Goals achievable for Rebel soccer team

Last season was all Vestavia Hills High School girls soccer coach Brigid Littleton could ask for. A team loaded with motivation, talent and potential put all three of those factors together and barreled through the competition to earn the Class 7A state championship.

Littleton’s crew went 23-2 over the 2016 campaign, defeating Auburn 3-0 in the state final and holding the opposition to just one shot on goal while earning the program’s fourth state title and third under Littleton (2005 and 2007).

“That was one of the most rewarding seasons I’ve ever been a part of,” Littleton said, who won a handful of coach of the year awards as leader of a team that was ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps at season’s end.

Littleton said the 2016 group would have “torn down a brick wall to win” after how the 2015 season concluded. In the second round of the 2015 postseason, Oak Mountain defeated the Rebels in a 13-round shootout.

“Their determination after we lost in 13 penalty kicks the year before, they wanted it so bad,” Littleton said.

In August, the senior leaders approached Littleton and wanted to lay down the team’s goals immediately.

“They got the team together and gave them their expectations before I even got a chance to give them mine. I didn’t have to do a whole lot of pushing for workouts,” she said. “I never had to count reps. The effort was high, and it always met my expectations.”

That drive is all part of the culture Littleton has built at Vestavia Hills.

“This is my 13th year at Vestavia. Building a program over the years, you put in guidelines and a belief system and principles. To see all that come to fruition last year was awesome.”

This year’s elder statesmen saw the determination from last year’s crew and have attempted to do the same so far.

“They’re ready to play and all working together as a team, and our leadership is very strong and very demanding,” Littleton said. “They hold everybody accountable, and it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders.”

Despite losing a large portion of last year’s team, those principles have carried over into the 2017 season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Vestavia lost its entire back line of defense and goalkeeper.

While it has been a bit of an adjustment for Littleton to train some new players who had yet to play her style of defense before this season, she is encouraged by what she has.

“They’re coachable,” she said. “I can do anything with a player that has a good attitude, and everyone has that. It’s going well right now. We’re not where we want to be, but we’ll get there.”

Anna Hogewood and Kathryn Brakefield have begun the season controlling the midfield for the Rebels. Cambree Kennedy, Taylor Korn (who scored eight goals in the first four games) and Faith Hauberg were also among Vestavia’s top performers early in the season.

“I think this team can meet all of its goals,” Littleton said. “But you know how it goes late in the season. Who’s healthy; who’s hot? We’ll see.”

The Rebels got off to a hot start, starting 10-1-2 in their first 13 games, with eight of those wins coming in shutout fashion, and Hewitt-Trussville the only setback.