Hornets lose at Vestavia
VESTAVIA HILLS -- Vestavia Hills High School looked fresh off the bye week and flexed a dominant rushing attack in its return to the field on Friday night. The Rebels ran for 328 yards against Chelsea on their way to a 52-10 victory.
The 52 points for the Rebels are their most in a 7A game since moving to the class in 2014. They outgained the Hornets 511-165 in total yards.
“We thought we had a good plan going into tonight to up the pace and be physical, and that’s what we did,” said Vestavia Hills head coach Robert Evans. “Trying to play faster and cleaner and I thought we did that tonight.”
Vestavia Hills (3-3, 2-2 in Class 7A, Region 3) got the ground game going early with a 41-yard touchdown run by quarterback John Paul Head on the sixth play of the game. Head sprinted down the left hashmark and was dragged down as he crossed the plane to score less than two minutes into the game.
The Rebels’ next possession scored in four plays. The drive started at the Chelsea 35-yard line and Jack Lockhard ran off tackle and went untouched from 9 yards out for the score at the 7:45 mark to make the lead 14-0.
The Vestavia Hills special teams cashed in the next drive. Talan Turner swooped in untouched from the left side on a Chelsea (1-6, 1-3) punt attempt, met the punter as he was dropping the ball to his foot, which led to Spencer Hanna jumping on the blocked punt in the end zone for a 21-0 home advantage.
Chelsea’s next drive found a spark with an 11-yard run by Emerson Russell and a 24-yard catch by Jaxon Shuttlesworth. The Hornets pushed the ball past midfield for the first time but had to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Jack Seymour. Vestavia Hills led 21-3 with 1:53 left in the first quarter.
The Rebels kept rolling on offense the next drive. Head punched in his second touchdown of the night shortly into the second frame. The 3-yard score extended the home lead to 28-3 with 10:48 showing in the half.
The next two Hornets’ drives each ended in interceptions leading to Rebel scores. Gaines Johnson picked off a pass that sailed too high over the middle which ultimately set-up a Carter Shirley 27-yard field goal. Grant Downey followed with a leaping interception on the next drive. Head added his third and final rushing score, this time from six yards out, to increase the lead to 38-3 at the break.
Vestavia Hills held a 338-77 yardage advantage at the break with 261 yards rushing.
“That’s the name of the game this time of year,” added Evans on his teams potent rushing attack.
The third quarter saw only one score as the rushing attack set-up a play action and allowed Tucker Smitha to be wide open up the seam. Head pitched it to him for a 26-yard score to lead 45-3.
Each team scored a touchdown in the final quarter. Luke Turner came in at quarterback for the Rebels and connected with Brady Johnson down the right sideline for a 29-yard score. Russell notched the final score of the game with a 5-yard plunge with 8:22 remaining to bring it to the final score of 52-10.
Head led the game with 135 yards rushing and added 7-for-17 through the air with 89 yards passing. The junior signal caller totaled four touchdowns.
William Tonsmeire nearly breached the century mark in total yardage for the Rebels. The freshman running back totaled 97 yards on 14 touches.
Russell totaled 63 rushing yards on 18 attempts to go along with the lone Hornets touchdown.
Vestavia Hills added three sacks on defense, including two from Jordan Ross.
The Rebels are now the winners of two games in a row as they head on the road next week to face Hewitt-Trussville.
Chelsea has now lost three straight contests.
“They are a good football team,” said Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity. “We need to keep our heads high. We have a senior game next Friday night and need to go win that game for the seniors.”
The Hornets host Spain Park next Friday night.