Going out on top
Not many school years go by when the Vestavia Hills High School athletic department does not have a state championship trophy to add to its memorabilia case.
The 2017-18 academic year was no exception, as the Rebels brought home a pair of them. Both came in the spring season, as the girls soccer team and girls lacrosse team were recognized as the top team in the state.
The Lady Rebels soccer team won the fifth state championship in program history by avenging a 2017 title game loss to McGill-Toolen. Vestavia Hills controlled possession in the Class 7A final and brought home a 2-1 victory over the Yellow Jackets on May 12.
“It’s the nicest thing ever,” head coach Brigid Littleton said, “just to come back and redeem ourselves and show that we can come back stronger and better.”
Faith Hauberg got Vestavia Hills on the board with 14:11 remaining in the first half with what Littleton estimated to be a 40-yard strike. Taylor Korn put the Lady Rebels ahead 2-0 with a goal early in the second half. McGill responded with its only goal of the game shortly thereafter.
The Lady Rebels lacrosse team also exacted a measure of revenge. They knocked off reigning state champion Oak Mountain, 7-6, in the final on May 12 to cap off an undefeated season.
In the fall, the Rebels cross-country team led the way. Making its first appearance at the state meet since 2013, the Vestavia Hills boys finished third overall and James Sweeney posted a time of 15 minutes, 38 seconds, to win the 7A boys race.
The football team did not qualify for the playoffs, but still provided some uplifting moments during the course of the season. The Rebels played their typical staunch defense, notching shutouts in three of their four victories (over Oak Mountain, Helena and Tuscaloosa County).
The volleyball team made its second super regional appearance in as many years under head coach Mandy Burgess. The Rebels continued to show signs of progress, as they took Hoover to five sets in the 7A, Area 5 tournament final and was tied with third-ranked Bob Jones late in two of the three sets at the super regional.
On the hardwood, the boys basketball team qualified for the Northwest Regional for the second straight year. Although the Rebels were unable to recreate the magic from the previous season, when they advanced to the Final Four, head coach Patrick Davis had high praise for his senior class.
“The culture that they then took another step higher is what’s special and the mark they left,” Davis said. “They know that any success we have in the future, their thumbprint is on that. I thank them for that.”
The girls basketball team got off to a strong start, winning six of its first seven. But with a starting lineup consisting of two eighth-graders, a freshman and two sophomores by season’s end, the Lady Rebels struggled down the stretch.
The wrestling team finished fourth overall at the state meet, but Spencer Haddock claimed an individual crown in the 182-pound division.
The boys indoor track and field team and the boys bowling team each brought home state runner-up trophies to round out the winter season.
At the indoor meet, Sweeney took home the top honor in a pair of events. He ran the 1600-meter race in 4:23.56 and also won the 3,200-meter run in a 7A state record time of 9:26.45. Bryce Hutchinson gave the Rebels a 1-2 finish, as he crossed the line in 9:30.45. Carl Nesbitt won the high jump competition, reaching a height of six feet, eight inches.
For the second consecutive year, Vestavia Hills placed second in the state bowling tournament, this time falling 1,547-1,493 to Buckhorn in the final.
To go along with the soccer and lacrosse titles in the spring, both Vestavia tennis teams came home with a second-place trophy after impressive performances at state.
The boys team claimed three individual state titles, with Clay Castleberry and Robert Hill winning at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles slots, respectively, while Robert Smith and Jack Kimbrough won as theNo. 3 doubles tandem.
The girls boasted one singles champ and two doubles champions. Nicole Jebeles took the title at No. 5 singles, while a set of sister tandems took home top honors in doubles. Nicole and Kristen Jebeles won No. 2 doubles, while Georgia and Kate Morros won at No. 3.
The boys soccer team took down three-time defending state champ Oak Mountain in the first round, Grissom in the following round and Mountain Brook in the semifinals to advance to the final, where the Rebels came up a goal shy against Auburn.
The baseball team qualified for the playoffs after a tough series win over Thompson to conclude the regular season, while the softball team came up short against Thompson at the area tournament.
Austin Coggin qualified for the state golf tournament as an individual, and the boys outdoor track and field team wrapped up its spring season with a fourth-place finish. Ethan Strand won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, with Sweeney and Hutchinson joining him on the podium in the 3,200.