Photo courtesy of David Holtsford, AHSAA
Vestavia Hills' Carson Purdy against Carver-Montgomery on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.
MONTGOMERY — Vestavia Hills High School’s first-ever appearance in the season-opening AHSAA Kickoff Classic was not a memorable one as Carver dominated the Rebels 41-19 at Cramton Bowl on Friday night.
Five turnovers by the Vestavia Hills offense, including four second-half interceptions thrown by quarterbacks Charlie Taaffe and Price LaMaster, and the defense’s inability to stop Carver senior quarterback T.J. Russell, who accounted for 328 yards of total offense, added up to disaster for the Rebels.
“I thought their athleticism overwhelmed us,” third-year Rebels coach Robert Evans said. “When you go against really athletic teams, you can’t turn the ball over, and that’s how we started the game. They are a real problem for pretty much anybody.”
With a cool hand on the throttle, Russell was 20-of-29 passing for 283 yards and three touchdowns and added 45 yards rushing on the night. In contrast, Taaffe was 6-of-17 with three interceptions and only 53 yards, while LaMaster was 3-of-7 for 45 yards and another INT.
The Rebels spotted Carver a 13-0 lead on a 30-yard fumble return touchdown by Stephon Andrews only 41 seconds into the game and a 2-yard run by Tre Berry at 3:13 of the first quarter.
Vestavia Hills cut into that lead on a trick play with 12 seconds left in the first quarter as Taaffe threw to running back Carson Purdy, who found Luke Stubbs wide open at the goalline for the touchdown. A two-point try was no good, but the Rebels added 34-yard and 25-yard field goals by Owen Simpson to cut it to 13-12 with 4:52 left in the half.
Carver swiped the momentum back as the Wolverines moved 70 yards in 10 plays and scored on an 11-yard pass from Russell to Alabama commit Anthony Rogers with 12 seconds left in the half. Carver added the two pointer to go up 21-12.
A 51-yard kickoff return by Rogers set up Carver at the Rebel 48, and from there Russell found Texas A&M commit T.K. Norman on the first play for the score and an eventual 28-12 lead.
Taaffe had the Rebels on the move on the next drive before Corey McMeans intercepted the ball at the Carver 20 and returned it 67 yards. Two plays later, Russell found Jacobi Freeman for 11 yards and a 34-12 lead after the PAT was blocked.
Taaffe was intercepted again on the next drive and it was again returned to the Vestavia 13, but the defense held the Wolverines at bay on that trip.
Carver intercepted Taaffe for the third time on the third play of the fourth quarter and needed six plays to score as Berry crashed in from 1 yard out to round out the Wolverine scoring. The PAT made it 41-12.
Vestavia applied a little salve midway through the fourth as Lamaster, subbing for an injured Taaffe, found Noah Boylan for 34 yards. Simpson’s PAT rounded out the final margin.
Vestavia Hills (0-1) will travel to Auburn, which opened with a 49-0 win over North Miami Beach, Fla., next Friday night.
“It doesn’t get any easier for us,” Evans said. “We’ve got Auburn, Hewitt-Trussville, Hillcrest and Thompson, and win or lose we’ve just got to move forward. I thought our guys competed hard but it was not our night. And when it’s not your night, the other team has a lot to do with that and that’s what happened to us.”
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