SCHOOLS

By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW

A seemingly simple gesture can have a big impact, especially during a pandemic. It’s something 16-year-old Emily Straughn accomplished during the fall as she created buttons for staff members at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.

Straughn, a Mountain Brook High School student, is the daughter of UAB Medicine gynecologic oncologist Dr. Michael Straughn. The daughter of a physician working on the frontline of the pandemic, she heard stories of her father’s workday and the impact certain health and safety measures have had on his relationships with his patients.

“Emily is the type person who is listening when she appears to be engaged in her homework, phone or TV,” Dr. Straughn said. “I think she heard of all the COVID-related health care issues for months and wanted to provide a solution to the problem.”

She was inspired to start the “Under My Mask Is My Smile” campaign so doctors such as her father, his fellow medical professionals and his patients could continue to see smiling faces while adhering to mask requirements. “I was very proud of Emily when she started Photo courtesy developing this project,” he added.

Through the project, Straughn has created personalized buttons for a number of hospital workers. Buttons also feature a mask-free, smiling photo.

The project has a level of simplicity, yet the impact is great, according to Dr. Straughn.

“As an oncologist, it is so important to provide hope to your patients,” he said, “hope they will feel better, get better and accomplish their goals.”

Some of the ways he connects with his patients and helps provide them some hope is through simple human connection. It’s as simple as a smile.

“Difficult conversations are usually made better

Emily Straughn has created personalized buttons for a number of hospital workers.

by human interaction, including touch and a smile,” he said. “Hand shakes, hugs, even facial expressions are limited by the pandemic.”

According to Dr. Straughn, the buttons have been quite popular among the staff. When staff members don their buttons, it is a way to remind their patients that they care.

“It is great to see the staff wear their buttons every day,” Dr. Straughn said. “It becomes part of their daily routine. Patients have given us lots of positive feedback. Makes me proud to be part of a simple gesture.” Straughn was inspired to start the “Under My Mask Is My Smile” campaign so doctors such as her father, his fellow medical professionals and his patients could continue to see smiling faces while adhering to mask requirements.

Hoover’s Jay Avery.

CLASSIC TRACK High school track and field teams from the Over the Mountain area and throughout the state competed in the MLK Indoor Track Classic, held on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Birmingham Crossplex. Highlights from the competition included Crawford Hope of Homewood High School claiming first place in the boys 3200. In addition, Hoover High School girls won the 4x200, Kayla Jemison of Hoover won the girls triple jump, Briarwood’s Ansley Murphy finished first in girls pole vault and Homewood’s Reid Catherine Bunn won girls high jump.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

Crawford Hope of Homewood High School took first place in the boys 3200.

Addiction is a Family Affair All too often it’s the family that has the problem more so that the addict. The addict may be in lala land while the drugs and/or alcohol is in control for his or her emotions and thoughts. Meanwhile it’s the family that is suffering. Often a family member calls because he or she is exhausted from dealing with the financial woes or the fear that the last drink or drug will literally be the last one. Interestingly, after years of being manipulated by this addictive behavior the family still doesn’t understand that this behavior can’t be fixed in a week or two or even four. Sometimes parents and others expect a “quick fix”… it doesn’t happen. The addiction didn’t happen overnight and neither will the solution. When clients come to Bayshore Retreat they can begin to see how the world is different and can be different for them without drugs or alcohol controlling their every thought. There’s great food, a beautiful home, access to a phone (either their cell or the house phone) and life is good. That’s a life we want them to desire going forward. Next comes the hard work to get there by identifying the toxic personalities in his or her life and helping them see the truth. Reality checks such as relationships, irrational thinking, money management, anger, and a list of life challenges follow this with coaches and counselors to guide them through what we call Life Skills. Someone told me that they couldn’t see how 12-step meetings could help. I don’t see it as a rehab program, but I do see the benefit afterward as a possible support group.

Mountain Brook volleyball coach Vickie Nichols with former Spartan player Liz Vandevelde in a photo taken during the 2018 season.

Nichols Retiring as Mountain Brook Volleyball Coach After Back-to-Back State Titles

By RuBin E. GRant

Vickie Nichols still loves volleyball, but now she’s ready to do something else.

Nichols has announced that she is retiring as Mountain Brook’s head coach at the end of the school year.

“Volleyball is my passion, but it’s not my life,” Nichols said. “My life has always been faith, family and mission and serving people.”

Nichols’ coaching career has spanned 33 years, including the last four at Mountain Brook. She guided the Spartans to two state championships while compiling a 162-48 record.

