29 minute read
Daughters Baking set to open new storefront in Mountain Brook Village
from 7.15.21
20 • Thursday, July 15, 2021
FOOD A Piece of Cake
By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW
Mallory Webb knew she wanted to one day own her own business, but she never envisioned in her youth that she would one day own a bakery.
It wasn’t until she was well into her studies at Samford University that she found she had a knack for the pastry arts.
“I hated science in school, but somehow I just connected with baking,” Webb said.
Cut to 2021, and Webb is now the owner of Daughters Baking, a bakery that began with a few photos on Instagram and is now opening its first storefront in Mountain Brook Village.
The bakery will open to customers July 29 in the space between Bromberg’s and Ousler’s Sandwiches.
Webb had been looking for a space for her growing team for a while. She thought she’d found one right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but it just didn’t seem to be the right fit.
“It was way too expensive and our team wasn’t trained, so when our Realtor found this space, we just loved it and something felt right,” Webb said. “It felt like we had to keep jumping through all of these hoops and at times felt like things weren’t going to work out with this space, but we stuck with it.”
It’s a huge risk, transforming what previously was a clothing store into a store for baked goods.
“So many people have been so supportive and telling us that we are in the best location, so that has been really encouraging, too,” she said.
The storefront will be the company’s first space where workers can meet patrons right off the street for walk-in orders, pick-up orders and consultations. Previously, it only had kitchen space and online sales.
“I think a lot of people around here don’t know who we are, which is awesome and really gives us room to grow,” Webb said.
Mallory Webb will open Daughters Baking on July 29 in the space between Bromberg’s and Ousler’s Sandwiches.
Accidental Baker
After a few years working part time at Urban Standard during school, the coffee shop’s baker was planning to move out of town and began training Webb to take over her position. It was then that Webb really began homing in on baking as a potential career.
Webb gleaned all that she could from her predecessor, especially skills to create unique flavor profiles.
“I learned how to pair flavors while making the donuts,” Webb said. “Our lavender honey cake really came from making a lavender donut with a honey glaze and white chocolate.”
Donuts were a big seller at the store, and their simple preparation made them perfect for experimentation. She then graduated to playing around with cookies, cake bites and perfecting scone recipes.
“When I was at Urban I just decided to teach myself how to bake different things each week,” Webb said. “At one point I decided I wanted to work on my cakes, and I think my manager had given me the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. I thought the cakes were really beautiful.”
Written by Christina Tossi, the cookbook was a massive success and was touted as changing the way the culinary world viewed desserts. Her nostalgic flavors were inspired by her childhood, such as items with sugary cereals, and her signature cakes featured “naked” edges.
“I just copied the recipe that was in there – I believe it was the carrot cake – and loved the look of it,” Webb said.
She began playing around with flavors using that same naked cake technique. It also gave her a break from teaching herself how to ice a cake.
“I didn’t enjoy it,” she said. “You have to be so meticulous with icing. I like the more whimsical feeling of making the Milk Bar style cake.”
She also was inspired by the way Milk Bar cakes put together nostalgic and whimsical flavor pairings.
“It’s led me to walk down the aisles at the grocery store and think about what could be fun,” Webb said.
At first, Webb said, she played around with lemon a lot because it is a customer favorite.
“I’m always drawn more to anything that is light brown,” Webb said. “Coffee, pecan, brown butter – those kinds of flavors. I’m more of a fall girl.”
In late July, when the storefront opens for Daughters Baking, patrons will see some of Webb’s most successful creations in full-size cakes and mini-cakes.
“We’re going to launch with our customer favorites, because we change our menu a lot,” she said.
The company has been conducting polls on Instagram to see what customers love and what flavor combinations they have been missing.
Some of the top-ranking flavors include cookies and cream, salted caramel pretzel, tiramisu, strawberry champagne, wedding cake and Reese’s peanut butter.
“People love the blueberry lemon,” Webb said. “We’ve had that on the menu for years and I feel like we would enrage customers if we took that off.”
The top flavors will remain on the menu for the rest of the summer, but come fall, there will be a shift to a new seasonal menu.
“I’m excited for those flavors,” Webb said. “It’s so fun to offer holiday treats.”
The other arm of the bakery is its wedding creations, which will always be available to brides. It’s an aspect of the business that Webb loves.
“There is something about weddings that I have always really enjoyed,” Webb said. “Something about the wedding culture feels so exciting and celebratory. Weddings are so special.
