Photo by Ted Melton
Action during a game between Spain Park and Vestavia Hills on Friday night,Sept.8,2017,at Buddy Anderson Field in Vestavia Hills.
Over the course of the year, Vestavia Voice will keep you up to date on the various Vestavia Hills High School athletic teams. With football season three weeks old, volleyball season two weeks old and cross-country getting underway last Saturday, the fall sports season is in full swing.
FOOTBALL
The Vestavia Hills football team fell to 0-2 on the young season with a 33-14 loss to Spain Park last Friday night. The Rebels fell behind 17-0 in the first quarter and were unable to climb out of that hole.
Click here for a full recap of that game.
VOLLEYBALL
The Rebel volleyball team has compiled a 7-4 record through the season’s first two weeks.
Vestavia opened the season by splitting a tri-match on Aug. 31. The Rebels dropped a match to Pelham and defeated Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.
The Rebels also put together a strong showing at the Juanita Boddie Tournament Sept. 1-2. They went 2-2 in pool play, beating Madison Academy and Houston (Tenn.) and losing to Blessed Trinity (Ga.) and Daphne. But the Rebels ran the table in the silver bracket, taking down Arnold (Fla.), Hazel Green, Bayside Academy and Buckhorn to win the silver bracket title.
Last week, Vestavia played one match, a 3-0 loss at the hands of Mountain Brook. Here is a full recap from that match.
CROSS-COUNTRY
James Sweeney opened his 2017 cross-country season in style on Saturday at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational. The Vestavia Hills High School senior rolled to a runner-up finish in the large school boys race, clocking a 5K personal-best 15:40 on the course at Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
Sweeney had never previously broken 16 minutes.
“I didn’t know I was going to PR by that much. I knew I had a lot of good summer training, but I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”
Sweeney’s runner-up performance — Homewood’s Will Stone won in 15:36 —propelled his Rebel team to a fourth-place finish, which was the best of any Birmingham-area school. Vestavia Hills totaled 176 points and posted a 16:40 5K team average. Mountain Brook placed fifth with 189 points.
John Ingram (24th, 16:35), Joseph Gilroy (35th, 16:48), Grayson Holbert (54th, 17:05) and Mitchell Lee (61st, 17:11) all turned in strong performances for Vestavia Hills.
“This is, by far, the best and deepest training group we’ve ever had,” Vestavia Hills head coach Brett Huber said. “They’re just doing the work the right way. We’re not surprised today with how they did.”
Freshman Ethan Stand won the “B Team” boys race in 16:40.
On the girls side, senior Sasha Allison paced her Rebels to an 11th-place finish. She crossed the line 23rd in 20:02.
The Vestavia Hills cross-country teams return to action Saturday at the Spain Park Invitational.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Mac Macoy opened his redshirt sophomore cross-country campaign for the University of Florida on Sept. 7. The 2014 Vestavia Hills High School alumnus recorded a sixth-place finish at the University of North Florida Invitational in Jacksonville. Macoy ran 15:52 for the 5K distance and was the second Gator finisher.
-- Who did we miss? What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
