19 minute read
SCHOOLS
Vestavia Hills to Induct 5 Educators to Hall of Fame
The Vestavia Hills City Schools Hall of Fame will add five new members this year to its list of educators who have played a critical role in the growth and legacy of the school system, according to a school system press release.
Inductees in the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022 are: • Kelly Bagby, special education teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge and Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park from 2000 to 2022. • Brian Cain, math and psychology teacher at Vestavia Hills High School from 1989 to 2002.
• Dr. Karen DeLano, assistant superintendent of Vestavia Hills City Schools from 2000 to 2012. • Kimberly McBride, custodian at Liberty Park Middle School from 2008 to 2021, who will be inducted posthumously. • Audrey Pharo, kindergarten teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary West from 1977 to 2008.
This year’s inductees were chosen from a field of nominees submitted by alumni, current and former school employees and the community at large. More than 120 nominations have been received since the start of the Hall of Fame initiative. Those interested in submitting a nomination for the Class of 2023 may visit vhcs.us/halloffame.
“The Class of 2022 continues the remarkable legacy of influence that is characteristic of the previous inductees into the VHCS Hall of Fame. They each exemplified a model of excellence that is the standard for educators in Vestavia Hills,” said Dr. Todd Freeman, Vestavia Hills City Schools superintendent.
This year’s class will be the third group inducted into the Hall of Fame. Members of the inaugural class, inducted in 2020 as part of the school system’s 50th anniversary, were Buddy Anderson, Helen Holley, David Miles, Dr. Carlton Smith and Kay Tipton. Last year’s inductees were Sammy Dunn, Barbara Grant, Michael Gross, Rick McKay and John Rush.
The inductees will be honored at a special Hall of Fame ceremony in January.
Hoover City Schools leaders held a groundbreaking Sept. 29 for the $15.4 million performing arts center at Hoover High School, according to a school system press release.
Dozens of school officials, city leaders and Hoover High students and staff gathered for the event.
“The community is excited about it, and our students are excited. This is something they’ve needed for a long time. Our kids are great performers. They win national and state competitions, but they don’t have a place here to perform, so for us to have a first-class facility for them to perform in for the community is going to be such a blessing,” said Hoover High School Principal John Montgomery.
Forty-seven percent of Hoover High students are involved in fine arts, and the school’s current theater isn’t large enough to accommodate student performances, the press release said.
The new facility will be added to the existing Hoover High band room, and a hallway will connect the band room to the performing arts center. The 36,000-square-foot center will include 940 seats, space for an orchestra pit, a full theatrical lighting and sound package, a full fly curtain loft, an onsite scene construction workshop directly behind the stage, and a fully automated electrics rigging system, among other features.
“To be able to have this Performing Arts Center to show off our hard work and our talent is such a gift. We’ve had to perform our band concerts in gyms, we’ve had to find churches that would allow us to use their space to perform concerts, and now to have a center specifically for these performances will be such a wonderful opportunity,” Dalton Dismukes, a performing arts student, said.
Blalock Building Company anticipates it will take 16 to 17 months to complete the project once construction begins.
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From page 32
Homewood (6-2, 5-0) clinched the Class 6A, Region 3 title, its first region title since 2017.
“It was our most complete game of the season in all phases – offense, defense and special teams,” Berguson said. “It was a lot of fun to watch. Everybody was having fun.”
Berguson wasn’t expecting the Patriots to dominate Pelham like it did.
“We were just physical up front on both sides of the ball, so a lot of credit goes to our offensive and defensive lines,” he said. “I was really proud of our defense. Pelham was scoring about 30 points per game and to shut them out was huge. And Woods had a huge game running the football.”
Woods Ray, Homewood’s senior quarterback, ran for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. He scored on runs of 4 and 55 yards, the second coming on a perfectly executed read option. He also completed 10 of 18 passes for 122 yards with an interception.
Rigdon Gibbons and Clay Burdeshaw came up with interceptions for the Patriots.
