Year in Review
For anyone who keeps tabs on sports at any level, but particularly at the high school stage, it’s very easy to transition from one season to the next without batting an eye.
Football, volleyball and cross-country season in the fall quickly transitions to basketball, indoor track and wrestling in the winter, and before you can blink, spring sports roar into action like a lion.
With everything that goes on throughout the school year, there’s often not time for reflection. Well, take a moment to do that now. The high school athletic teams in the 280 Living coverage area put together a year filled with lasting memories and noteworthy performances.
With the fall comes football, and all four local teams advanced to the playoffs. Unfortunately for Spain Park, Chelsea and Oak Mountain, their stay in the postseason was a short one. First round losses for each ended the season prematurely, but allowed all eyes to shift to the great run Briarwood put together in Class 5A.
After a season-opening loss to Chelsea, the Lions decided that whole losing thing wasn’t for them, and strung together 12 victories in a row, rolling all the way to the semifinals.
Briarwood and Oak Mountain made their way to the state volleyball tournament, with the Eagles doing so in dramatic fashion, knocking off Bob Jones in five sets at regionals. Chelsea had one of its best seasons in school history and advanced to regionals. Spain Park exceeded expectations but fell victim to a tough area.
The Westminster-Oak Mountain girls cross-country team, led by Maggie Hoaglund, won its first state title, something the boys outdoor track and field team would also accomplish in the spring.
In basketball, the Westminster-Oak Mountain girls made it all the way to the Final Four in just the school’s fifth year with a varsity team. Also present in Birmingham was Spain Park’sgirls team.
The Lady Jags went on a magical run through the postseason. Claire Holt spurred a big comeback in regionals against Gadsden City, scored at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, and scored 32 points in the regional final against Grissom. Mallory Duke hit a big 3-pointer in the semifinal, and Sarah Ashlee Barker sent the state final — against Hoover, no less — to overtime with a 3-pointer. Although Hoover prevailed, the Lady Jags’ season was one to remember.
Chelsea’s girls basketball team nearly upset state semifinalist Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the sub-regional round, as the Hornets also posted one of the program’s best seasons to date. Briarwood’s boys also advanced to sub-regionals.
On the baseball diamond, Chelsea and Oak Mountain advanced deep into the postseason. Briarwood had a phenomenal year but faced a tough matchup with eventual state runner-up Faith Academy in the second round.
On the golf course, Spain Park’s girls put on a great display to beat Hoover and win the state championship. Briarwood’s young boys golf team advanced to state and impressed with a third place finish.
On the soccer pitch, there was much to be proud of. Oak Mountain boys and Chelsea and Briarwood girls all took home state titles. Briarwood’s boys advanced to the finals and Oak Mountain’s girls got to the semifinals.
Chelsea and Spain Park each made valiant efforts in the softball state tournament, and Spain Park’s girls tennis team finished second at state to a juggernaut Mountain Brook team. Oak Mountain’s girls lacrosse team won the GBYLA title.
All in all, the area is not longing for success.
So take a minute to remember what those student-athletes accomplished in the 2016-17 school year, because before you know it, football, volleyball and cross-country willbegin again.