“I’ve enjoyed coaching,” Nichols said. “But I knew coming to Mountain Brook would be my last stop. It’s been a good stop. But now it’s just time. Everywhere I’ve been I’ve always known when it was time.”

Nichols grew up in Florence and was a three-sport athlete at Bradshaw High School before going to Mississippi State on a volleyball scholarship.

She started her coaching career at Hazlewood High, then began the volleyball program at Northwest Shoals Community College alongside college teammate Tina Seals. She remained there for six years before becoming the head coach at Samford.

Nichols also had assistant coaching jobs at Hoover and Oak Mountain. Before going to Mountain Brook, she lived in Quito, Ecuador, where she taught and coached in an International Christian School.

Nichols guided the Spartans to Elite 8 State Tournament runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018. She set a school record for wins with a 59-7 record while winning the Class 7A title in 2019. After dropping to Class 6A in 2020, she led the Spartans to a 34-12 record and another state title.

“It’s good to go out on top,” Nichols said. “I’ve been blessed. I was put in a lot of different situations and formed a lot of great relationships.

“I am thankful to our athletic director, Benny Eaves, and administration for the opportunity they gave me to coach at Mountain Brook and trusting me with the program. I can’t thank my assistant coaches enough for their hard work, loyalty and friendship.”

Eaves described Nichols’ decision as bittersweet.

“We appreciate coach Nichols’ commitment and dedication to our studentathletes and athletic department,” Eaves said. “While I am happy for her and her family, I am also saddened in knowing we are saying goodbye to a Spartan family member, quality coach and great person who has contributed to our success.”

Nichols believes Mountain Brook will continue to contend for state titles after she leaves.

“The program is in good shape,” she said. “There is a core group coming back and some good young players coming in, so they will have the potential to win another championship.”

Nichols plans to take a break for a while, then spend time with her family. She and her husband, Chris, have nine children and four grandchildren spread across the world.

“I’m ready to do something else and go visit my grandchildren,” Nichols said. “I’m not sure what I’ll be doing next, but I am not worried about it. I am looking to the Lord.

“I probably won’t feel I’m retired from coaching until the start of August, when it is time for the volleyball season to start,” she added with a laugh.

From page 24 worked so hard. We practiced hard and were dedicated every day. With COVID, we made a lot of sacrifices. We didn’t go to homecoming and football games to lessen possible exposure. Those types of sacrifices, dedication and hard work got us to the championship.”

Even though she has another year left at Hoover, McKinnon has already decided where she’s going to college, committing to Louisville.

“Louisville has some amazing coaches and when I went there to visit, it felt just right,” McKinnon said.

McKInnon is one of four Hoover players on the 2020 All-OTM team, joining outside hitter Sydney Melton, middle hitter Gabrielle Essix and setter Aly Durban.

Mountain Brook, which won the Class 6A state title, also landed four players on the team – outside hitter Cecile Field, middle hitter Greer Golden, setter Hannah Parant and libero Evelyn King.

Homewood placed two players on the squad, middle hitter Olivia Brown and libero Sarah Smith.

Rounding out the team are Spain Park outside hitter Audrey Rothman, Oak Mountain outside hitter Landry Frisch, Altamont middle hitter Kalia Todd and John Carroll Catholic libero Amelia Regusa.

Clockwise from top left: Chris Camper, Hoover; Greer Golden, Mountain Brook; Kalia Todd, Altamont; Evelyn King, Mountain Brook.

Journal file photos by Marvin Gentry

From page 24 our radar.”

Two weeks ago, Calhoun was hired as the Rebels’ new coach, taking the reins from legendary coach Buddy Anderson. Anderson had been at the school for 49 years, including the past 43 as head coach, before retiring following the 2020 season as the winningest high school coach in state history. He left with a 346-160 record and two state championships.

“The foundation that has already been laid in Vestavia Hills is great, and I look forward to building upon that foundation and impacting lives through the football program,” Calhoun said. “It’s exciting and a little nerve wracking taking over a program that has been in such good hands.

“Coach Anderson had an amazing career and is an amazing man. I hope we can form a good relationship and I want to use him as a resource. I want to continue the journey and take us to better heights.”

Calhoun, 39, comes to Vestavia Hills from Carrollton High School in Georgia, where he had been the school’s head football coach since 2016. He had a 51-12 record over five seasons, winning three region championships and making five quarterfinal playoff appearances. He was named Region Coach of the Year at the end of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Before Carrollton, Calhoun was offensive coordinator for two seasons at Colquitt County High School in south Georgia under former Hoover coach Rush Propst. The team was undefeated both seasons and won back-to-back state championships. The team was named national champion by two publications in 2015.

