Photos courtesy of Mary Alayne Long.
0813 Vestavia Hills Rebels
Tristan Tahmaseb (78) runs to intercept a handoff as teammate Josh Wall (29) looks on.
Anderson closing in on 300 wins
In the world of Alabama high school football, change is constant. Players graduate every year, coaches move from school to school, sometimes even to colleges, and offenses and defenses change formations and plays and schemes to keep up with the times.
Vestavia Hills High, though, is a throwback. Although that word might be misleading – there isn’t much throwing involved when it comes to Rebel football – the team has done things the same way for a long time, evident in its coaching, style of play and schedule.
Coach Buddy Anderson is entering his 36th year at the school and closing in on 300 wins. The style of play has not changed much in those 36 years, mostly centering around the classic “three yards and a cloud of dust” philosophy. The Rebels run the football. And then they run it some more.
The schedule has stayed similar through the years. VHHS has played Hoover (formerly Berry), Mountain Brook, Homewood and Shades Valley High Schools every year since the early 1970s. Even though changes pushed Hoover and Homewood out of Region 6, Anderson made it a point to retain those rivalries.
If there is one thing these mainstays have provided the Vestavia Hills program, it is success. Anderson has won two state titles in his time at VHHS, compiling a record of 296-123.
“I know without a shadow of a doubt that God called me to be a coach,” Anderson said. “I know where I was Jan. 12, 1968 when I felt that calling. It’s a grind and a lot of late hours and hard work, but I still enjoy it. One of the best parts of it is seeing kids mature and grow into young men.”
This season, the Rebels will try to replace a big senior class that led the team to an 8-2 regular season, which ended at the hands of Hoover in the state playoff quarterfinals.
Landon Crowder will step into his first season as starting quarterback. Calling out directions to the offense will be made easier with the help of a familiar face at center. Ryan Childers will be returning, and Anderson named him first when discussing the leaders of the 2013 team. However, the rest of the offensive line has graduated, leaving some big holes to fill.
On the other side of the ball, a deep linebacker corps looks to be the anchor of a typically tough VHHS defense. Look for Sam Baker, Bobby Morgan and Tim Davis to have big impacts.
“Our strong points are quickness and speed,” Anderson said. “As long as we get everybody on the same page working together, letting our attitude and our work ethic determine our altitude, we’ll have a shot at winning some games.”
The schedule, as usual, has tough opponents on it, but it sets up well for a good season. Seven of the 10 games are at home, including the Hoover game.
“Hoover is a big rivalry,” Anderson said. “We basically broke off from Hoover, then called Berry High, back in 1970. It’s just one of those great high school traditions. I’d like to think we can beat them, but we have a lot to do before then.”
Beating the Bucs has become a Herculean task for any team in the state – Hoover is 69-6 in the last five years. However, the last time that the Bucs failed to reach the state title game was because of Vestavia Hills’ win in the 2007 playoffs. If anyone can stop Hoover, VHHS figures to be near the top of the list.
Although the Rebels will be favored in their first four games, one slip up could mean that Anderson would be fighting for his 300th win when Hoover comes to town. Either way, it seems likely the beloved coach will achieve that milestone in 2013.
“I never dreamed I would get to 300 wins,” Anderson said. “I’m humbled to think about it, and I think about all the coaches and players that have been a part of that. Some years when we only won three games – they were hard earned victories that were just as much a part of that as the years we won 15.”
As the 2013 season arrives, teams know what to expect from Vestavia Hills. They anticipate the old-school style of play and a certain standard of success. If the Rebels can replace some key graduated seniors and stick to Anderson’s principles, that standard will stay in place.
2012 Results: A successful 8-2 regular season had the Rebels entering the playoffs with high expectations. In the quarterfinals, eventual state champion Hoover beat Vestavia 21-7.
Head Coach: Buddy Anderson (296-123 in 35 seasons at Vestavia).
Key Losses: RB/S/KR Stuart Jacobs, DE Jahaad Jackson, DE Kalvin Robinson, DT Gabe Adkins, CB Jamaris Buford, DT Hunter Haynes, LB Brody Williamson, DB Marcus Ward, DB Garrett Murphy, QB Spencer Towns, C Anderson Barnett, OL Bailey Cadden, OL Jake Long, OL Walker Hays, OL Max Norris.
Key Players: C Ryan Childers, DL Tristan Tahmaseb, DE Dalton Campbell, LB Sam Baker, LB Bobby Morgan, LB Tim Davis, TE Kyle Sitzler, FB Joe James, RB Jordan Johnson, QB Landon Crowder.