Homewood wraps up region play Friday, hosting Briarwood at Waldrop Stadium.
The Lions (3-5, 1-4) saw their streak of 29 consecutive postseason appearances come to an end when they lost 16-14 at Benjamin Russell last Friday in Alexander City. The last time Briarwood failed to reach the playoffs was in 1992.
In the loss, Briarwood quarterback Christopher Vizzina threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Higgins. Vizzina completed 17 of 27 passes for 175 yards but was intercepted four times, two on deflected passes.
Even though the game won’t factor in the playoff fates of either team, Berguson is expecting a dogfight.
“Briarwood will come up and play us tough,” Berguson said. “We have to get ready again. We want to finish up undefeated in the region.”
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
Hoover Shuts Out Chelsea, Sets Sights on Thompson
Hoover’s defense held Chelsea to 172 total yards, recorded six sacks and forced a fumble in a dominating performance as the Bucs (8-1, 6-0) shut out Chelsea 38-0 in a Class 7A, Region 3 game.
Meanwhile, Hoover’s offense produced 432 yards, 300 in the second half. The Bucs (8-1, 6-0) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to break the game open after leading 10-0 at halftime.
Freshman quarterback Noah Schuback threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Woolen to spark the third-quarter scoring outbreak. Schuback finished 13 of 22 passing for 186 yards.
Senior running back LaMarion McCammon scored on a 33-yard run in the third. He finished with 138 yards rushing on 11 carries and two touchdowns. He scored the Bucs’ only touchdown in the first half on a 1-yard run.
Backup quarterback Jonah Winston completed the Bucs’ thirdquarter onslaught with a 37-yard scoring run.
The Bucs’ victory sets up a showdown at Thompson (7-2, 6-0) for the region championship Friday night.
“It’s going to be fun with the region championship on the line,” Hoover coach Wade Waldrop said. “We’ve all been practicing for 13 weeks and now it’s coming down to this one. You couldn’t ask for anything more. I know both communities and both teams will be locked in.
“I like the fact that we’re playing on the road, getting on that bus and getting focused while we’re riding down. It’s going to be a great atmosphere to be playing in.
“We’ve been sloppy the last two weeks with turnovers and penalties, so we’ve got to get that straightened out.”
Jordan Woolen hauls in a 51-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Noah Schuback to spark the third-quarter scoring outbreak in Hoover’s 38-0 win over Chelsea Friday night.
Gamble Pays Off Big for Spartans
Junior running back Cole Gamble had a career night as Mountain Brook (7-1, 5-0) rolled to a 56-14 Class 6A, Region 5 victory at Mortimer Jordan.
Gamble rushed for 192 yards and five touchdowns, including four in the first half. Gamble scored on runs of 1, 4, 2, 2 and 72 yards.
Junior wide receiver Clark Sanderson had a 3-yard scoring run; senior quarterback John Colvin threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jason Beatty; and backup quarterback John Cooper scored on a 2-yard run.
Mountain Brook will host Gardendale (6-2, 5-0) for the region championship Friday.
Vestavia Hills Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive
Junior quarterback John Paul Head accounted for 303 yards total offense and five touchdowns as Vestavia Hills routed Oak Mountain 42-21 in Class 7A, Region 3 action at Heardmont Park.
Head scored on runs of 9, 1, 4 and 29 yards and threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tucker Smith. Head had 142 yards rushing on 13 carries and completed 14 for 21 passing for 161 yards.
The Rebels (4-4, 3-3) can clinch a playoff berth Friday at home against Tuscaloosa County (5-3, 3-3).
“If you would’ve told us before the season that you’ve got one game to get into the playoffs on Week 9 on your senior night at home against T-County, I think everybody would’ve signed up,” Vestavia Hills coach Robert Evans said.
Elsewhere, Spain Park (2-6, 1-5) suffered a 35-16 setback at home to Hewitt-Trussville in a Class 7A, Region 3 game.
