Oak Mountain improves to 4-0 with win over Vestavia

Birmingham, AL – The Oak Mountain Eagles improved to 4-0 for the first time in their 21 year history with a 35-28 victory over Vestavia Hills Friday night at Herdmont Park. 

The win improves Mark Bell’s Eagles to 2-0 in 7A Region 3 play while dropping Vestavia to 0-4 on the season.  

Oak Mountain scored a pair of touchdowns, including the game winner, a nine yard scamper by quarterback Evan Smith in the game’s final three minutes, to secure the come from behind victory. 

The Eagles lit up the Herdmont scoreboard first, as Cade George capped a 98 yard drive with a rushing score from just inside the Rebel 10 yard line.  The visitors scored the game’s next two touchdowns before Smith crossed the endzone for the first time, rushing in from nine yards out and pulling the Eagles to within two points heading into the locker room.

Both teams traded touchdowns in the third putting the Rebels up 21-20 going into what would be legendary coach Buddy Anderson’s last quarter on the sidelines at Herdmont. 

Vestavia took a one score advantage early in the final frame as quarterback Braden Glenn called his own number and rumbled 37 yards for a score putting the Rebs up 28-20.  

The squads traded turnovers during the game’s final five minutes, the most decisive a drop by Vestavia setting the Eagles up at the Rebel 35 with four minutes remaining.  Smith made the most of the Vestavia mistake scoring both a touchdown and two point conversion to tie the game at 28 all with 2:13 on the clock. 

The Oak Mountain defense rose to the occasion, forcing a Rebel punt and giving Smith and Co. a chance to put the game away.  The junior engineered a 55 yard drive in the game’s final 1:15, scoring the game winner with twelve ticks on the clock to capture the Eagles’ first victory over Vestavia since 2016. 

The victory sets up a showdown with the 3rd ranked Hoover Bucs (4-0, 2-0) next Friday night at the Hoover Met.  Vestavia is slated to welcome the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats (1-3, 0-2) to Thompson Reynolds Stadium next week.