“I’m thankful for this style of cakes because they have been relatively easy to set up compared to other styles of cakes,” she continued. “We’re still getting better at it and refining our process.
“With weddings, if all things go well, it’s really enjoyable to see the bride, bridesmaids and everybody in attendance gathered together. (It) is exciting,” Webb said.
She noted that her team has become obsessed with the backyard weddings trending lately. The downsized wedding trend has led to some beautifully intimate events, she said.
FOODIE NEWS
Campesino Rum Earns Best in Category in Wine & Spirits National Competition
Tennessee-based Campesino Rum, created by Mountain Brook native Hatton Smith Jr., recently earned high praise in the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America 2021 Brand Battle, where the brand was named the rum category winner.
The annual tournament is a Shark Tank-style pitch competition in which new and emerging brands present their product to a panel of distributers. Each of the five category contenders were questioned by experts on topics including age Hatton Smith Jr and products, plans for consumer engagement and market expansion, and methods to get consumers to change their perspective on rum.
According to a release, Campesino separated itself from the competition by putting a focus on changing the narrative about rum.
“The goal of this company is to get people to change their perception of rum by providing them information, education and transparency,” Smith said in a released statement. “Campesino wants to be a purveyor of unique rums from around the world and highlight the places that they come from – not trying to mask it with big numbers, flashy labels or the use of additives. We want to be authentic and transparent with these products.”
Campesino Rum moves on to compete in the tournament’s championship event, which pits all category winners in competition for the best in show. That event takes place Sept. 14.
Heavenly Donut Co. Highlighted by Two National Publications as MustVisit Doughnut Shop
In spring 2012, Vestavia Hills residents Kimberly and Brock Beiersdoerfer set out to start a doughnut shop in the Birmingham community having little experience with doughnuts beyond eating them.
With help from Don DeWeese, acclaimed doughnut creator and owner of Memphisbased Gibson’s Donuts, the couple established The Heavenly Donut Co. Jan. 23, 2013, in Vestavia Hills. They later added a food truck that travels From left, Asa, Kimberly, throughout the Adler and Brock Birmingham area. Beiersdoerfer
Recently, the company has garnered national recognition from Travel Magazine and Garden and Gun.
Travel Magazine highlighted Heavenly Donut Co. in its recent article “The 10 Best Donut Shops to Visit in the USA.” Listed at number 8, the shop was touted for its fresh, handcrafted donuts and creative flavors, including the M&Ms, apple crisp and cookie butter doughnuts.
Garden and Gun’s June 4 article “All Rise: The New Generation of Southern Doughnut Shops” highlighted Heavenly Donut Co. among 10 Southern eateries with creative takes on the classic breakfast food.
Author of the article, Caroline Sanders, highlighted the Beiersdoerfer’s Bismarks flavors, which are filled with white cream, custard, raspberry or Nutella.
Hoover Restaurant Week to Be Held July 23-31
Restaurants and eateries throughout the Hoover community will be highlighted as the annual Hoover Restaurant Week kicks off July 23-31.
The 10-day event serves to not only highlight the city’s vibrant restaurant scene but also to raise funds for Hoover Helps, a local nonprofit that seeks to engage the community and align resources to support local children.
One of the organization’s major initiatives is its backpack feeding program that provides meals for Hoover students who are food insecure. More than 500 children benefit from the program, receiving a bag of food on Fridays to take home over the weekend.
For a list of restaurants and more information, visit the Hoover Restaurant Week Facebook page.
Birmingham Restaurant Week Set for Aug. 12-29
Birmingham Restaurant Week, presented by Spire, will return Aug. 12-29.
The event will feature more than 70 participating Birmingham restaurants offering to-go and dine-in menus.
“Birmingham Restaurant Week 2021 is a bright spot for everyone,” said Bill Stoeffhass, co-founder of BRW and owner of Style Advertising, in a released statement. “This 18-day culinary affair provides an opportunity for the public to revisit old favorites or to experience new restaurants while allowing local chefs to showcase the delicious recipes that put Birmingham on the foodie road map.
Dining options will range from fine dining establishments to casual food trucks, offering special two and threecourse prix-fixe menus ranging from $5 to $50 per person.
This year’s event also will include special events, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
The wine flight tasting event, WineO-logy, will take place Aug. 18, 4:307:30 p.m., at Vino & Gallery Bar in English Village, featuring food and live entertainment.
For more information, visit bhamrestaurantweek.com.
