Rebels aim to build on victory

The Vestavia Hills High School football team earned its first win of the season last Friday when it knocked off Oak Mountain, 7-0.

The Rebels will aim to use the victory as a catalyst while they prepare for their next Class 7A, Region 3 foe. Vestavia Hills (1-2, 1-1 region) will play at Huffman (2-1, 1-1) on Thursday night in what figures to be a must-win game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Huffman High. 

Since making the jump from 6A to 7A last season, the Vikings have struggled against region opponents. They went 2-5 in 2016 and have already suffered a 31-0 loss to Oak Mountain this season. Huffman, however, was able to rebound from that Sept. 9 defeat.

Last week, it beat Tuscaloosa County, 32-29, which gives it momentum heading into Thursday’s game. The Vikings are led by defensive tackle Allen Love, a 6-foot-3 inch, 285-pound defensive tackle committed to Ole Miss — much like Vestavia Hills safety Jonathan Hess.

Hess hawked an interception on the second play of last week’s game against Oak Mountain, which set up a 14-yard touchdown rush from running back William Schaffeld. The score proved the difference in a matchup dominated by defense.

“Our defense played great. I’m so proud of them,” Rebels head coach Buddy Anderson said after the game.  “We capitalized when we got the break, and we moved the ball enough to eat up the clock.”

The much-needed triumph came after back-to-back losses to Homewood and Spain Park. Sustaining the momentum generated by the win will be key.

Last year’s matchup saw Vestavia Hills claim a 35-21 victory over Huffman. The Rebels rushed for five first-half touchdowns as they jumped out to a 35-0 lead.

Vestavia Hills leads the teams’ all-time series, 12-6. Next week, the Rebels will head to Helena for a non-region game.

Robert Carter contributed to this report