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SCHOOLS OTM Students Recognized as National Merit Semifinalists

After enduring a rough spring and fall, a number of students throughout the Over the Mountain community are being honored for their scholastic achievements as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

These high school seniors are chosen from a pool of 1.6 million students at 21,000 high schools, which is less than 1% percent of high school seniors in the country.

Qualification for the semifinalist recognition is based on a student’s junior year PSAT score, along with their participation in school and community activities, demonstration of leadership abilities, employment and honors.

Semifinalists may continue in the competition for about 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million. Winners will be named in the spring.

Here are Over the Mountain students named semifinalists: Alabama School of Fine Arts: Carol He, William Holland, Elizabeth Jason, Taylor McAlister, Sofia Rabbani and Emma Seidel.

Altamont School: Hannah Ashraf, Lilla Carroll, Robert Pritchard, Tyler Walley and Maaz Zuberi.

Briarwood Christian School: Mason Mathias, Annamarie Thompson and Luke Wolf.

John Carroll Catholic High School: Tyler Wittman.

Oak Mountain High School: Roshni Datta and Aidan Dokland.

Homewood High School: Madeline Garrity, Patrick Harris, Reed Jeffries, Samuel Jones, Caleb McLendon, Robert Merchant, Michael Moorman, Jonathan Parris, Gabriel Quijano, Ayona Roychowdhury, Daniel Wiesen, Matthew “Hugh” Williams and Jane Wilson. Hoover High School: Cullen Blanton, Luke Clark, Wesley Crenshaw, Katelyn Heglas, Ria Shah, Peter Shen, Isabella Torres, Srija Vem and Nathan Williams.

Hoover, homeschool: Emily Rabbideau.

Indian Springs School: Shuqiao Geng, Carina Li Xin Lim, Hooper Markert, Haoze Tang, Paul Weir, Noah Williams and Chu Qiao Zhang.

Spain Park High School: Megan Amrine, Benjamin Deas, Kruthika Dheeravath, Adam Ebrahim, Usman Farooqui, Sama Harrison, Anna Morris, Zane Peacock, Advaith Vadlakonda, John Watson, Wyatt Williams, John Wilson and Amy Yang.

Westminster School: Pierson Black.

Vestavia Hills High School: Alexander Barr, Katy Chen, Ricky Dong, Sarah Gray, Jason Han, Cecilia Kong, Esther Lee, Leighton Reese, Raleigh Robinson, Hanna Sha, Dylan Shi, Alex Stern and Grant Uldrich.

VHCS to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

On Oct. 5, Vestavia Hills City Schools will officially celebrate its 50th anniversary year.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with tours of the new Louis Pizitz Middle School, located on the former Berry Middle School campus. Student ambassadors will be conducting the campus tours.

At 6:30 p.m., VHCS officials will host a ceremony in the school’s new gymnasium, which will include the induction of its inaugural class into the Educators Hall of Fame.

For more information, visit vestavia.k12.al.us.

Spain Park’s New Entrance Dedicated to Military Graduates

Spain Park High School is selling brick pavers to graduates, students and school families to be installed in its new school entrance.

The new patriotic memorial site has been dedicated to Spain Park alumni who have or are serving in the U.S. armed forces.

The engraved pavers will be installed each year on Veterans Day and arranged beneath three flag poles that fly an American flag, the Alabama state flag and the Spain Park High School flag.

According to school officials, the project was conceived by Principal

Larry Giangrosso, with help from Jill Carter, social studies teacher. In addition, project supporters include the city of Hoover, Hoover City Schools, state Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Shelby County, and project manager Millard Williams.

A link to an order form for brick pavers can be found at hoovercityschools.net/sphs. There will be a limit of one paver per military graduate.

Orders received throughout the year will be processed each Sept. 1, and those bricks will be shipped in time for Veterans Day that year. The first brick installation will take place in November 2021, but a dedication ceremony for the site will be held this November.

OTM High School Homecomings Round-Up

Hoover

Hoover High School celebrated its homecoming with a presentation on as the Bucs took on Oak Mountain High School.

