Photo by Richard Force.
Vestavia safety Spence Hanna (1) tackles Thompson wide receiver Deuce Oliver (2) with backup from Ethan Denaburg (47) in a game against the Warriors at Warrior Stadium in Alabaster on Sept. 8.
The Vestavia Hills High School football team split its season in half this fall, playing five games before and five games after its open week.
The second half of the season is critical and difficult, not unlike the first half. But the truth is the first half featured Thompson and Hoover, the two teams that have finished at the top of the standings in Class 7A, Region 3 for several years now.
The Rebels still have four region games in October to finish out the slate that will determine their playoff fate. They are looking to qualify for the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in a decade.
They open the month on the road at Chelsea on Oct. 6. Last fall, Vestavia dispatched the Hornets 52-10 in the first meeting between the programs.
Vestavia Hills will return home for two weeks, beginning with a game against Hewitt-Trussville on Oct. 13. The Rebels gave the Huskies a scare last year but fell 45-37. The Rebels would like to turn the series between the programs back the other direction. Vestavia Hills won the first 12 meetings, but Hewitt has won five of the last six.
The Rebels will then remain at home to take on Oak Mountain on Oct. 20. Vestavia lit up the scoreboard in this matchup a season ago, winning 42-21. Vestavia has had the upper hand over the years, holding a 14-5 edge against the Eagles.
Vestavia heads to Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 27 for its final region contest. This game last year was a “win and get in” scenario for both teams, and the Rebels claimed that spot emphatically, with a 59-18 victory. The Rebels have won eight straight against the Wildcats and hold a 13-6 lead in the series.
Helena pays a visit to Vestavia on Nov. 2 to wrap up the regular season. The Rebels knocked off the Huskies 44-24 last fall, and they have won all three games between the two programs.
