Photo by Gary Lloyd
Vestavia Hills Football
Vestavia Hills lines up to run a play against Briarwood Christian on Friday, August 19, 2016, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
VESTAVIA HILLS -- The Rebels kept on running.
Vestavia Hills rolled up 232 rushing yards and defeated Briarwood Christian School 20-7 in Friday’s jamboree game at Thompson Reynolds Stadium on the Vestavia Hills High School campus.
“It’s a good way to start,” Vestavia Hills head coach Buddy Anderson said.
The game started well for the Rebels. Junior quarterback Coleman Pettway slithered his way between Briarwood defenders for a 32-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.
Senior Toliver Chatwood capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive with 4:18 remaining in the third quarter with a two-yard plunge into the end zone. All 15 plays on that drive were rushes, and just one went for more than 10 yards.
“We work on (the running game a lot),” Anderson said. “We work on our passing a lot, too. We take what the defense gives us.”
Briarwood responded on the ensuing drive when junior quarterback Michael Hiers found fellow junior Gabe Morris for a touchdown, cutting the Lions’ deficit to 14-7 with 11:52 left in the game.
The Rebels put the game away with 5:06 remaining when sophomore signal caller Sean Smyth darted 24 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-two.
Chatwood led the way for the Rebels, rushing for 51 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Pettway carried four times for 50 yards and a touchdown. He also completed all three of his passes for 32 yards. Cooper Jones and Reed Stockton rushed for 29 yards each.
Defensively for the Rebels, Douglas Thompson and Andrew Simms notched sacks.
For Briarwood, senior quarterback William Gray completed 7-of-9 passes for 64 yards, all in the first half. He also rushed seven times for 18 yards. Hiers played well in the second half for the Lions, completing 5-of-6 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 16 yards.
“I thought our kids hustled well and really did some nice things,” said Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey.
Yancey said his Lions need to not “shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties” going forward. Briarwood amassed 40 penalty yards on seven penalties.
“Those were disappointing, but in a jamboree you’re going to have some,” Yancey said.
Briarwood opens the regular season Friday, Aug. 26 at Chelsea.
“I know they’ve got some really good players that are coming back so we anticipate that being a real tough game,” Yancey said.
Vestavia Hills plays host to Homewood (1-0).
“They’re a good football team,” Anderson said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