Crowned homecoming queen was Emily Knerr, a member of the school’s track team and a two-time ovarian cancer survivor. She was escorted on the field by her father, Ryan. Homewood Homewood High School’s Journal photo by Marvin Gentry homecoming took place Sept. 11 with a conference game against Chelsea. While they didn’t make an appearance on field due to health and safety measures, this year’s Photo Homewood City Schools homecoming Homewood honorees were Homecoming Queen announced. Homecoming Queen is McKeever Wright, attended by Harper Sheils, freshman; Walker Heath, sophomore; Ella Brogdon, junior; and seniors Mariam Abdelhalim, Claire Jacka, Kayla Shirley and Sanaa Taylor. Mr. and Miss Homewood are McKeever Wright Journal photo by Marvin Gentry Cameron Humes and Mariam Abdelhalim. Mr. and Mrs. Fire Prevention are Ahamed Al Shariki and Katie Justice. Miss Aerospace is Izzy Dettling.

Spain Park

Spain Park High School’s homecoming celebration took place on Sept. 11 as the Jaguars took on Thompson. Hoover High Homecoming Queen Emily Knerr escorted by her father, Ryan.

Mekenzie Richardson was crowned Spain Park Homecoming Queen.

Mekenzie Richardson was crowned Homecoming Queen, escorted by her father, David.

Future Homecomings

Upcoming high school homecoming games: Oct. 2 – John Carroll Catholic High School vs. Parker High School Oct. 2 – Oak Mountain High School vs. Spain Park High School Oct. 23 – Mountain Brook High School vs. Chelsea High School Oct. 30 – Briarwood Christian School vs. Corner High School Oct. 30 – Vestavia Hills High School vs. Shades Valley High School

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From page 28 would be for my first season, even though we’ve been in a pandemic.”

Burgess inherited a talented team that enjoyed some success in 2019, finishing 23-11, so she didn’t have to rebuild. She contributed the Eagles’ solid start to experience.

Burgess also implemented the hashtag #Edgg for Landry Frisch (6) is leading Oak the team’s four core Mountain in values: effort, discipline, every offensive category. Nora gratitude and growth. Ohlson (4) and “I think it’s because the majority of these kids are junior varsity and varsity returnees,” Burgess said. “The freshmen who came in are new, but we’ve got a lot of experience with six seniors and seven juniors. We have two sophomores Journal photo by Jordan Wald Sydney Jaffe (1). Far right, Jayni Thompson. who travel with us when the JV is not playing. familiar with. She played at Homewood

“They have been here (in the proand was an assistant coach at Spain gram) and know how high the level of Park and Thompson following a playplay is.” ing career at LaGrange College. She

Even so, Burgess wanted to put her also coached with the Alabama Juniors stamp on a program she was already Volleyball Club for several years.

Joy League Concludes 63rd Annual Season

The Joy League recently completed its 63rd consecutive season of baseball in Homewood.

For the second year, the league held a championship tournament following the regular season. Bob Smith was on hand Aug. 1 to award the championship trophy named for his father, the late John J. Smith, who founded the Joy League in 1958.

Championship trophies for the regular season and the tournament are named in honor of those who have worked to maintain the Joy League through the years. This year’s winners were: • The Clyde Cook Trophy was awarded to the 1A Regular Season Champion, the Yanks, coached by Brett Carter. • The George Leigh Trophy went to the 1A Tournament Champion, the Bucs, coached by Brian Jarmon. • The Bill Hutto Trophy for the 2A Regular Season Champion and the Ted Hagler Trophy for the 2A Tournament Champion were both awarded to the Sox/Yanks, coached by Chris O’Neal.

• The Perry Akins Trophy for the 3A Regular Season Champion and John J. Smith Trophy for the 3A Tournament Champion were both given to the Yanks, coached by John David Owen.

The Joy League’s traditional spring season was postponed until the summer because of the coronavirus. The league played its games at Homewood Middle School.

