The Reset: Rebels soccer teams advance to Final Four
Over the course of the year, Vestavia Voice will keep you up to date on the various Vestavia Hills High School athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
SOCCER
The Vestavia Hills boys and girls soccer teams will have a presence in Huntsville later this week, as both Rebels teams won two games during the last week to advance to the Class 7A Final Four.
The boys team advanced via wins over three-time defending state champion Oak Mountain on Monday and Grissom on Saturday.
On Monday, the Rebels took down Oak Mountain, 3-2. Davis Peterson scored a pair of goals for Vestavia Hills, which was down 2-1 at the half. With 12 minutes to play, Collin Armstrong netted the game-winner with a free kick that escaped the touch of anyone on the Eagles defense.
On Saturday, the Rebels controlled play in a 3-1 win over Grissom. Vestavia Hills opened the scoring less than two minutes into the action, as Ford Hunt crossed a ball to the waiting leg of Peterson, who converted. Hunt scored one of his own later in the first half and notched his second with time winding down in the match.
The Lady Rebels also beat Oak Mountain on Monday, winning 7-3. The two rivals did not take long to get on the board, as each team scored in the opening four minutes of action. Kierson McDonald began the scoring for Oak Mountain, but Taylor Korn quickly tied the game at 1-1. The Eagles notched two consecutive goals to grab a 3-1 lead, but Kat Savage put one in the back of the net to cut the deficit in half heading into the halftime break.
The second half was thoroughly dominated by the Lady Rebels, as they outscored Oak Mountain 5-0. Faith Hauberg, Caroline Causey, Korn, Izzy Passman and Sophie Sabri each scored a goal in the second half onslaught.
Friday night’s win over Bob Jones was much different. Vestavia Hills and Bob Jones played to a scoreless grudge match through regulation and both overtime periods, but the Lady Rebels had the decisive edge in the penalty shootout. Vestavia Hills netted three goals and Bob Jones was unable to convert one to send the Lady Rebels to victory.
Both teams will play in the semifinals on Friday at John Hunt Park in Huntsville. The girls will face James Clemens at 1 p.m., while the boys will play Mountain Brook at 3 p.m.
To purchase soccer photos from Monday, click here for boys and here for girls.
SOFTBALL
The Vestavia Hills softball team saw its season come to an end on Thursday, as the Rebels were eliminated from the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament.
The Rebels fell to Tuscaloosa County, 3-2, despite outhitting the Wildcats, 11-4, in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday. Vestavia Hills tied the game in the top of the seventh on Sarah Cain’s RBI single. But County walked off with a home run in the bottom half of the inning.
Charity Bibbs knocked in the other run for Vestavia in the game. Bibbs, Mary Claire Wilson, Gwynnie Hornibrook and Mary Emma Davidson each notched two hits in the game. Bibbs went the distance in the circle as well, allowing four hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Vestavia Hills rebounded to knock off Hoover, 7-3, in an elimination game later on Wednesday. The Rebels scored three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings to take the lead and pull away. Hornibrook led the way offensively with three hits and two RBIs in the game. Wilson also drove in a pair of runs. Hannah Grace Roden went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Mary Sanders James registered two hits as well.
Thompson was too much for the Rebels on Thursday, winning 8-2 to eliminate Vestavia Hills. Cain’s two-run home run in the second inning was all the Rebels could muster offensively.
The loss ended the stellar careers of Merritt Cahoon and Cain. Cahoon is continuing her softball career in college, as she has signed with Samford.
To purchase photos from the Vestavia Hills softball season, click here.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Vestavia Hills outdoor track and field teams competed in the state outdoor meet Thursday through Saturday in Gulf Shores. The Rebels boys finished fourth with 61 points. Hoover swept the boys and girls competitions in Class 7A.
The highlights for the Rebels came from the distance runs. Ethan Strand had the fastest boys time of any class in the 1,600-meter run, winning the Class 7A race in 4:21.28. Strand also won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:30.26. Teammates Bryce Hutchinson (9:30.35) and James Sweeney (9:31.13) finished second and third to give the Rebels an all-podium finish.
Collin Scollard reached the podium with a throw of 166 feet, 1 inch in the javelin competition, good enough for third place.
Other athletes competing in individual events for the Rebels included Sasha Allison, Mary Ashford Hyde, Gigi Sharp, Katherine Ratliff, Abbie Richenderfer, Elizabeth Bradberry, Carl Nesbitt, Jacobi Gilbert, Jackson Bryant, Jackson Smith, Jake Haston and Caleb Huber.
To purchase photos from the section track and field meet, click here.
GOLF
The Vestavia Hills boys golf team played in the Class 7A, Section 3 tournament on Tuesday at Oxmoor Valley. The Rebels finished third behind Spain Park and Mountain Brook, meaning they did not advance to the sub-state tournament. But Austin Coggin took home low medalist honors by shooting a 68, advancing him to sub-state as an individual.
The sub-state tournament will be held Monday, May 7, at Timberline Golf Club in Calera.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.