 5-2 in 7A Area 3, riding a five-game winning streak into postseason play. The Rebels will travel to Auburn High School for the first round of the AHSAA playoffs — a rematch from Week 2, which Vestavia won 42-14. Auburn enters the matchup 8-2 overall and 5-1 in 7A Region 2, having won seven of its last eight games since that early-season loss. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, November 7, at Duck Samford Stadium in Auburn.
