Vestavia Hills Upsets No. 3 Mary Montgomery to Advance to Round Two

SEEMES, AL – Vestavia Hills signal caller Charlie Taaffe shined in the Rebels 42-21 victory over the No. 3-ranked Mary G. Montgomery Vikings Thursday night in the first round of the Class 7A postseason in south Alabama.

The game kicked off with both teams trading touchdowns. Taaffe connected with Chase Webb on a 21-yard touchdown pass, quickly matched by Vikings quarterback Shondell Harris, who scored on a 1-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.

The Rebels asserted their dominance in the second quarter as Taaffe bolting across the goal line from inside the Viking five yard line for a pair of rushing scores, complemented by a Bruce Littleton 4-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Rebels’ lead to 28-7. Mary Montgomery responded before halftime with a Harris to Sedrick Brown four yard touchdown toss, closing the gap to 28-14 just before halftime. 

After the break, the Vikings continued their comeback, narrowing the score to 28-21 in the third quarter. However, the visitors secured the upset win with two more scores. Taaffe dashed for an 18-yard touchdown in the third quarter, while Littleton put the game on ice with a 2-yard run in the fourth.

Offensively, Vestavia Hills outperformed the Vikings with 437 total yards compared to 246.  

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Rebel quarterback Charlie Taaffe showcased his dual-threat capability, completing 22-of-28 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 94 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.

Webb led the Rebels’ receiving corps with seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Littleton added eight catches for 73 yards, and Luke Stubbs contributed five grabs for 74 yards.

This victory marks the third consecutive year that Vestavia Hills has won on the road in the first round of the playoffs.

The Region 1 Champion Vikings’ season comes to a close at 9-2. Meanwhile, Coach Rob Evans and the Rebels advance to the second round, where they will face either the defending state champion Central-Phenix City Red Devils or the James Clemens Jets, depending on Friday night’s round one result.