Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills' Sarah Gordon (33) looks for a shot during an AHSAA Class 7A girls Northwest Regional semifinal game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and Bob Jones Patriots in Tom Drake Coliseum at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.
Many of the names that will star for the Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball team this season are familiar ones.
Six seniors who have led the way for the last couple years are back, led by University of Penn commit Sarah Gordon.
They will be supported by a younger cast of players without as much varsity experience, and the challenge will be blending those two groups together.
Head coach John David Smelser said he is emphasizing leadership with his seniors, along with the importance of leaving a legacy that carries over beyond their time at Vestavia.
The Lady Rebels are expected to be one of the top teams in the state again this year, as they look to get back to the state final four for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.
Several of those seniors were already key players on the last team to get to the state championship game. Smelser believes that experience will be a benefit and that the team’s defense will be a strength.
Gordon will go down as one of the top players in Vestavia Hills history, and she is looking to go out on top.
“She’s determined to get back to that championship game and win it,” Smelser said. “Her whole team is. They’ve been there and tasted it and know this is it. Now, it’s just about going and doing it. We’ve got the team, got the talent, got the ability.”
Jill Gaylard has been playing since her middle school days, along with Gordon and Grayson Hudgens. Jordan Madsen and Emma Gordon have been varsity contributors for a few years, and Rosemary Gill is back from injury.
Marley Cowan has the height that will give the Lady Rebels a post presence. She and Caroline Leyden are the team’s two juniors.
There are four sophomores on this team who got a limited amount of varsity experience last year. Evie Black, Olivia Hunsberger, Ella Grace Stricklin and Hayden Perry are all athletic players who Smelser expects to grow into good players.
“There’s not a huge gap of talent, there’s not a huge drop-off at all. There’s just a drop-off of experience,” Smelser said.
Freshmen Ella Kate Miller and Ellie Faulkner, and eighth grader Chrislyn Chism will play on the varsity team as well.
The way the Class 7A basketball playoffs are structured this year will be unfortunate based on previous history. Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville are all in the area, along with Oak Mountain. Hoover is the four-time defending state champion, with three of those championship games featuring Hewitt-Trussville (twice) and Vestavia. Only one of those teams will have the ability to end up at the state finals.
After getting the season started in November with competitive games, the Lady Rebels head into a busy December stretch. In the month, they will play Minor, Homewood and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa before three tournaments.
Vestavia will host the Maserati Classic on Dec. 13-14, then play in Auburn High’s tournament the following week. After Christmas, Vestavia will head to the beach to play in the Gulf Shores Beach Bash.
The month of January features the all-important area matchups, with a home and away game against each of those opponents. The Lady Rebels will also play Guntersville, Hartselle, Huffman and Thompson.
