Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hewitt at Vestavia Boys Soccer
Vestavia Hills’ Tony Shaw (50) dribbles the ball across the field during a match between Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville at Buddy Anderson Field on March 5. The Rebels defeated the Huskies 2-0.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As of press time, high school sports have been postponed indefinitely due to the new coronavirus.
The word legacy is thrown around a lot, but the 2020 Vestavia Hills High School boys soccer team feels like it has a chance to shine this spring.
Senior Andrew Tunnell said the energy around Vestavia soccer is growing and a come-from-behind win over an area opponent always helps bring some juice to the program.
“I feel that this team has a different energy and chemistry than Vestavia soccer has had in previous years,” he said. “The past two years we have lost our first area game but coming back after losing 2-1 in a rivalry sets a great tone for the season.”
The Rebels won their match against Mountain Brook 3-2 on Feb. 27 to open area play, and the Rebels split the last two area matches to sit at 2-1 in the area. Head coach Leo Harlan said he likes to have an “area week” to focus on all of the area opponents in one week. Vestavia will have more area games at the beginning of April after spring break. Harlan said he likes the feel of this team.
“We’ve played pretty well starting out,” he said. “The core seniors are back and we feel like we have a good team.”
This week-long expedition to take on all three area opponents is bold, but Harlan believes the team can focus more during the week on the three teams in front of them. Harlan said it takes leaders to step up to get the team focused and he has leaders. Senior, captain and Syracuse commit Tony Shaw said he feels it is his job to lead this team.
“The younger guys sort of look up to the older guys on the team, and I want to set an example for them that will stick with them, not only for the rest of the season but for the rest of their lives,” he said. “I lead our warmups, I wear the captain armband, and I always try to up the intensity of our practices.”
The 2020 Vestavia team has plenty of leaders including Shaw, Tunnell, Alex Holt and many more. Harlan said the seniors even want to practice longer and on weekends to make sure this season is a success.
“They’ve been very hardworking,” he said. “They’ve wanted to extend practices, practice on the weekend and stuff like that. They’ve been going pretty hard.”
The Rebels sport a deep sophomore class with Isaac Obremiller, Eli Jennings and Connor Fore leading the charge. Freshman Alexis Sarabia has also put in vital minutes for the Rebels.
“It is safe to say that the future of the team is in good hands,” Tunnell said.
But the future is not what this team is looking for now. The Rebels want to make a splash in Class 7A and win a state championship. Shaw even said that he feels this team could be the national champion by the end of the season. With big area games looming and a hopeful playoff appearance coming up, the Rebels want to be remembered for the 2020 season.
Holt said the goal is the same and he wants to add to Vestavia’s soccer legacy.
“The goal never changes,” he said. “We are aiming for a state championship every year. When you play for Vestavia there is a reputation that you must uphold. We are playing for the name on the front of our jerseys, not the name on the back.”