Spain Park’s scores came on Derick Shanks’ 19-yard run, Alex Lloyd’s 35-yard field goal and Brock Bradley’s 81-yard pass to Mitchell Frazier.
John Carroll Catholic (1-7) fell 48-7 at Jasper (5-3) in the first meeting ever between the two schools.
Junior quarterback John Paul Head accounted for 303 yards total offense and five touchdowns as Vestavia Hills routed Oak Mountain 42-21 in Class 7A, Region 3 action at Heardmont Park.
ESTES
From page 32 around him. All I could see after that was the ball and I just told myself to go get the ball.”
The strip-sack set up Peyton Argent’s 29-yard field goal as the half expired, breaking a 7-7 tie and giving Hoover a 10-7 lead at the break. The Bucs went on to win 26-14, handing Mountain Brook its only loss of the season.
Last week, Estes recorded three of Hoover’s six sacks in the Bucs’ 38-0 victory against Chelsea.
“I just feel like I had the timing down of the snap cadence of the quarterback,” Estes explained.
Hoover coach Wade Waldrop said it’s a combination of athleticism and intelligence that enables Estes to be so disruptive.
“He’s blessed athletically, as talented as any player we have,” Waldrop said. “He’s an explosive player and a smart player, and he plays really hard. There’s no doubt he will play at the next level. Some schools value a player like him.
“It’s fun to watch him play. He’s a safety, but we’ve asked him to do different things in coverage and at the line. We bring him on the blitz, and he’s created a lot of big plays for us.”
Estes, who played defensive end and linebacker when he was younger, enjoys chasing down quarterbacks.
“They’ve been sending me a bunch on blitzes,” he said. “I like blitzing.
“I feel like I’ve had a good season. I worked hard in the offseason to get better, but there’s still some stuff I can improve.”
Estes is part of a defense that has been rock solid throughout the season. The Bucs are allowing only 9.1 points per game and have shut out two of their past three opponents. They blanked Oak Mountain 40-0 on Sept. 30. and on the back end, we’ve got a lot of experience. We’ve jelled together during spring training and fall camp and throughout the season.
“Coach Waldrop and Coach (Granville) Eastman (defensive coordinator) changed our defense a little bit on pass coverage and we’re bringing more pressure, too.”
The Bucs’ biggest test of the season comes Friday, when Hoover (8-1, 6-0) visits Thompson (7-2, 6-0) in a game that will decide the Class 7A, Region 3 championship. The Warriors, the three-time reigning Class 7A state champions, have won six of their past seven meetings against the Bucs, including eliminating Hoover in the semifinals the past four years.
But Estes is not ready to concede anything to the Warriors.
“I feel if we come together and have a good week of practice, we’ll have a good chance to win,” Estes said. “We’ve got a lot of haters and doubters, but if we play as a team, we can do what people don’t think we can do.”
Regardless of the outcome, Estes said it won’t stop Hoover from chasing its ultimate goal.
“Before the season, all the seniors met and said our goal was to win the state championship, nothing less,” Estes said. “When we go to practice and play games, that’s all that’s on our minds.”
Stepping Up
Breazeale Looking to Lead Spain Park to Another Volleyball Title
Senior outside hitter Emily Breazeale knew she would have to elevate her game if the Jaguars were to have any designs on repeating.
By RuBin E. GRant
Even though Spain Park volleyball coach Kellye Bowen has spoken little about the missing centerpiece of the 2021 Class 7A state championship team, senior outside hitter Emily Breazeale knew she would have to elevate her game if the Jaguars were to have any designs on repeating.
All-American Audrey Rothman graduated and took her immense talents and imposing 6-foot-4 figure to Florida State after leading the Jags to their first state volleyball championship.
“Honestly, we try not to talk about Audrey because this a new team and we needed to reset,” Bowen said.
But with Rothman gone, no one had to tell Breazeale the Jags would count on her more this season, despite the presence of seven other seniors, including libero Brooklyn Allison and setter Lilly Johnson, who were voted to the 2021 All-OTM team.