“We were excited to have the chance to offer baseball to our players and parents who were able to participate this year,” Joy League Commissioner Tim Meehan said. “And we are extremely grateful to (now former) Homewood City Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Cleveland and Athletic Director Doug Gann, who made it possible for us to conduct what became a truly memorable season for our Joy League family.”

The Joy League is a league for boys and girls ages 4 to 12 that stresses the importance of having fun while learning to play baseball. Children do not have to go through tryouts or evaluations to be able to play; every player plays in every game. There are no bench warmers in the Joy League.

Registration for the spring 2021 season is scheduled for February.

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After taking over in June, to bond with her team, she took them out for a treat.

“We spent the summer, getting to know each other,” Burgess said. “I took them out for ice cream the very first day. I wanted to get to know them and I wanted them to get to know me. I wanted to know what their goals were, not just for this season or in volleyball, but in life. I want to see them more as a person, outside the gym.”

Burgess also implemented the hashtag #Edgg for the team’s four core values: effort, discipline, gratitude and growth.

“I think it’s great for any program at any level,” Burgess said. “The kids have defined how to evaluate those core values They have bought in to what we’re doing 100 percent. They trust me and believe in what I’m saying. They’ve been so committed it’s created a bond.”

On the court, the Eagles have gotten contributions up and down their roster. “We just have a solid core,” Burgess said, adding a few players have stood out.

“We have two setters, Avery Fletcher, a senior, and Kathryn Smith, a junior. Both set last year and are playing well,” Burgess said. “We have Landry Frisch, who’s been on the varsity since she was a sophomore. She plays as an outside hitter or right side hitter. She is leading us in every offensive category. Our libero, Sidney Jaffe, has been outstanding. She’s a solid player.”

Frisch and Jaffe are both seniors. In a four-set victory against Spain Park two weeks ago, Frisch had 18 kills and nine digs and Jaffe had 17 digs and three assists.

Despite the Eagles’ solid start, they will be hard-pressed to make it out of a Class 7A, Area 5 that includes Hoover, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County. The Eagles lost the first time they played Hoover and Thompson.

“It’s a really hard area, but we have played some really good teams and we’re not slowing down,” Burgess said. “We just have to play high competition sets and stay consistent.”

SCHOOL SPIRIT SPOTLIGHT Spain Park High School

WEEK 6 SCOREBOARD

Hoover 28, Prattville 6 Thompson 31, Mountain Brook 0 Briarwood Christian 1, Mortimer Jordan 0, forfeit John Carroll Catholic 21, Moody 0 Homewood, Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills were off

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

Briarwood at Shades Valley Homewood at Huffman Hoover at Hewitt-Trussville Parker at John Carroll Catholic Spain Park at Oak Mountain Vestavia at Thompson Mountain Brook is off

Above, Mountain Brook’s James Nichols (4) and John McMillan (44) work to bring down a Thompson ball carrier. Top, Michael Brogan looks for running room in the Spartans’ loss to Thompson, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 7A.

CHANGE

From page 28 college and the pros. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great coach, but you know football and you can pass that along.”

Among John Carroll’s other assistants are Kevin Drake (Gardendale High, UAB, Arizona Cardinals), Terrance Slaughter (Minor, University of South Alabama), Mike Plaia (John Carroll, Army) and Vince Elliott (Pinson Valley, UAB).

Drake coaches receivers, Slaughter coaches defensive backs, and Elliott and Plaia coach linebackers.

“Overall, we’ve got nine former college players serving as assistants at the high school and middle school,” Mara said. “It’s been a blessing having these guys. They work well together and it’s awesome for me to be a part of it.”

The rest of the high school staff includes defensive coordinator Chris Allarde, offensive line coach Rob Crawford, receivers coach Logan McAlpine and defensive line coach Scott Spencer.

Mara said strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Williams also has had a dramatic effect.

“It’s the first time we’ve had a strength and conditioning coach,” Mara said. “He’s been a game changer for us, getting our guys in better condition. People at the school have seen the great job he’s done and want him to work with other sports.”

Mara and his impressive coaching staff have helped the Cavaliers get off to a 3-2 start, the earliest they have won three games in a season since 2010. They already have surpassed their 2019 win total, when they finished 2-8.

