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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Cooper Bishop (41) runs over Shades Valley DB David Michael Spearman (23) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills QB Eli Sawyer (17) attempts a pass during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills WR Chandler Merrill (37) looks to run after a catch during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills LB Rob Barrentine (48) looks to tackle Shades Valley RB Antonio Williams (5) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills WR Chandler Merrill (37) runs for a touchdown after a catch during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills band performs during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills band performs during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills band performs during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills band performs during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills band performs during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills' Bennett Whisenhunt (87) and Vestavia Hills DB Cole Johnston (16) combine to tackle Shades Valley RB Antonio Williams (5) Action during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills DB Cole Johnston (16) and Vestavia Hills DB Will Brooks (27) look to recover a bad snap during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills DB Jermaine Harris (32) makes a tackle during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Cooper Bishop (41) breaks a run during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Cooper Bishop (41) fights off a defender during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills cheerleaders during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Tripp Lowery (39) runs the football during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills LB Bennett Whisenhunt (87) makes a tackle during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Tripp Lowery (39) scores a touchdown during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Cooper Bishop (41) runs the football during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills FB Josh Silverman (42) breaks a run during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills DL Caleb Leak (47) looks to tackle Shades Valley RB Antonio Williams (5) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Shades Valley DB David Michael Spearman (23) tackles Vestavia Hills FB Josh Silverman (42) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills RB Cooper Bishop (41) eyes Shades Valley LB T'Nazj Means (20) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills DE Hunter Salmon (86) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Shades Valley LB Bo Spearman (15) tackles Vestavia Hills FB Josh Silverman (42) during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Vestavia Hills cheer leaders during a game between Vestavia Hills and Shades Valley on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale.
IRONDALE — Shades Valley High School’s football team showed speed and flashes of talent, but Vestavia Hills overpowered the hosts in both size and numbers as it defeated the Mounties 41-21 in a non-region game Friday night.
The no-nonsense, ground-focused offense of the Class 7A 10th-ranked Rebels has become so identified with coach Buddy Anderson that many fans simply call it “Buddy Ball." The state’s winningest coach stayed with his tried-and-true game plan against Shades Valley.
An early touchdown by the Mounties and a one-point deficit after the first quarter did nothing to change Anderson’s X’s and O’s, and it did not take long after that for Vestavia to take command of the contest.
It didn’t hurt the Rebels' cause that they dressed out twice as many players as Shades Valley, and their depth enabled them to wear down the home team as the night wore on.
The Mounties took the opening kickoff and marched straight downfield, mostly behind the legs of junior running back Anthony Williams. He capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown.
From that point on, though, the visitors were in charge, as they scored all their 41 points in succession. Anderson relied on a triumvirate of running backs to move the ball, and on their first drive it was Cooper Bishop who crossed the goal line from three yards away. Much of the 65-yard drive was covered by three passes from Eli Sawyer, with two of those to fullback Josh Silverman.
A missed extra point put the Rebels a point behind at the quarter break, but not for long. Bishop put Vestavia ahead for good on the first play of the second quarter, this time from two yards out.
The Mounties had problems with their kicking game most of the night, and the Rebels took advantage of those mistakes twice. In the second quarter, a shanked punt put the guests in business on the Shades Valley 40-yard line, and Sawyer immediately struck with a touchdown pass to receiver Chandler Merrill.
Then early in the second half, the Mounties’ long snapper sent the ball way over the punter’s head, and the ball ended up on their 3-yard line. Bishop scored his third touchdown of the game on the next play.
Tailback Tripp Lowery also found the end zone twice: the first score on a 2-yard play with 4:17 left before halftime, and the other on a 19-yard scamper with a minute left in the third.
With Anderson sending in his reserves in the fourth quarter, Shades Valley scored two touchdowns, one from quarterback Isaac Sims and another from running back Quin Finkley.
Bishop ran for an even 100 yards on 18 carries. Lowery rambled for 72 yards, and Silverman rushed for 59 to go with three pass receptions for 18 yards. Sawyer was 8-for-10 in passing for 100 yards. Merrill finished with two catches for 48 yards and the touchdown.
Linebacker Bennett Whisenhunt came up with an interception when he made a diving snag to catch a Sims toss that bounced off the knee of his intended receiver, who had slipped.
Anderson was mindful of some miscues from his own squad afterward, and complimentary of the Mounties (2-3).
“We had a lot of mistakes, and they’ve got a good football team. We capitalized on some their mistakes,” he said. “They executed their offense real well, and we finally adjusted after that first series.”
The Rebels (4-1) face a stern test next week as they host second-ranked Hewitt-Trussville. That’s followed by Thompson, Hoover and Oak Mountain, three of which are ranked in the state’s top five teams.
“We’ve got four games in a row that will all be dogfights,” Anderson said.
Click here to purchase photos from the game.