Calhoun also served for four seasons as quarterbacks coach at Collins Hill High School in the Atlanta area, where he coached current Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Calhoun played defensive back and quarterback for Valdosta State University from 2000 to 2004 and later joined the team’s coaching staff. Valdosta State won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2007 while Calhoun served as running backs coach.

Calhoun was recommended to the Vestavia Hills Board of Education by a search committee that included Vestavia Hills City Schools Superintendent Todd Freeman, Vestavia Hills Principal Tonya Rozell, athletic director Jeff Segars, and Assistant Superintendent Patrick Martin.

Freeman described Calhoun as “a dedicated family man and professional with impeccable character.“

“Coach Calhoun has dedicated his career to investing in the lives of young men through the sport of football,” Freeman said. “His values and commitment to excellence are aligned with those of our school system and community. His successful experiences have prepared him to lead our football program and build on the legacy established by Coach Anderson and his teams. Coach Calhoun and his family will be a wonderful addition to Vestavia Hills.”

Calhoun said he’s ready to take on the challenge of competing in Class 7A, Region 3, which includes Hoover and Thompson, which have combined to win four of the past five 7A state titles.

“That’s something this team’s not going to shy away from,” Calhoun said. “Only four teams from the region can make the playoffs and we think we can be right there with them. ”We’re going to bring in an exciting brand of football. Of course, it’s going to be a new system, but the kids are very highly motivated and ready to learn. I’m looking forward to building a good relationship with them.”

The Hoover boys bowling team defeated defending state champion Thompson last Thursday to win the Class 6A-7A South Regional in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Regional Bowling Championships.

Meanwhile, Vestavia Hills lost to Sparkman in the North Regional finals.

Both Hoover and Vestavia Hills will advance to the State Bowling Championships on Thursday and Friday at Pelham’s Oak Mountain Lanes.

The Bucs captured the South boys’ largeschool division title, posting 1,614 pins in the finals at Eastern Shore Bowling Center in Spanish Fort. Thompson, the 2020 boys’ state champs, rolled a 1,466, 148 pins behind.

Connor Davis led Hoover with a 246 traditional game total in the final game. He finished with a 614 series, third best in the South competition. Teammate Mac Spiller had a final match traditional game 223, and Alex Lee closed with a 637 series.

Hoover won its opening match over Daphne, 1,443 to 1,345, and nipped Mary Montgomery in the best match of the 6A/7A South session 1,581 to 1,559.

The Warriors beat Auburn, 1,526 to 1,273 in the semis to advance to the finals. Thompson, Auburn and Mary Montgomery also advance to the state tournament.

Sparkman beat Vestavia Hills by 255 pins with a championship match total of 1,580 pins in the North Regional at Vestavia Bowl. The Rebels had 1,325 pins.

Vestavia Hills beat Hartselle in the quarters and Huntsville in the semis. Sparkman, Huntsville and Hewitt-Trussville also advanced to the state tournament.

Sparkman had a strong finish in the finals with Dalton Tolgo, Cole Arsenault and C.J. Richardson rolling the top three traditional games with scores of 247, 200 and 189, respectively. Tolgo’s 247 was the best traditional game of the North Regional. He also had a 217 total in the first round and finished with the top 3-game traditional series (655) at Vestavia. Arsemault had a 578 series and Walter Reed of Vestavia Hills rolled 537 for third.

The Rebels’ Riley Giardina had a 225 game in the quarters and Josh Matthews had Vestavia Hills’ top traditional game in the semis with a 200.

From page 24 Scott said. “There’s been a few rocky starts, but overall OK.”

Mountain Brook track coach Michael McGovern described Scott as a natural.

“She burst onto the scene as a freshman and continued to get better,” McGovern said. “She has lot of natural ability and she’s extremely coachable.

“Grayson’s also one of the toughest athletes I’ve seen. She works well through pain. And she’s always positive with a big smile on her face. She’s a fun kid to have on the team.”

Scott became a track and field athlete in the eighth grade, doing the pole vault. But after attending a track camp, she started high jumping. The coach at the camp was impressed.

“He told me, ‘You need to do high jump,’’’ Scott recalled.

Soon afterward, she added the long jump, triple jump, hurdles and relays to her repertoire of events. In the process, she developed into a stand-

Vestavia bowlers, David Matthews, above, and Riley Giardina, below left, competing in the North Regional Bowling Championships last week. Below right, Vestavia Hills wrestler Christopher Hays, won a 7-6 decision over Thompson’s Yanni Vines in the 7A Duals Wrestling Tournament championship last Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena.

Journal photos by Jordan Wald

The Indian Springs girls earned a state tournament berth in the Class 1A-5A field, while the Spain Park girls advanced in Class 6A-7A.

