Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylard (2) takes the ball downcourt guarded by Auburn’s Brianna Harris (12) in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 3.
The Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball program has no intention of being a one-hit wonder.
After making it to the Class 7A state championship game last year and finishing runner-up to Hoover, some may expect the Lady Rebels to take a step back. After all, Emma Smith, one of the best players in program history, graduated and is now playing at the University of Denver.
But the cupboard is far from bare. Much of the roster returning this winter was part of that playoff run a season ago and many of those players will step into bigger roles this season.
Out of the 12 players on this year’s varsity roster, there is only one senior and two juniors, but plenty of those underclassmen contributed last season.
“We’re a young team, but for as young as we are, we have some pretty good experience there, as far as big games,” Vestavia Hills head coach John David Smelser said. “We’re very talented. The young ones haven’t really scratched the surface of how good they’re going to be.”
Replacing the three Smiths (Emma, Ally and Carley) will not be an easy task and is not something to be done by a singular player. But Smelser believes that, collectively, his team has the potential to reach great heights once again.
“It’s a very athletic team, a very quick team, very deep. I can play everybody,” he said.
Anna Towry is the lone senior, entering her fourth year on the varsity team. For years, she has blended in, excelling in various roles. She will be asked to truly emerge as a consistent threat on both ends of the floor this year. Smelser is somewhat baffled that she has never received the notoriety he believes she is due.
“In the years past, I’ve just been kind of able to be under the seniors that we lost, but now I have to step up and lead the team in different ways,” Towry said at a preseason Birmingham Media Day event at Thompson.
Sophomore Sarah Gordon rose to the challenge last season as a freshman, establishing herself as one of the top scorers in the area and leaving some wondering just how high her ceiling is.
“She has gotten a lot better and is one that is not close to tapping into how good she’s going to be,” Smelser said.
Jill Gaylard is a sophomore and seems poised to step into the point guard role for the Lady Rebels, having already played in several meaningful games over the last two years. Mallory Cowan and Jordan Madsen provide length, rebounding, energy and many other traits, as both can play around the rim on both ends of the floor.
Grayson Hudgens, Ava Robinson, Jule McMillan, Ryleigh Martin, Ally Perry, Emma Gordon and Rosemary Gill all make up the varsity roster as well. Smelser said he will need every one of them to contribute throughout the season.
“We’re going to play fast and try to wear people down,” he said.
Vestavia Hills competes in Class 7A, Area 5 this year with Hoover, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County. The Lady Rebels will also play at Wallace State Community College four times during the season, where they hope to be playing in the regional tournament in February.