From page 20
Looking Ahead
With the impending opening of the Mountain Brook Village storefront, Webb envisions the beginning of something bigger. The hope is to continue to grow and expand, perhaps opening new storefronts in the future.
In addition, it has been important for Webb to focus on giving back. Once the company starts to turn more of a profit, perhaps in its 5- to 10-year plan, she will be able to begin pouring some of that success back into community service programs.
“I don’t even know what that looks like for us at this stage and what types of organizations we’ll partner with, but it has always been important for us to see how we can help better the community,” Webb said.
Webb plans for the Daughters Baking storefront to serve customers Mondays through Fridays and for a four-hour window on Saturdays.
“Our goal is to have all of our cakes stocked for walk-ins, but if we sell out, we sell out,” Webb said. “We’ll allow for pre-order a certain number of days ahead of time.”
While they are still fine-tuning the details of the opening day celebrations, it will include a ribbon cutting with the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce and a festive atmosphere with a large balloon arch in front of the store.
“We’re going to try to make it a party, but we aren’t quite sure what that looks like yet,” Webb said.
For more information, visit daughtersbaking.com.
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Thirteen Distinctive New Homes in Vestavia Hills
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By RuBin E. GRant
Jeff Segars has entered uncharted waters, but he’s ready to navigate the unknown.
Segars joined the Alabama High School Athletic Association at the end of June after spending nearly 30 years involved with the athletic program at Vestavia Hills High School. His role with the AHSAA is as an assistant director.
“The new challenge excites me,” Segars said. “It was an unbelievably difficult decision to leave Vestavia, but it was time. Vestavia is all I’ve known, and I wanted to see if I could be OK outside of Vestavia.
“Change is scary sometimes, but this gives me a chance to grow. The AHSAA is such an outstanding organization. I want to contribute in any way I can.”
Segars graduated from Vestavia Hills in 1986 and served as a teacher, coach and administrator at his alma mater for the past 28 years. He had been the Rebels’ athletic director since 2015, when he succeeded legendary head football coach Buddy Anderson in that role. Segars also was as an assistant football and wrestling coach at the school.
Segars said Anderson, who retired as the Rebels’ coach at the end of the 2020 season, was instrumental during his tenure at Vestavia Hills.
“I can’t say enough about my time at Vestavia Hills,” Segars said. “Look at how many of our coaches are now in the Hall of Fame. It was an incredible staff put together many years ago by coach Anderson and coach Mutt Reynolds. Buddy Anderson has been very important to me. He raised me. Myself and a bunch of other men would not be who we are without men such as Buddy Anderson. He taught me to put the kids first.”
The relationships he has developed with the coaches and athletes at Vestavia Hills are what Segars said he will miss the most.
“Moving into this position, I won’t get to see the people I am used to seeing every day,” Segars said. “That’s not just the coaches, but the athletes. I could walk the hallways, see them and talk to them.”
Alvin Briggs, the new executive director of the AHSAA, was pleased to add Segars to his staff.
“His leadership as athletic director at Vestavia Hills is well documented,” Briggs said in a news release. “His tremendous knowledge concerning education-based athletics, his leadership skills and his strong technology background will make him an exceptional addition to our AHSAA executive staff.”
Segars attended the National Federation of State High School Associations national convention the final week of June in Orlando, Florida, along with the other ASHAA staff members. He is eager to work for and with Briggs.
“I am going to be doing whatever Alvin Briggs tells me do,” Segars
said. “If he tells me to clean the bathrooms, I’m going to go clean the bathrooms,” he added with a laugh.
Segars believes the athletic program at Vestavia Hills will continue to thrive.
“It’s exciting to know that the coaches and athletes will continue to be successful no matter what,” he said.
Photo courtesy AHSAA
Jeff Segars graduated from Vestavia Hills in 1986 and served as a teacher, coach and administrator at his alma mater for the past 28 years. ‘Change is scary sometimes, but this gives me a chance to grow. The AHSAA is such an outstanding organization. I want to contribute in any way I can.’
Rebels’ Strand Earns Third Gatorade Award
Vestavia Hills distance runner Ethan Strand has added another award to his collection before he heads off to North Carolina in the fall on a track scholarship.
Last week, Strand was named the Gatorade 2020-2021 Alabama boys track and field Player of the Year.
It’s the third Gatorade state award for Strand, who also earned the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 crosscountry honors. He’s also the first Gatorade track and field winner from Vestavia Hills.
