Sports

Chelsea Magazine • August 25 2026

Fair Winds Ahead: Lee Miller Named Chelsea's New Athletics Director

When the Athletics Director position at Chelsea High School came open recently, school leadership didn’t have to look very far for a replacement—boys head soccer coach Lee Miller.

Over the Mountain Journal • August 25 2026

High School Football Preview 2026

The 2026 football season is around the corner, and I couldn’t be more excited. High school football season in Alabama truly is something special—it’s about more than just the game. It’s about the marching bands, the cheerleader routines, the concession stand hot dogs (John Carroll’s are to DIE for), the sound of FIRST DOWN coming through the PA speakers, the kids in the student sections painted from head to toe in their school colors, and the moment the team bursts through the banner after the coin toss all coming together to make fall Friday nights fantastic.

Over the Mountain Journal • August 7 2026

Vestavia’s Reuben Greer, 11, to Compete for World Go-Kart Championship - Over the Mountain Journal

If Reuben Greer is in your rear-view mirror, get ready, because he’s about to pass you like you’re standing still. Greer, an 11-year-old from Vestavia Hills, won the T4 Eastern Cup Championship in July, earning an opportunity to compete for a world go-kart championship as a middle schooler.

Lakeside Living • July 1 2026

Born to Compete: Inside the Remarkable Athletic Legacy of Pell City's Richard Family

If you were to ask your favorite AI platform to name some famous athletic families, a handful of names immediately pop up in the search results. If you know your sports history, you’re no doubt familiar with them - the Mannings, the Currys, and the Boones should all spring to mind. However, another athletic family that should make the list is Pell City’s own, the Richards.

Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader • May 1 2026

Elizabeth Moultrie Finds A Home At Hoover Country Club

Trussville Living • April 5 2026

Rocky Top Dream

Nearly three years after the tragic accident that nearly took his life, Grayson Pope is still fighting. Now living in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attending the University of Tennessee, Pope’s tenacity, grit and laser focus are on display every day as he works out, attends physical therapy, goes to class and arrives early at the Volunteers’ baseball facility.

Chelsea Magazine • April 1 2026

Veteran Coach Tad Niblett Leads Chelsea Into Its Next Chapter

Over the Mountain Journal • March 5 2026

The David DiPiazza Era Begins For Vestavia Hills Soccer - Over the Mountain Journal

David DiPiazza wins. Google him. And now, Vestavia Hills has him.One of the most successful soccer coaches in Alabama history, DiPiazza was named head coach of the Vestavia Hills Rebels boys soccer team last summer. His arrival comes after spending six seasons at Oak Mountain High School, where he won a state title in 2024—his sixth overall—and led the Eagles to a No. 1 national ranking on MaxPreps.

Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader • March 2 2026

You Can't Coach Height, But You Can Coach Heart - Khloe Ford Story

Over the Mountain Journal • February 6 2026

Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame ceremony honors Senator Jabo Waggoner with stadium dedication - Over the Mountain Journal

The Third Annual Leadoff Dinner and Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame ceremony drew a star-studded crowd, including keynote speaker Paul Finebaum, to the Vestavia Hills Civic Center on January 15.

Chelsea Magazine • February 2 2026

Hornets Soccer Team Reloads For 2026

Over the Mountain Journal • January 22 2026

Mike Getman’s Elite ID Soccer Camp Has Been Shaping Soccer Stars For 25 Years - Over the Mountain Journal

The 25th annual Mike Getman Elite ID Soccer Camp was held on the first weekend in January at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills. The camp offers talented soccer players the opportunity to showcase their skills, giving college coaches and scouts a centralized place to evaluate them.

Over the Mountain Journal • January 22 2026

Two Rings, Two Levels: Clark Griffin’s Unique Championship Path - Over the Mountain Journal

Clark Griffin has lived a charmed and unique football life. The Mountain Brook graduate has won two college national championships at two levels—NCAA Division I and Division II—and was within a whisker of winning a third in 2025.

