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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia players take the field holding flags to commemorate 9/11 before a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Price LaMaster (10) holds the ball for Sloan Morgan (4) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Noah Boylan (2) finds an opening in the line of scrimmage during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Braxton Hunt (22) blocks Oak Mountain's William Yoder (10) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Luke Stubbs (14) celebrates his touchdown with Powell Curry (3) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia cheerleaders pump up their team before a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia cheerleaders prepare to lead their team onto the field before a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain team captains observe the coin flip before a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain cheerleaders take the field before a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Charlie Taaffe (11) runs the ball against Oak Mountain's Deacon Brewer (3) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain head coach Jason Kervin paces the sidelines during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Joshua Renfro (25) punts the ball during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Noah Boylan (2) is taken down by a host of Oak Mountain players during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Charlie Taaffe (11) celebrates his touchdown with Vestavia Hill's Copeland Styles (61) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Charlie Vacarella (2) passes the ball during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Kentrell Tolbert (1) is tackled in the endzone by Vestavia Hill's Nick Williams (5) and Micah Joel Washington (6) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Luke Stubbs (14) is stopped by Oak Mountain's Peyton Gamble (4) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hill's Charlie Taaffe (11) is tripped up by Oak Mountain's Cooper Campbell (29) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
A pass intended for Oak Mountain's Okoye Walker (0) is broken up by Vestavia Hill's Nick Williams (5) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
A pass intended for Oak Mountain's Okoye Walker (0) is broken up by Vestavia Hill's Nick Williams (5) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans (left) speaks with Oak Mountain head coach Jason Kervin after a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans congratulates his players after their win over Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Kentrell Tolbert (1) is taken down by Vestavia Hill's Nick Williams (5) and Maddox Vickers (29) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Joseph Junkin (31) kicks the ball during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain marching band entertains the crowd during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills marching band entertains the crowd during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Charlie Vacarella (2) throws the ball during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Kentrell Tolbert (1) is tackled by Vestavia Hill's Nick Williams (5) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans directs his players during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by David Leong
Oak Mountain's Keenan Wolf (6) is pursued by Vestavia Hill's Ben Ponder (15) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain on Fri, Sept. 11, 2026, at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
VESTAVIA HILLS -- Vestavia Hills High School's football team pulled away in Class 6A, Region 3 play on Friday night, scoring four unanswered touchdowns to take a 29-0 halftime lead and cruising from there to a 43-13 win over Oak Mountain.
Vestavia head coach Robert Evans has been tracking just how deep this region's race is likely to go, and he wasn't taking Oak Mountain lightly walking in.
"There's six really good teams," Evans said. "Oak Mountain's ascending. Nobody's gonna take those guys lightly."
That respect showed up early. Charlie Taaffe got the Rebels on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion late in the first quarter to make it 8-0, and Vestavia's offense kept rolling in the second, with Taaffe throwing touchdown passes to Carter Stagner and Luke Stubbs before Noah Boylan added a 1-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 29-0 by halftime.
"It was very spirited, and I wanted our kids to play spirited," Evans said.
Oak Mountain got on the board in the third quarter when Kentrell Tolbert capped a drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, but Vestavia answered immediately, with Taaffe connecting with Price LaMaster for a 40-yard score to make it 36-7. Tolbert added his second touchdown of the night on a 3-yard run to cut it to 36-13, but Stagner's 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter closed out the scoring.
Evans was pleased with the result but not with how it looked at times.
"I was proud of our guys," Evans said. "We just need to clean it up."
Taaffe finished 14 of 18 passing for 324 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball to six different receivers. Stubbs caught five passes for 71 yards and a score, and Powell Curry added two catches for 108 yards.
"Charlie's got to protect himself a little bit better, but he is a baller," Evans said.
Tolbert finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries for Oak Mountain, exactly the kind of night Evans had expected out of him going in.
"He's really one of the better backs in our region," Evans said.
Vestavia Hills improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in Region 3, and hosts Spain Park next week. Oak Mountain fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the region, and hosts Hoover.