“Ethan had an outstanding career and senior year,” Vestavia Hills track coach Brett Huber said. “He demonstrated leadership in a way that was really remarkable this season, putting his teammates above himself. In terms of training and performance, this was the best balancing act of his career and we’re awfully proud of what he’s accomplished.”
Strand swept the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 7A state meet this past season, leading the Rebels to the state team title. He clocked personal-best times in five events this past season – including the 800 (1:52.73), the 1,600 (4:11.77), the mile (4:07.90), the 3,200 (9:12.88) and the two-mile (8:59.90).
At the time of his Gatorade selection, Strand ranked among the nation’s Top 20 prep competitors in two events. He was No. 7 in the 2-mile and No. 17 in the mile, as well as No. 67 in the 800 and No. 76 in the 1,600. He also rated No. 48 in the national MileSplit 50, and he concluded his high school career ranked No. 1 in state history in the 2-mile and No. 3 in the mile, according to MileSplit.com.
The Gatorade award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
Strand has maintained a 4.17 GPA in the classroom and has volunteered locally on behalf of Rebels Impact through Service and Engagement (Rise), a service-learning project at his school.
Strand becomes a finalist for the Gatorade national boys track and field Player of the Year award to be announced later.
Through Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Strand has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of his choosing. Strand is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization he chooses is deserving of one of 12 $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.
Journal file photo by Jordan Wald
BRETT HUBER, VESTAVIA HILLS TRACK COACH
—Rubin E. Grant
LOWERY
From page 24 Soehn and Oak Mountain midfielder Hayley Wells.
Over the Mountain schools also will be well represented in the boys game, with Mountain Brook centermid Joseph Armstrong, Oak Mountain forward Corbitt Grundhoefer, Homewood goalkeeper Luke Keown, John Carroll Catholic center-mid Christopher LaRussa, Spain Park defender Alan Melendez, Indian Springs center-mid Nathan Tozzi, Hoover forward Kosi Udeh and Westminster-Oak Mountain forward Webster Jackson.
Lowery Was an Early Star
Standing out on the soccer field is nothing new for Lowery. She joined the Homewood varsity team as an eighth grader and was a key contributor as a freshman when the Patriots won the 2019 AHSAA Class 6A state championship. It was the first girls soccer title in school history.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Patriots played only a handful of games before the 2020 season was halted. Even without the pandemic, Lowery would have missed her sophomore season because of a fractured back.
She was healthy this spring for her junior year and had a strong campaign, earning a spot on the 2021 Girls Soccer Super All-State team in voting conducted by coaches in the state. Members of the Super All-State team are from all four classes in the AHSAA soccer competition.
“Lilly was a rock at the heart of a defense that gave up only nine goals in 23 games,” Homewood coach Sean McBride said. “She’s the best defender in the state of Alabama.”
Lowery settled into being a defender early on, playing either center back or outside back.
“I enjoy seeing the game from the back, seeing the whole field and what’s going on,” Lowery said. “I prefer defending instead trying to take on someone one-on-one.”
Homewood (20-3-0) finished as Class 6A runners-up this year, falling 2-1 in a shootout (5-4) to St. Paul’s Episcopal (17-5-3) after regulation and two overtimes in the championship game.
Despite the heartbreaking end, Lowery said it was a satisfying season.
“I was excited we got to play all of our games,” Lowery said. “We didn’t really have any problems with the pandemic.
“We lost some seniors from the previous season, but we had some new girls coming up who were really talented. Even though we lost our last game, it was a fantastic season, the best one I’ve had since I’ve been here. It was so much fun.”
Although she has another high school season remaining, Lowery already is looking ahead to college.
“I’m going through the recruiting process now,” she said. “I’m just still trying to figure it out, but I am definitely going to play in college.”
CASHING IN
By RuBin E. GRant
Jake Levant figured he didn’t have the fame to cash in on his name when the ruling came down that NCAA college athletes would have the opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness, more widely known as NIL.
But that didn’t mean the former Vestavia Hills football player wouldn’t find a way to profit from the decision that took effect July 1.
Levant, a sophomore linebacker at Auburn, and a few of his teammates decided to form Princeps Camps LLC as a way for college football players to cash in on NIL.
According to their website, princepscamps.com, “Princeps” means “first” in Latin. It’s apropos because this is the first time college athletes have been able to host their own camps.
“Our goal for Princeps Camps is to provide an easy path for college athletes around the country to host a camp now that the NIL is in place,” Levant said.
Princeps will hold two elite camps this month, one at Montgomery Academy on July 24 and the other at Mountain Brook High School on July 31.
