Staff
Vestavia's Emory Bear (2).
Emory Bear (2).
Vestavia Hills High School boys basketball has grown accustomed to having a clear “next guy up” in recent seasons — a go-to scorer who steps into the spotlight as the Rebels reload.
This winter, the picture is less defined, but head coach Patrick Davis sees that as a strength, rather than a problem.
Davis brought two seniors to the inaugural Under the Lights Basketball Media Day — Emory Bear and Jon Allen Harper — part of a small but influential four-man senior class tasked with guiding a roster that blends experience and untapped potential.
Bear has the longest varsity track record, having contributed as a sophomore before becoming a key guard last season. If Vestavia is searching for someone to take hold of the go-to role, Davis believes Bear is positioned for it.
But the Rebels’ offense may look different than recent years, thanks to a legitimate interior presence. Junior post player Johnny Towry returns after a strong sophomore season and gives Vestavia a dimension it hasn’t consistently had.
Staff
Vestavia's Johnny Towry (22).
Johnny Towry (22).
“That kind of gives us something that you’ve got to guard at the rim. That opens up some different things,” Davis said.
Around Towry is a roster of shooters that is deep, balanced and capable of stretching defenses every night.
“I think this is one of our best shooting teams that I've ever been a part of,” Bear said. “We've been shooting at a high clip all preseason, so I'm excited to see us put the ball in the bucket from 3[-point range] this year.”
Harper agreed, adding that it’s the closest team he’s been around, and not just on the court.
“We’re always bonding and having fun, and then that equates to on the court,” Harper said. “I think we've got good chemistry. I'm excited.”
That chemistry is strengthened by significant sophomore contributions from last season. Towry, Adrian Peterson and Luke Stubbs all played major varsity minutes.
With 11 players on the roster — and senior Zac Cunningham sidelined for the year with an injury — depth will be a critical storyline early on. Davis said that finding a surprise or late-developing contributor, as Harper became last season, may be the detail that shapes the Rebels’ ceiling.
Still, the program’s identity remains steady: figure out the best version of this team, not force a system onto a roster.
“We don't go in and sit down and say, ‘Hey, the goals are, win 25, win a state championship,’ whatever,” Davis said. “At the end of the day, we're trying to get every guy to play as good as he can play by the end of [the season], so that our team's playing as good as our team can play.”
Brett Brown is the team’s other senior, with Collier Floyd, Henry McKinnon and Austin Nelson in the junior class. Jake Cesnick is the lone sophomore on the varsity roster at the season’s outset. Vestavia Hills competes with Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover and Oak Mountain in Class 7A, Area 6, looking to return to the postseason for the second straight year.
In December, the Rebels take on Minor, Park Crossing, Hillcrest, Leeds, Pelham and Homewood before a three-game swing in Kentucky. The Rebels return home to play in the Metro Tournament to wrap up the calendar year.
The Rebels face their area opponents in addition to Hueytown, Mountain Brook, Prattville, Clay-Chalkville and Huffman in the final month of the season.
