Vestavia remains unbeaten with 28-19 win over Tuscaloosa Co.

Vestavia Hills, AL – The tenth ranked Vestavia Hills Rebels earned their fifth straight win over the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats 28-19 Friday night at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. 

The Rebels 4-0 start is the programs best since 2013, a season that saw the Rebels bring home their last region title and advanced to the AHSAA state semi-finals.  

The Rebels lit up the Buddy Anderson Field scoreboard midway through the first quarter as Cooper Bishop scored his first of three rushing touchdowns.  Bishop put VHHS up by 14 with just over two minutes remaining in the opening stanza when he took his second Eli Sawyer handoff into the endzone from inside the Wildcat five yard line.  

Tuscaloosa County pulled within a score on their first drive of the second quarter as quarterback Brylan Jackson called his own number bolting in the endzone from eight yards out.  A failed T-County point after left the score at 14-6 with just under three quarters to play. 

Bishop scored his third touchdown of the night with five minutes to play before the break to put the home team up 21-6.  Rebels quarterback Eli Sawyer capped the first half scoring with five ticks remaining, diving into the endzone from the two.  

Vestavia carried a commanding 28-6 lead into the locker room. 

The Wildcats hit pay dirt six minutes into the third as Woodrow Washington bolted into the endzone from inside the Rebel five.  Wilkes Pierce point after cut the Vestavia lead to 28-13.  

TCHS pulled within two scores early in the fourth on a Jackson to DeAnthony Green pitch and catch from five years out.  

The Wildcats threatened late driving into the Rebel redzone before loosing an instant replay coaches challenge, and the ball on a fumble.  The Cats final gasp, with minutes to play, was squashed as Rebel defenders Jake Levant and Hunter Salmon sacked Jackson inside his own ten yard line on fourth and nine.  

The win gave Buddy Anderson, Alabama’s winningest head football coach, his 332nd career victory.  

Rebel quarterback Eli Sawyer connected on 13 of 22 passes for 192 yards and added a rushing score.  Cooper Bishop paced Vestavia on the ground pilling up 128 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns.  Sean Smyth lead the Rebel receiving corps with 73 yards on six catches.  

Brylan Jackson completed 11 of 18 passes for 158 yards while Damien Taylor rushed for 58 yards on nine carries and Marcus Burton snagged three catches for 62 yards to lead the Wildcats.  

Vestavia travels to Mountain Brook‘s Spartan Stadium next Friday night in a battle of the final two unbeaten teams in 7A region 3.  

Tuscaloosa County welcomes the 3-1 Thompson Warriors to Northport.