Rebels make key plays, beat Oak Mountain
BIRMINGHAM – There was a Class 7A, Region 3 game on ESPN2 on Friday night, and another massive matchup at the Hoover Met, but perhaps the game featuring two teams not bound for the playoffs was the most meaningful.
Vestavia Hills forced three interceptions and made key plays on offense to grind out a 28-14 victory over Oak Mountain.
“We stepped up,” said Rebels linebacker Jake Levant, who nabbed one of those interceptions and notched two sacks. “The secondary played great and the whole defense stepped up.”
This game was the epitome of high school football. There were tough runs, big plays in the passing game, defensive stops, bands playing so loud you could barely think and students from one school playfully jawing with students from the other. You would not have known these two teams’ seasons will end after next week’s non-region matchups.
“We’re just playing for our coach and playing for these seniors,” Levant said. “We’re just trying to end up with a winning record.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the game’s first points were scored when Vestavia Hills quarterback Eli Sawyer ran straight up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown. Three minutes later, he connected with Sean Smyth for a 22-yard score to put the Rebels (5-4, 3-4 in region) up 14-0.
With 38 seconds until halftime, Oak Mountain freshman quarterback Evan Smith engineered a five-play, 64-yard drive capped by his touchdown pass to Noah Young from 12 yards out.
Sawyer scored on a keeper from a yard out to give Vestavia Hills a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter, but again the Eagles (1-8, 0-7) responded. Smith found Cole Thomas for a 5-yard touchdown on fourth down, finishing an 11-play, 69-yard drive to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 9:48 to play in the game.
All night, Sawyer had targeted tight end Michael Vice. They never seemed to be in sync until the game was on the line. Sawyer completed an 11-yard pass to Vice on third-and-9 to keep the chains moving, and three plays later he hit him across the middle for a 41-yard touchdown, the game-sealer.
“All week Coach (Buddy) Anderson asked us what we want our legacy to be,” Sawyer said. “For these seniors, we fought hard. All practices this week we just wanted to work hard and leave a legacy. Coach Anderson has been here a while and had a lot of playoff teams, and we didn’t make the playoffs this year, but we just want to finish the year strong with a couple wins.”
Sawyer finished 8-of-19 for 138 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He rushed for two more. Cooper Bishop gained 89 yards on 20 carries. Smyth caught four passes for 59 yards, and Vice finished with two grabs for 52 yards.
Defensively, Levant, Gyasi Hill, and Brock Payne picked off passes. The Rebels held the Oak Mountain offense to 280 total yards, 216 of which were in the passing game. Oak Mountain rushed for only 13 yards in the second half.
“This is one of our better defensive performances,” said Hill, whose white towel had words written in Sharpie to honor his father, who died when he was 7. “We came together as a team, and it showed.”
Hill honors his dad in every game, writing “RIP Dad” on his towel or wrist.
“He told me to follow my dreams,” Hill said. “I just pray that he watches over me and that he’s with me.”
For Oak Mountain, Smith finished 16-of-25 for 216 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He gained only six rushing yards on 14 carries. Trey Allen caught seven passes for 87 yards. Percer rushed 12 times for 58 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards. Defensively, Jalen Thomas had three sacks for the Eagles.
“We work really hard,” Hill said. “We knew that we weren’t going to make the playoffs, but we wanted to finish really strong and leave a legacy, like what do we want to be remembered as, the team that quits or the team that fights to the end to find a way.”
Vestavia Hills did finish strong, and the postgame celebration was infectious. It felt like a team moving forward, not staying home after a game next week against Huffman. Rebels players snapped photos and joked with each other on the field. Anderson kissed his wife, and his players cheered. He kissed her again, and they cheered louder. Again, this was the epitome of high school football.
“Yeah, we just love Coach,” Levant said.
Vestavia Hills concludes its 2018 season next week at home against Huffman, while Oak Mountain wraps up the season hosting Center Point.
It feels as if these teams are on the rise for the future. They are in a region as tough as barbwire, but both are fired up for the future with young talent. When asked about the immediate future as he walked off the field at Heardmont Park, Sawyer had just two words left to say.
“State championship.”
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