Last week, on September 9, the Vestavia Rebels faced off against the Hoover Bucs at the Hoover Met. The game resulted in a 14-20 loss for the rebels. Despite their loss, great effort and plays were made by the team throughout the game, Hoover only being able to take the lead in the fourth quarter with around two minutes remaining.
The Hoover-Vestavia rivalry has been an essential part of the season for years. This year, both teams have new coaches: Vestavia with Robert Evans, and Hoover with Wade Waldrop. Even with the new dynamic, both coaches know the importance of this rivalry game. However, it can be said that the validity of the rivalry is fading, as Vestavia has lost 14 of the past 15 games they have played against Hoover, the only victory being a score of 20-13 in 2015. Looking deeper, though, it is clear that the competitive nature is still present, as the majority of these games have been won in overtime or the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Robert Evans said in a statement to AL.com, “This used to be the preeminent rivalry in the state of Alabama for years, years, and years. Part of what I want to do with the program is, restore this rivalry, but you’ve got to win some of these games.”
The week of the game, over 100 Alabama high schools made the decision to move the game to Thursday in order to avoid the inclimate weather scheduled for Friday night. Changes like this can easily throw any team off, as most coaching staffs set a weekly schedule in order to accomplish what they need to during practice before playing a specific game. Both teams faced this drawback due to the rescheduling that was announced on Tuesday; although, since both teams were at this disadvantage, we can only assume that it provided no benefit to either side.
The Rebels played without starting quarterback John Paul Head but were able to maintain a lead for the majority of the game. Several memorable plays were made: Vestavia intercepted Hoover on the 30-yd line, followed with a 30 yard run, a 14-yd touchdown pass, and later a 17-yd pass.
Vestavia’s record post-game stands as 1-3, however it has been said that Vestavia has one of the toughest schedules in the state this season. The year opened with currently-undefeated Mountain Brook, who currently ranks #1 in the 6A division. After a win against Homewood, Vestavia faced Thompson, who is the reigning state champion, and ranks #36 on the National High School Football roster. Playing Hoover is also no easy feat.
After the loss, head coach Robert Evans said on The Robert Evans Show, “I'm proud of these guys… We fought tooth and nail.” Evans ultimately blames the loss on defensive depth issues during the 4th quarter, but gives kudos to the team for their great work in the first three quarters and an incredible game overall.
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