John Carroll has victories over Fultondale (28-10), Cordova (13-12) and Moody (21-0); and narrow losses to Carver-Birmingham (27-22) and Fairfield (13-7). The Cavs haven’t had a winning season since 2010, when they went 6-4, winning only 14 games from 2011 to 2019.

“The kids are really buying in and they’re 100% committed to what we’re doing,” Mara said. “We’re four or five plays away from being 5-0. We’ve gotten wins, but we hadn’t played our best football yet.”

The Cavs are 1-2 in Class 5A, Region 5 and will play host to Parker (2-2, 2-0) Friday in a region game.

“What I’m seeing is competitiveness in every game,” White said. “The team has a lot of fight to it.

“In the short time he’s been here, coach Will has created excitement and a culture change. I’m honored that he asked me to be a part of it.”

From page 28 downs.

A soft-spoken youngster, Lundy downplayed his performance through six games.

“It’s been good, but I couldn’t do it without our new coaches, the offensive line doing its job and the receivers and running backs doing their jobs,” Lundy said. “It’s been a collective effort.”

Hoover head coach Josh Niblett was effusive in his assessment of the way the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Lundy has played.

“I’ve been proud of him,” Niblett said. “The thing that’s so awesome is the way he developed in the offseason. He’s always worked his tail off, learning the offense and in the weight room.

“He makes real good decisions and he understands that the better he plays the better it is for us. His awareness of the offense and the respect he has gotten is because his teammates know he will make plays. That’s something you earn. It’s not given to you. He’s confident in what he’s doing.”

Lundy said it’s just a matter of being in the program for four years.

“I’ve played since I was a freshman, so it helps being experienced,” he said. “I got in some games my sophomore season, so it’s three years of playing.”

Lundy started five games during his junior season, in 2019, when Bucs’ starter Robby Ashford was out several weeks with a foot injury. Niblett said that helped Lundy for this season, but the coach traces his development to earlier in his career.

“When he was a freshman and Robby was injured (with a shoulder injury), Josh had to take all the reps in spring practice, and I think that helped him develop,” Niblett said. “And when he was able to start five games last year, that was critical to his development.

“This year, he’s gotten bigger physically. He put on 25 pounds in the offseason. Even now, when we’re done practice, he goes to work out on his own. He felt he needed to be stronger and be more durable.”

Lundy has benefitted from the return of Niblett’s brother, Tad Niblett, to the coaching staff as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Tad Niblett was Hoover’s offensive coordinator from 2008 to 2014, before spending the past five years as Foley’s head coach.

“It’s been great working with him,” Lundy said. “He’s played quarterback, so he understands the position.”

Lundy has soaked up the knowledge he’s gotten from both Nibletts. Josh Niblett is also a former quarterback.

“He’s a really quick learner,” Josh Niblett said of Lundy. “He’s proactive and not just reactive. He’s not just reacting to what the defense is doing, but he’s proactive by seeing what’s happening before the ball is snapped and then being reactive. It’s just the

‘Our line is doing a good job of protecting him and our receivers are playing fast and winning matchups.’

JOSH NIBLETT, HOOVER HEAD COACH

way he sees the game. He looks at the whole field and that three or four seconds allow him to make better decisions.”

Niblett also said it helps Lundy that the entire Bucs’ offense is playing well. Hoover is averaging 39.8 points per game, featuring receivers such as Malik Thomas, R.J. Hamilton and Isaac Lavoy.

“Our line is doing a good job of protecting him and our receivers are playing fast and winning matchups,” Niblett said.

The Bucs are 3-0 in Class 7A, Region 3 play, but now they are entering the difficult part of their region schedule, beginning Friday at HewittTrussville (5-1, 2-1). They follow that with region games at home against crosstown rival Spain Park and Tuscaloosa County, and then they close the regular season at No. 1 Thompson, the defending Class 7A state champion.

“We’ve got the toughest part of our schedule coming up,” Lundy said, “but I think we’re ready for it.”