Levant, Tanner Dean, Bart Lester and Owen Pappoe – all Auburn football players – are partners in the company.
Dean graduated from Mountain Brook in 2017 and walked on at Auburn before being awarded a scholarship in 2020 and finishing his career. He completed his degree in mechanical engineering in the spring.
Lester, a linebacker who played in high school at Montgomery Academy, has been at Auburn since 2019 after a three-year stint at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He walked on the team and recently was awarded a scholarship for the upcoming season. This past spring, he graduated with an undergraduate degree in finance and plans on completing his MBA.
Pappoe, a junior and five-star recruit out of Lawrenceville, Ga., is one of the top linebackers in the SEC.
“We’re not some of the bigger named guys, but we thought we could make some money from camps,” Levant said.
“We thought we could work together and make a little profit and do something for the community,” Lester said.
The process of starting the company began in the spring before the NIL ruling was official. Dean was a key player in its formation since he had started his own business, Unconventional Design Solutions.
“We went to Tanner since he had started his own company and he knew all the stuff about forming a LLC, taxes and liability insurance,” Levant said. “It’s a lot of complicated stuff, but that’s what we did and we finally went public in June.”
“It’s been a good learning experience and we’ve gotten a good response,” Lester added.
Once the company was formed, the group recruited three of the better-known Auburn football players to be the camp instructors – safety Smoke Monday, running back Shaun Shivers and quarterback T.J. Finley, who transferred from LSU to Auburn at the end of the 2020 season. Pappoe also will serve as one of the camp instructors.
“We told them they just have to show up and make some money while teaching the kids and talking to them,” Levant said. “There will probably be some little Auburn fans who come.”
Levant said they want to give participants a first-class camp experience, focusing on the athlete’s development.
According to Lester, registration is going well and is still open. It costs $75, and interested athletes can register on the Princeps website. The age range for camp participants is 6-14 years old.
“We’re hoping to have anywhere from 150 to 200 campers,” Lester said. “Our max is 250. The Mountain Brook camp might be a little bigger and we might have to make it two days, but we haven’t made a decision about that yet.”
Journal file photo by Marvin Gentry
JAKE LEVANT, SOPHOMORE LINEBACKER AT AUBURN
Jake Levant, a standout linebacker at Vestavia Hills High School, was a member of the OTMJ 2019 All-OTM team.
Making a Difference Spartans’ Webb Receives Honor for Being a Role Model
A person would have to look long and hard to find someone in Alabama more passionate about the sport of soccer than Joe Webb.
The Huffman High School graduate has been a high school soccer coach for 29 years, the last 25 at Mountain Brook. His Spartans’ team presented him with his 400th career coaching win in 2018. His win total is more than 450, but he’s not counting.
What he prefers to count are the number of student-athletes he has had the chance to coach and who have developed a similar passion for the sport and the life lessons it can teach.
Earlier this summer, Webb was selected as the Class 6A honoree for the 2021 Making a Difference Award by the Alabama High School Athletic Association and the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association. He was among seven individuals chosen because they have made an impact as exemplary role models.
One recipient from each of the AHSAA’s seven classifications was selected from nominations submitted by AHSAA member schools and other support organizations or individuals.
The other recipients are Anthony Edwards, Loachapoka High School (1A), softball, basketball, track and football coach; Matthew Kennedy, Westbrook Christian High School (2A), head baseball coach; Ryan Hall, Oakman High School (3A), head football coach; Eddie Bullock, Anniston High School (4A), head football and girls’ basketball coach; Chris Bashaw, Guntersville High School (5A), volunteer track coach; and Nancy Shoquist, Mary Montgomery High School (7A), retiring volleyball coach.
Each honoree will be recognized at the 2021 AHSAA Summer Conference Championship Coaches’ Awards Banquet, which will be held July 23 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center at 6 p.m.
“I don’t know what to say,” Webb said. “I did not expect it. I’m honored. To be recognized for something you love to do is pretty cool.”
Webb’s unorthodox coaching style has included presenting a wild neck tie in some key contests to the Spartans’ player of the match, a ritual he adopted in honor of his father John “Buddy” Webb, who died in 2004.
He and his dad traded in wearing “normal” ties 25 years ago for wilder “fun” ties adorned by Disney and other cartoon characters. The practice has been embraced by the players. He once even presented the “game tie” to a player on the opposing team.
