Rebels excited about future after 3rd place finish at state

The Vestavia Hills High School boys tennis team put together a strong effort at the Class 7A state tennis tournament as the Rebels came home third in the tournament at Lagoon Park April 24-25.

Mountain Brook ran away with the title, securing 51 points along the way, but the battle for second was tight between McGill-Toolen and Vestavia.

McGill would edge out the Rebels with 27 points, compared to 22 for Vestavia.

“Our kids definitely played with a lot of heart and won some tough matchups,” said Vestavia coach Nathan Miles. “Our kids played well, played hard and fought like we expected.”

A match here or there could have altered the final standings, but the Rebels did pick up a state champion on the No. 2 doubles line, as the duo of Sam Smith and Clay Castleberry knocked off Mountain Brook’s Paul Jones and Chase Robinett, 6-2, 7-6 (1).

Smith also reached the finals on the No. 3 singles line. The Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles players for the Rebels, Robert Hill, Gray Moore and Jack Kimbrough each made it through to the semifinals.

Smith beat Enterprise’s Bailey Ragan 6-2, 6-3, in the first round and took down Dallas Burkes from James Clemens 6-3, 7-5, to reach the final, a match Mountain Brook’s Jones won 6-4, 6-4.

Hill cruised by Tanner Debardelaben from Auburn in the first round, 6-4, 6-0, before falling to Robinett. Moore beat McGill-Toolen’s Thomas Jackson 6-1, 6-0, but fell to eventual champ Alva Caine (Mountain Brook), 6-2, 6-3, in the semis. Kimbrough swept Fairhope’s Harrison Hall 6-0, 6-0, and fell in a tight match to Mountain Brook’s William Watts — who went on to win the final — 7-5, 6-4.

Hill and Moore teamed up in No. 3 doubles to reach the semis as well, beating McGill-Toolen’s Cole and Connor Murphy 6-1, 6-3. The Mountain Brook tandem of Watts and Andrew Karcher won the semifinal match 7-5, 6-2.

Alex Lloyd and Griffin McCullough also participated as the top two singles players and top doubles pair for the Rebels.

This spring was the first appearance at the state tournament for the Rebels since winning four straight state championships from 2011-2014. To advance to state, the Rebels finished second in the section tournament the week prior. 

In his third season as coach, Miles said he was pleased with what he saw from his guys.

“They stepped up to the plate and fought hard and played well,” he said. “They’re still excited.”

Miles even said his players came away from the state tournament “really wanting something more” than the third-place finish, and with almost all of the lineup returning next season, the Rebels could be a threat to make a deep run once again.

“They’re absolutely fired up about the prospect of making it back next year and doing even better,” Miles said. “They may be young, but they’re super dedicated.”

The Rebels lose a pair of seniors in Griffin McCullough and Tyler Garner. McCullough played the No. 2 singles bracket and was in the top doubles pair. Garner did not crack the lineup for the state tournament, but Miles said the captain was instrumental in the team’s success.

“Tyler kept everybody motivated and on target and displays the character you need and was essential to our team,” Miles said.