
Kyle Parmley
The Vestavia Hills High School boys bowling team finished second at the Class 7A North Regional tournament on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.
Over the course of the year, Vestavia Voice will keep you up to date on the various Vestavia Hills High School athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
BASKETBALL
The Vestavia Hills basketball teams began play last week by hosting the George Hatchett Classic on Monday. The Lady Rebels got the day started in dominant fashion with a 58-25 win over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. Four players eclipsed double digits for Vestavia, led by 12 points from Anna Towry. Emma Smith, Carley Smith and Jill Gaylard all added 10 points as well, with Gaylard chipping in six rebounds as well.
The boys picked off James Clemens 62-59 in a tight game. Alex Armstrong led the Rebels with 19 points, with Win Miller adding 11 points.
The Rebels returned to Class 7A, Area 6 play on Friday night, with both teams earning impressive victories. The Lady Rebels kept up their great play with a 61-54 victory over a strong Hewitt-Trussville team. Emma Smith led the way with 20 points and seven rebounds for the team. Josie Edwards added a stellar 16 points and eight rebounds, while Alison Stubbs narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
The boys picked up a 66-54 victory as well, lifted by Miller’s 30-point performance. Cole Turner had 14 points and six rebounds, while Grant Uldrich finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
WRESTLING
The Vestavia Hills wrestling team finished second in the Class 7A state duals wrestling competition, which concluded last Friday.
On Tuesday, the Rebels defeated Hewitt-Trussville soundly in the semifinals, 50-18, to advance to the championship round. In the match against the Huskies, 10 Vestavia wrestlers triumphed and earned points for the team. Leighton Reese, Jack Lamey, John Edwards and Jack McMurry won by fall. Mac Chandler, Hastings Roberts and Riggs Manown won by major decision. Bryce Littleton and Zach Flurry won by fall, and Christopher Hays won by decision.
Vestavia Hills came up short on Friday in the 7A final, as the Rebels fell to Thompson 33-25 at Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham CrossPlex. It was Thompson’s third consecutive state duals title.
The match began in Vestavia’s favor, as Flurry won in the 115-pound weight class by a 2-0 decision. Thompson won the next two bouts, before Hays got the Rebels back on the board with a 7-6 victory by decision. But Thompson won two more to extend its advantage before Harris Mitchell won a 20-5 technical fall to bolster the Rebels.
Vestavia won the final three matches of the day, but Thompson’s lead was too much to overcome. Littleton triumphed in the 222-pound class by a 16-0 technical fall, McMurry won by fall in the 287-pound class and Chandler earned three points as well.
BOWLING
The Vestavia Hills boys bowling team advanced to the state tournament, set for later this week, after finishing as the runner-up in the Class 6A-7A North Regional tournament on Thursday at Vestavia Bowl. The Rebels took down Hartselle 1,431-1,197 in the opening round to lock up their berth in the state tournament.
In the semifinal round, the Rebels cruised past Huntsville 1,402-1,084, claiming an advantage in the traditional round as well as all three Baker games. In the final, however, Sparkman got the best of Vestavia, downing the Rebels 1,580-1,325. Sparkman rolled an impressive 995 in the traditional round to Vestavia’s 789, and posted 172, 211 and 202 in the Baker games. Vestavia posted scores of 175, 192 and 169 in the Baker rounds.
The state tournament is set to be played at Oak Mountain Lanes this Friday.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.