Webb’s passion and caring attitude has come naturally. He is the son-inlaw of former Indian Springs soccer coach Ray Woodard, the man chiefly responsible for bringing soccer to the state of Alabama more than half a century ago. He admits that Woodard, now deceased, taught him to love the sport as much as he did. That passion earned Webb the 2020 United Soccer Coaches Alabama High School Coach of Significance Award.
Webb earned his national USSF coaching license and serves as a referee outside his high school season. He coached in the first AHSAA North-South All-Star Soccer match in 2007 and has had at least one player on the squad every year since. He also has taken up the microphone as a commentator for the NFHS Network live-stream production of the AHSAA State Championships – that is, when his team didn’t reach the finals.
His Making a Difference Award nominator, a former club player for Webb and now a successful high school coach herself, wrote, “Despite his many accomplishments on the field, it is who he is off the field that led me to nominate him. I have known Joe for 27 years and he has been a personal mentor to me both on and off the field.
“I met him when I was in high school. He helped me through college and as I started my coaching and teaching career after college. He has been my mentor, coach, friend, and even teammate. He is still my sounding board both for coaching and for life. … He has been the same mentor for many other coaches throughout Alabama and in other states. Joe is the glue of competitive high school soccer in Alabama.”
The Making a Difference Award was established in 2011 by the AHSAA and AHSADCA to recognize individuals who go beyond their normal duties as a coach, teacher or administrator to make a positive impact in their schools and communities.
“The recipients in this 2021 Making a Difference class are excellent examples of men and women who take their positions as role models for their students, faculty and community very seriously and have shown extraordinary determination in the challenges each has faced,” said former AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese, who retired at the end of June.
“This award is the most important honor a professional educator in our state can receive,” he continued. “Qualities considered for this prestigious award include the recipient’s character, integrity, determination and service, all of which have enabled these individuals to have a lifechanging impact on the community or school which they serve.” —Alabama High School Athletic Association
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New Challenge: Segars leaves Vestavia Hills for AHSAA Page 22 SPORTS
Thursday, July 15, 2021 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
Cashing In: Auburn players form football camp company following NIL decision Page 23
THREE-PEAT FOR STRAND
Last week, Ethan Strand was named the Gatorade 2020-2021 Alabama boys track and field Player of the Year. It’s the third Gatorade state award for former Vestavia Hills distance runner. See story, page 22.
Patriots’ Lowery Excited About Playing in Soccer All-Star Game
Lilly Lowery, above, is one of six Over the Mountain players selected to play for the North squad in the girls 2021 Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South All-Star game. The others are Mountain Brook center-midfielder Ellen Anderson, Vestavia Hills defender Ella Denton, Briarwood goalkeeper Savannah Sato, Spain Park midfielder Sydney Soehn and Oak Mountain midfielder Hayley Wells.
By RuBin E. GRant
Anyone who knows Lilly Lowery doesn’t have to wonder what’s she up to these days.
They already know. She’s playing soccer, something the rising Homewood senior has been doing for practically all her life.
“I started when I was 3 or 4,” Lowery said. “I did competitive cheerleading for a while, but I stopped that to concentrate on soccer. It’s something I happen to be passionate about. I love the sport. I don’t think I could just sit at home.”
As she has done for several years, Lowery, a defender, is practicing this summer with her club team, the Alabama FC 03 Elite Clubs National League squad. They practice all summer before starting their schedule of games at the end of August.
“I will play with them right up until the high school season starts,” Lowery said.
Lowery will take a break from her club team next
week. She was chosen to play for the North team in the North-South Girls All-Star soccer game during the 2021 Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South All-Star Sports Week in Montgomery. The all-star soccer games will be held July 21 at the Emory Folmar Soccer Complex near the Auburn University at Montgomery ‘Lilly was a rock campus. The girls game is set to kick at the heart of a off at 5 p.m., with the boys match following at 7. Both games will be livedefense that gave streamed over the NFHS Network and up only nine goals AHSAA TV Network. “I am so excited about the opportuin 23 games.’ nity to play in that game,” Lowery SEAN MCBRIDE, HOMEWOOD COACH said. “I am really happy about going down next week and meeting all the girls. I already know some of them.” Lowery is one of six Over the Mountain players selected to play for the North squad in the girls game. The others are Mountain Brook center-midfielder Ellen Anderson, Vestavia Hills defender Ella Denton, Briarwood goalkeeper Savannah Sato, Spain Park midfielder Sydney See LOWERY, page 22
FAST APPROACHING
LOOK FOR THE 2021 OVER THE MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW INSIDE THE AUGUST 26 ISSUE OF OTMJ
