Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Vestavia Hills High School students cheer on the boys basketball team in March during its first Final Four game since 2011.
For anyone who keeps tabs on sports at any level, but particularly at the high school stage, it’s very easy to transition from one season to the next without batting an eye.
Football, volleyball and cross-country seasons in the fall quickly give way to basketball, indoor track and wrestling in the winter, and before you can blink, spring sports roar into action.
With everything that goes on throughout the school year, there’s often not time for reflection. Well, take a moment to do that now. The athletic teams at Vestavia Hills High School put together a year filled with lasting memories and noteworthy performances.
In the fall, the Rebel football team fell victim to the tiebreaker rules, which kept it out of the playoffs. But the season had its spectacular moments, most notably a 17-14 overtime victory over Mountain Brook.
Mandy Burgess returned to coach a volleyball team with eight seniors, and started that program’s rise back to the top with a regional appearance. Five Rebel runners advanced to the cross-country state championship.
During the winter, the Rebels’ wrestling and boys basketball teams enjoyed great success with new coaches replacing longtime fixtures at the school. Tee Adams returned to coach his alma mater, taking over for Steve Gaydosh. Adams’ first year ended just like Gaydosh’s final season, as the Rebels won their second consecutive wrestling state crown.
Patrick Davis replaced two-time state champion coach George Hatchett, and instantly guided the Rebels to the Final Four for the first time since 2011. The basketball team struggled at times out of the gate, but really hit its stride towards the end of the year, even knocking off rival Hoover after losing to the Bucs three times previously.
Also enjoying its own great season was the boys bowling team, which battled Spain Park for the AHSAA state championship, and finished runner-up.
The Rebels stayed busy in the spring, with multiple sports forcing athletic director Jeff Segars to log hundreds of miles driving to and from postseason events.
The baseball team won all six do-or-die games in a three-week stretch to make the playoffs and advance past the first two rounds.
Both soccer teams made it to Huntsville for the Final Four. The boys team dropped a decision to Oak Mountain in the semifinals, but the girls pulled off a strong win over the rival Eagles to advance to the finals, where they fell to McGill-Toolen.
In Kent Fullington’s first season, the boys golf team managed a runner-up finish at state, putting up strong performances at section and sub-state to qualify. The boys tennis team made it to state for the first time in three years, and finished third.
The softball team advanced to regionals after a comeback win in the area tournament. One strike away from qualifying for state, Tuscaloosa County hit a walk-off home run to send the Rebels to an elimination game against Hoover, which Vestavia won with ease. The Rebels then summoned the energy to defeat County twice in a row to win the tournament.
The boys track and field team exceeded expectations at the Class 7A state outdoor meet. Walter Thomas and James Sweeney led the charge, as each clinched individual championships. Thomas won the shot put and Sweeney the 3,200-meter run.
The Rebel lacrosse teams also had strong showings in their ascending sport. The girls team made it to the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association finals, while the boys team won the title.
So take a minute to remember what those student-athletes accomplished in the 2016-17 school year, because before you know it, football, volleyball and cross-country will begin again.