Over the Mountain Journal • January 9 2026

Homewood, Vestavia Hills Welcome New Coaches Leading Girls Basketball Into a New Era - Over the Mountain Journal

The 2025-2026 girls basketball season is underway, and Homewood and Vestavia Hills have new coaches roaming the sidelines this year. Homewood’s Jason Harlow and Vestavia Hills’ Crosby Morrison bring with them a history of excellence and a vision to take their programs to new heights.

Chelsea Magazine • January 1 2026

Living The Football Life Upside Down

Xander Echols' football career is completely upside down. Literally and figuratively.
Speaking figuratively, the Chelsea native's football trajectory has been unconventional to say the least. After graduating from Chelsea High School in 2020, Echols played at UAB for three years under three different coaches - Bill Clark, interim coach Bryant Vincent, and a tumultuous season under Tent Dilfer.

St. Clair Times • December 5 2025

Moody shuts out Vigor 25-0 for first state title

Moody won the AHSAA Super Seven 5A State Championship on a cold and rainy Thursday night, shutting out Vigor, 25-0, at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham. The Blue Devils dominated from the opening whistle, earning their first state title in school history, and they did it with virtually no passing game.

Chelsea Magazine • November 24 2025

Brayden Butler's Improbable Rise To World Domination

Brayden Butler is a world champion - literally and figuratively. At just 19 years old, the Chelsea native recently returned from South Korea victorious, conquering one of the globe's most prestigious climbing events.

Over the Mountain Journal • November 8 2025

Homewood Survives First Round Scare, Defeats Pell City 28-14 - Over the Mountain Journal

Despite struggling to find its rhythm on offense and letting upset-minded Pell City hang around, Homewood pulled away, earning a first-round Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) playoff win, 28-14.

Over the Mountain Journal • October 31 2025

Boys Hoops Preview: Experience, Depth Highlight 2025–2026 Season - Over the Mountain Journal

By Loyd McIntosh   photos by Jordan Wald Basketball season begins soon, and all three of the Over the Mountain high school boys’ teams are looking to build on excellent campaigns from 2024–2025.

Over the Mountain Journal • October 25 2025

Vestavia Defeats Hoover in Key Region Matchup, 39-30 - Over the Mountain Journal

Vestavia Hills erased a 10-0 first-half deficit and dominated the second half in a gutsy 39-30 win over 7A Region 3 rival Hoover Friday at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. The word “gutsy” is the best term to describe the victory, as head coach Robert Evans threw out the coaches’ manual, throwing everything he could at the Buccaneers, keeping them off-kilter much of the night.

Over the Mountain Journal • October 18 2025

Homewood Holds On To Beat Parker, 35-28, To Capture Region Title - Over the Mountain Journal

After jumping out to a quick 21-point lead on the road, Homewood held on to defeat defending state champion Parker, 35-28, in a thrilling 6A Region 5 showdown Friday night. The win gives the Patriots their first region championship since 2022 and a head of steam with the 2025 playoffs on the horizon.=

Over the Mountain Journal • October 18 2025

Hofbauer’s Houdini Moment - Over the Mountain Journal

In the early 20th century, illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini made crowds fear the worst as he dangled upside down, locked in a water-filled glass tank with only minutes to survive. Just when it looked like the end was near, Houdini would burst free.

Over the Mountain Journal • October 18 2025

Vestavia Hills’ Julia Rose Building a Flag Football Legacy - Over the Mountain Journal

Julia Rose is a trailblazer among trailblazers. A senior at Vestavia Hills High School, Rose is the quarterback for the Rebels’ flag football team, one of the top squads in the state.

Over the Mountain Journal • October 10 2025

Late Heroics Lift Mountain Brook Past Pinson Valley, 39-35, Keeping Playoff Hopes Alive - Over the Mountain Journal

Mountain Brook kept their playoffs alive following another cardiac-special, come-from-behind win at Pinson Valley Thursday, 39-35. Once again, with their backs against the wall, the Spartans found a way to take control of the game in the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to the improvisational skills of Cayden Hofbauer.