Photo by Erin Nelson.
VHHS girls vs. Austin
The Rebels react after defeating Austin during a Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal game between Vestavia Hills and Austin on Feb. 13 at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville. The Rebels sealed a spot in the regional final by defeating the Black Bears 54-49.
The Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball team was just a few plays away from making a return to the state final four for the first time in more than a decade.
Under first-year head coach John David Smelser, the Lady Rebels reached heights not seen in quite some time. Vestavia Hills finished as the runner-up in Class 7A, Area 6 and won a game at the Northwest Regional tournament to make it to the final eight in the state tournament.
The Lady Rebels finished the campaign with a 23-11 record, but they were close to making it at least a step further. On Feb. 18, they were tied with eventual state champion Spain Park in the regional final entering the fourth quarter. The Lady Jags ultimately made the plays down the stretch to emerge with a 42-37 win.
“I felt very confident in our team,” said sophomore guard Emma Smith following the game.
Vestavia Hills may have had success not seen for some time, but the success had been forecast over the previous few years. Longtime high school head coach Laura Casey constantly touted the merits of the elementary and middle school level teams.
After back-to-back single digit win seasons, things began to come together last winter in Casey’s final year at the helm. Vestavia Hills finished 18-10 on the year and narrowly lost to Hewitt-Trussville in the area tournament. This year, the Lady Rebels got past Hewitt to move on. They beat the Lady Huskies 58-55 on Feb. 5 in the area tournament semifinals to clinch that regional berth. Two days later, Vestavia was topped by Spain Park for the third time.
After a Feb. 17 loss to Hewitt-Trussville, the Lady Rebels finished their season 6-0 against all opponents not named Spain Park.
“In the past, we’ve always been told we have the potential to do stuff, but we’ve never been able to put into action,” said Smith. Along with her twin sister Ally, Emma has been playing varsity ball since she was in middle school.
In the postgame press conference following the season-ending loss to Spain Park, Smelser became emotional when reflecting on the journey of his two seniors, Anna Wood and Arden Plugge.
“What they’ve been through the past four years and what they’ve done, average people don’t do,” Smelser said. “These seniors are exceptional people that work extremely hard. They’re not average people.”
Wood helped guide the Lady Rebels to a come-from-behind 54-49 win over Austin in the regional semifinals on Feb. 13. She scored 10 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter.
“This is a testament of what our year has been,” Smelser said following that game. “We never give up. They’re tough as nails. They’re undersized in every position. I’m so proud to be able to be their coach.”
“Our seniors led us extremely well and pushed us to where we are today,” Emma Smith said.
Plugge’s presence in the paint and Wood’s dynamic all-around game will certainly be missed. But Smelser is adamant that his team’s season should not be viewed as a fluke. Much will return next winter to a team that put Vestavia Hills back on the map in girls basketball.
“They deserve to be here. They belong here,” Smelser said.
