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Photo by Laura Chramer.
Vestavia Hills defensive end Jordan Ross (5) is a five-star prospect looking to take the next step this fall.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills wide receiver Keown Richardson (8) is one of several returning skill players for the Rebels this fall.
The record was a little misleading at the end of last season.
Despite finishing the 2022 year with a 7-5 record, the Vestavia Hills High School football team was among the most dangerous teams in Alabama entering the state playoffs.
With a new head coach and a front-loaded schedule, the Rebels started off losing three of their first four games last fall, to Mountain Brook, Hoover and Thompson.
But the Rebels soon took off, scoring 36 points or more in seven straight games and taking eventual state champ Thompson to the brink in the second round of the playoffs.
Now, the Rebels are looking to parlay the momentum created in Robert Evans’ first year as head coach into a successful 2023 campaign.
“We made strides last year, but nobody cares about last year,” he said.
Plenty of progress was made last season, both in upgrading facets of the program and in the Rebels’ aggressive style of play on both sides of the ball.
Vestavia Hills has several key players back across the board but lost a good bit up front along the offensive and defensive lines. The offense returns one of the top quarterbacks in the state, while the defense has a highly-touted prospect as well.
“My goal for our team this year is to have a winning record against the five best teams on our schedule at the end,” Evans said.
Evans despises what he refers to as “coachspeak” — the typical lines many coaches repeat at the start of the year, expressing optimism about the upcoming season.
So, he chooses his words carefully.
“I am anticipating us being a quality team,” he said. “The whole issue is, can we get in the playoffs, get our foot in the door and be healthy at the end of the year?”
He added, “If we can, we’ll be a tough out again.”
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills’ John Paul Head (13) returns at quarterback after a breakout season in 2022.
OFFENSE
Vestavia Hills had a prolific offense last season, using an aggressive, up-tempo offense led by coordinator Josh Franklin. The Rebels hired Franklin from Hueytown, where he ran one of most explosive offenses in Class 6A.
His style transferred to 7A just fine, as the new-look attack gave defenses fits throughout the year.
The Rebels averaged 34 points per game and will get back senior quarterback John Paul Head, who had a breakout 2022 season.
Head totaled more than 3,500 yards and 38 touchdowns last fall, going over 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air.
“When you have a quarterback that’s effective running and throwing, you’ve got a chance in high school football. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody,” Evans said.
William Tonsmeire returns at running back, with Caden Taylor and Bruce Littleton providing help in the backfield. Out wide, Keown Richardson, Cooper Mollison, Carson Mann and Chase Webb will also provide playmaking in the passing game.
Evans hopes those players can help the Rebels hit more big plays as opposed to consistently relying on long drives, when mistakes become more likely.
JD Livingston is the only offensive lineman returning, with Evans saying there are up to eight players competing for the other four starting spots along the line.
“We’re going to be young and that’s always a concern,” Evans said. “We’ll have to grow up and our schedule is top-heavy, but those guys will have to grow up quick for us to have a chance.”
DEFENSE
As a defense-minded coach, Evans was pleased with the overall performance of the unit last season. On the flip side, nine of those starters graduated, so the Rebels will be starting anew at many positions.
Jordan Ross is a five-star defensive end who Evans is counting on to take another step forward in his senior campaign.
“He’s bigger, stronger, just as fast and he’s made tremendous strides mentally,” Evans said.
The only other returning starter is cornerback Kohen Nelson.
Safety Spence Hanna and linebacker Jacob Watson are juniors Evans expects to slot in and have productive seasons. Senior linebacker Gibson Bean and senior lineman Harrison Faust have come on strong as well.
“We need to turn people over a little bit more, score and create havoc and chaos more, but with so many new faces, we’re having to be simpler than I’d like,” Evans said. “That’s the nature of the beast.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Rebels have the luxury of a pair of solid kickers. Carter Shirley was an effective field goal kicker last fall, while Owen Simpson can handle the punting duties.
Charlie Ingram is a solid long snapper, and Evans believes he will do so at the college level.
“The mindset is always going to be to be aggressive,” Evans said. “We faked more punt and kicks and went for it on fourth down more than has been done in a long time. We’ll up the ante on that.”
