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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills quarterback Charlie Taaffe (11) looks down field during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills running back William Tonsmeire (1) looks for an opening at the line of scrimmage during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia Will Tonsmeire (RB, 1) in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills kicker Owen Simpson (13) kicks a field goal during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills quarterback Charlie Taaffe (11) runs the ball during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia's WR Chase Webb (2) recieves return in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia DL William Plaisance (31) runs to celebrate play in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia DL Josh Arendall (93) runs to celebrate play in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia K Owen Simpson (13) kicks off in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia's Will Tonsmeire (RB, 1) scores in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Hewitt-Trussville's DL Cooper Huffman (95) blocks Vestavia's Ol Caleb Boylan (53) in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia line gets ready for play in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Hewitt-Trussville's OL Mason Holloway (70) hits Vestavia's LB Jacob Watson (42) in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
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Vestavia Hills fan at the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia's Will Tonsmeire (RB, 1) runs ball in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Hewitt-Trussville's OL Jackson Reeves (77) faces off against DL Josh Arendall (93) of Vestavia in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia OL Caleb Boylan (53) snaps ball in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia QB (11) Charlie Taaffee in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Band member and child in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills halfback Bruce Littleton (22) runs the ball during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Hewitt-Trussville running back James Kelly (4) is tripped up by Vestavia Hills linebacker Jacob Watson (42) during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills linebacker Thomas Hocutt (0) breaks up a pass to Hewitt-Trussville running back CJ Davis (11) during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Hewitt-Trussville wide receiver Jacob Serena (14) scores the game winning touchdown with less than a minute to go during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans consoles his team after their 14 to 18 loss in a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Noah Dobbins (3) avoids a tackle by Vestavia Hills defensive lineman Yates Bannon (9) during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills halfback Bruce Littleton (22) is tackled by Hewitt-Trussville linebacker Parker Floyd (8) during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Hewitt-Trussville linebacker Owen Robinson (0) and outside linebacker Denarrius Crawford (4) sacks Vestavia Hills quarterback Charlie Taaffe (11) during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills halfback Bruce Littleton (22) runs the ball during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills halfback Bruce Littleton (22) is tackled short of the goal line during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills kicker Owen Simpson (13) punts the ball during a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by David Leong
Captains of the game assemble for the coin toss before a game between the Vestavia Hills Rebels and the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills, Ala.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Team captains shake hands in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Vestavia's QB Charlie Taaffe (10) makes a save in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia coach before the game in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Vestavia S Ben Ponder (15) holds helmet in the Hewitt-Trussville vs Vestavia game at Thomspon Reynolds Stadium on Sept. 6, 2024.
VESTAVIA HILLS – The Huskies offense had hardly clicked at all over the first three and a half quarters.
But over the final six minutes, the Hewitt-Trussville High School football team mounted two touchdown drives to snatch the win away from rival Vestavia Hills, 18-14, on Friday night at Thompson Reynolds Stadium.
The Huskies took the lead for the first time all night with 20 seconds to play, as quarterback Noah Dobbins rolled to his right, stopped and delivered a strike across his body into the end zone to a diving Jacob Serena, who hauled in the 14-yard grab for the game-winning score.
“I had a climb coming across the back of the end zone, and I knew I would be wide open in that gap,” Serena said following the game. “Noah and me practice that. I called on him and he saw me at the right moment, and it was a great throw.”
“Sometimes, it doesn’t come down to play calls,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd said. “Dudes have got to make plays. We had some guys make plays.”
After struggling to move the ball all night, Hewitt’s offense finally got rolling midway through the fourth quarter. The Huskies gained 139 of their 254 total yards on the evening on their final two scoring drives.
Hewitt-Trussville cut into Vestavia’s lead with just under six minutes remaining, as Dobbins hit James Kelly down the seam on a fourth-down play for a 14-yard touchdown. A two-point pass from Dobbins to Dylan Cope made it 14-11.
The stat line didn’t stand out for Dobbins, as he completed 10 of 29 passes for 128 yards, but he made the critical throws when needed. A few plays before the game-winning touchdown, he hit CJ Davis for a big gain on fourth down.
Deuce Alston led the Huskies with 59 rushing yards on nine carries.
Vestavia Hills, known for its high-flying offense over the last couple years, employed a very different strategy on Friday night. The Rebels came out determined to shorten the game and limit possessions by sticking to the run game and allowing the play clock to bleed much of the night.
“They really outplayed us tonight,” Floyd said. “They had a great plan. We told our guys all week it was going to be a dog fight, because they were getting some guys back.
“Defense kept us in the game. Offense was pretty much terrible, until the end.”
It worked for much of the game. The Rebels got on the board first on Bruce Littleton’s 2-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a short field after Spence Hanna came up with a fumble recovery.
“That was two teams that laid it on the line. That was a great high school football game,” Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans said.
That score would hold through halftime, as neither team got much going. Vestavia Hills punter Owen Simpson had a spectacular night, one of his punts going 56 yards another pinning the Huskies inside their 5-yard line.
Hewitt’s Hayden Chauvin recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the third quarter, but the Vestavia defense stood tall at the goal line, stopping Hewitt on the fourth down. The Huskies finally got on the board midway through the third on Colton Argo’s 32-yard field goal.
Vestavia took control of the game in the final minute of the third, driving 71 yards in nine plays and scoring on William Tonsmeire’s 7-yard run to make it 14-3.
Tonsmeire played for the first time this season, finishing with 68 yards on 13 carries. Littleton had 42 rushing yards. Quarterback Charlie Taaffe only completed 5-of-7 passes for 28 yards, but he ran the ball 26 times for 91 yards.
“Charlie grew up tonight and made some plays, made some tough runs,” Evans said. “There was some old-school Vestavia football tonight, but that’s what we had to do to win. The kids bought into the plan. We had a chance ‘til the very end, it’s just didn’t work out in our favor.”
After getting blown out in their first two games against ultra-talented squads, the Rebels showed up Friday night and competed in the Class 7A, Region 3 opener for both teams. Despite now being saddled with an 0-3 mark, there is plenty to build upon.
“On the front end, we knew we had a tough schedule, you just don’t think about the psyche of coaches and kids. There’s a lot of positives, this is the most positive we’ve played. We played physical and tough,” Evans said.
Hewitt-Trussville had a much easier time of things in its first two games of the season, both convincing wins. But the Huskies had to show resilience on Friday in order to win.
“Long term, for the season, it’s probably really good for us because we had to fight through that thing. It couldn’t have gone any worse at times. Had to overcome some obstacles along the way,” Floyd said.
Both teams have critical Region 3 games once again next week. Hewitt-Trussville heads home to host Hoover, while Vestavia Hills travels to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.
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