“I looked up to Audrey, but coming into this season, I knew I had to focus on doing what was best for the team and leading the younger players, making sure they understood the sacrifices we needed to make to do well,” Breazeale said.
For much of the season, Breazeale and her teammates were somewhat inconsistent, “up and down” as she described it.
But last week everything clicked for the Jags in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament as Spain Park swept HewittTrussville 25-10, 25-16, 25-18 and Oak Mountain 25-12, 25-9, 25-13 to claim the area title.
Spain Park (26-11) advanced to the North Super Regional and will play Sparkman (43-11) at 10:15 a.m. Thursday in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center. A victory will ensure the Jags of a berth in the Elite Eight state tournament Oct. 25-27 at the Birmingham CrossPlex and Bill Harris Arena.
Breazeale was dominant in the area tournament, recording nine kills, six digs and three blocks against Hewitt and 15 kills with a .464 hitting percentage and seven digs against Oak Mountain.
“Emily had one of her best nights of volleyball of the season,” Bowen said.
Breazeale agreed with her coach’s assessment but credited her teammates for her performance.
“I think having everybody on the same page pushed me to be better, and all of us fighting for each other made a difference,” Breazeale said.
For the season, the 5-foot-10 Breazeale has 438 kills, 207 digs, 32 blocks and 21 aces.
“She has a lot of athletic ability,” Bowen said. “She’s dynamic and does a lot of things other players can’t do. Even at her height, she’s explosive. She has done a great job for our program.”
A Transfer From Georgia
Breazeale didn’t arrive at Spain Park until her sophomore year, transferring from Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. It was a seamless transition.
“I felt comfortable the whole time after transferring,” Breazeale said. “I clicked with a lot of the volleyball girls, so it was a positive transition.”
Breazeale established herself as a solid contributor, helping the Jags finish as Class 7A runners-up in 2020 and winning the 2021 title, earning all-tournament honors after tallying 31 kills and 21 digs in three Elite Eight games.
During the summer this year, she earned MVP honors in the AHSAA All-Star volleyball game while playing for the North squad.
She entered this season as one of the top seniors in the state after recording 484 kills, 258 digs and 61 aces as a junior. She has committed to the University of West Florida, which has one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the nation.
“I really wanted to play for a great program, be near the beach and in the South,” Breazeale said. “West Florida was exactly what I was looking for. I like the coaches and the players there.”
That’s next year. Right now, Breazeale is focused on winning another state championship.
“I believe in us a lot,” she said. “It’s a matter of getting the whole team to believe we can do it again.”
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PARANT
From page 32 10 tournament championship last week. She recorded 55 assists, eight aces, seven digs, six kills and two blocks as the Spartans swept both Woodlawn and Shades Valley 3-0 at Spartan Arena.
Mountain Brook (32-16) plays Fort Payne (33-21) at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the North Super Regional in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center. It continues the Spartans’ quest to make it back to Elite Eight state tournament next week at the Birmingham CrossPlex and Bill Harris Arena.
“It’s exciting to win area again,” Parant said. “I feel it’s the same atmosphere of winning last year, but it’s like a new team so it’s very different.
“We’ve grown a ton this season. Going into the state playoffs, we’re feeling confident because we’ve played some of our best volleyball lately, but we’re still growing. It’s exciting to see how far we can go and also how far we’ve come.”
Parant has 975 assists, 216 kills, 286 digs, 65 blocks and 61 aces this season. With her 55 assists in the area tournament, she surpassed 3,000 for her career.
“It’s real exciting to reach that milestone, and to do it during area makes it even better,” Parant said. “Each year I’ve gotten better, but I couldn’t have achieved it without my passers and hitters. It reflects on how well they have played, too.”
Sister Act
This is Parant’s third season on the varsity. She was voted to the 2021 AllOTM volleyball team as a sophomore.
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