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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills’ Reese Gurner (11) dribbles the ball downcourt in a game between Chelsea and Vestavia held at Chelsea High School on in November 2020.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills’ Win Miller (0) shoots a layup in a game against the Huskies at Hewitt-Trussville High School on Jan. 8.
On paper, it would seem as if everything is in place for the Vestavia Hills High School boys basketball team to put together a monster season.
That may very well be the case, but it’s not as simple as it may appear on the surface.
While the Rebels do return much of their scoring, rebounding and other key statistics from a season ago, they did lose plenty of players known for excelling at things that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet after each contest.
“How we replace that is what we’ve got to figure out,” head coach Patrick Davis said. “We lost a lot of guys that didn’t score it a ton, didn’t shoot it a ton, but they guarded and they rebounded and they moved the ball and they were tough and they took charges and were the first ones on the floor.”
The good thing for the Rebels is that those traits and intangibles are emphasized constantly within the program, so it’s nothing new for the returning players on the team. Everyone is expected to do their part.
“It’s definitely something we try to foster and celebrate through how we do everything,” Davis said. “It’s not an either/or kind of thing.”
If and when the Rebels find that production within this year’s roster, though, the sky is the limit.
“We really like what we’ve got coming back, plus some guys that will be new to the varsity. I like our team a lot,” Davis said.
Leading scorer Win Miller is now a junior and is recently back from a knee injury. After showing flashes of brilliance as a freshman, Miller put together a strong campaign last year as a sophomore.
Reese Gurner had a breakout summer and will be a big time player for the Rebels this year as well.
“He’ll do absolutely anything to win. He got some good minutes last year. He’s gotten a lot better from 3-point range. He’s pretty well-rounded in everything he does,” Davis said.
Cole Turner will take to the hardwood after an eye-opening football season and provide the Rebels with plenty of energy. Alex Armstrong and Jude Cleary are in their third year on the varsity team and have added more to their skill sets.
Clayton Marek got some run last year but will have a much bigger role this season. Nate Harris brings plenty of energy and William Orkus shoots it well.
Max Stewart and Matthew Thackerson are also part of a robust senior class. Joshua Heald, William Worrell, Taylor Akin, Graham Uldrich and Ben Sawyer are all juniors and give the Rebels a deep and talented roster.
Last season, Vestavia Hills won its first nine games, 15 of its first 16, and finished with a 26-5 mark. The Rebels lost their final two games of the year, in the area tournament final and the regional semifinal round.
It remains to be seen whether they will have as much regular season success this year, but they definitely hope to be playing their best ball when it counts.
The Rebels will play the likes of Hartselle, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Oxford and Oak Mountain in non-region action. They will also host the annual Sneaky Pete’s Rebel Classic, play in the Pepsi Classic at Austin, participate in the Border Battle in Birmingham and play in a tournament near Cincinnati.
That’s all before Class 7A, Area 6 play against Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and Gadsden City.
“They’re ultra confident, which is what you want,” Davis said. “We get ourselves in tough situations all year so we’re used to them, which is what we try to do with our schedule.”