Abby Richie rolled a traditional game 153 as out in the pentathlon. She holds the school record in the pentathlon and will be competing in it Friday, Jan. 29, in the Last Chance Invitational.

The pentathlon includes the three jumps as well as the 60-meter hurdles and 800-meter run.

Scott set the school record as a sophomore with 2,692 points at the Last Chance Invitational and then broke it as a junior with 3,031 points. ‘Grayson’s also one of the works well through pain. And she’s always positive with a big smile on her face.’ But she didn’t win gold either year, finishing fourth in 2019 and second in 2020.

She is cautiously optimistic about her chances Friday.

“You never say going into a meet that you’re going to win because everyone has off days,” Scott said, “but I’m going to give it my best.”

Scott is grateful to be competing during her final high school indoor season, especially after Indian Springs beat Beauregard 973 pins to 934 in the quarterfinals of the South Regional to qualify for the state tournament. But Indian Springs fell to eventual region champion Satsuma 1,118 to 788 in the semifinals.

Spain Park beat Hartselle 1,077-1,047 in the the 2020 outdoor track and field season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am very thankful to have this season because we were all wondering whether we would have a season,” Scott said. “We’re very fortunate.

“We take precautions in practice, even though that’s hard to do when you’re around each other every day and you can’t run with a mask on. But we try to keep socially distanced and wear a mask when we’re not running.”

Scott hopes to compete in track in college.

“I am talking to a number of schools,” she said. “I am trying to figure out the best fit for me.”

Scott also is looking forward to the state indoor meet Feb. 5-6 at the CrossPlex. The Spartans will be competing in Class 6A after competing in 7A the past six years. Mountain Brook won the Class 7A title in 2019 but finished eighth in 2020.

“When we won the year before, we had a lot of seniors,” Scott said. “Last year, we didn’t do terrible, but we had a young team. This year we have some really good athletes. In 6A, I’m not sure what our chances are, but we’re just going to try to do our best.” North Regional first round to secure its state tournament berth, but it lost to eventual regional champion Sparkman 1,348-1,232 in the semifinals.

The AHSAA State Bowling Championships are competing in two divisions this season. The schools competed in just one boys’ and one girls’ division from 2016-2020. SouthsideGadsden, the defending girls’ state champion, is competing in the North 6A/7A competition.

The Thompson Warriors edged Vestavia Hills 33-25 to claim their third straight AHSAA Class 7A Duals Wrestling Tournament championship last Friday at the Birmingham CrossPlex Bill Harris Arena.

Coach Shawn Weltzin’s defending AHSAA 7A state champs and the 2020 runner-up Rebels battled to the end with the Warriors (262) winning eight matches, and Vestavia Hills (25-2), coached by Monterrious “Tee” Adams, took six.

Thompson was making its fourth appearance in five years, also winning the title in 2019 and 2020. Vestavia Hills won the first 7A duals crown in 2017 and was making its third appearance in the duals’ five-year history.

The match had only three pins, Thompson winning two and the Rebels one. The Warriors’ Wilson Kennedy won the 138-pound match over Clay Johnston with a pin at 3:51. Thompson’s Will Garrett followed with a pin over Vestavia’s Jack Lamey at 3:12 in the 160pound march.

The Rebels’ Jack McMurry won the 285pound match over Thompson’s Gregory Hamilton with a pin at 2:58.

The closest match of the contest came at 132 pounds with Vestavia Hills’ Christopher Hays edging Yanni Vines of Thompson 7-6.

The Rebels’ other winners were Hampton Hollifield at 106 pounds, Zach Flurry at 113, Harris Mitchell at 152 and Bryce Littleton at 220.

The AHSAA State Wrestling Traditional Championships will be conducted over two weekends this season with Class 1A/4A at Montgomery’s Garrett Coliseum and Class 7A at Bill Harris Arena on Feb. 12-13. Class 5A/6A will compete at Von Braun Center in Huntsville the next week, Feb. 18-20.

—Rubin E. Grant

Registration for the 2021 Joy League Baseball season begins Feb. 6 at Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood.

Edgewood School will host registration each Saturday in February from 9 a.m. until noon. Online registration will be available Feb. 1 at joyleague.org.

Joy League is open to boys and girls ages 4 to 12. The cost for the season is $35 per player and includes each player’s jersey and cap.

Practices will begin March 6. Opening Day is scheduled for April 3, and the season will conclude June 12. Games will be played at Homewood Middle School.

Founded on the idea that every child who wants to play baseball should have the chance to play, Joy League emphasizes sportsmanship and having fun while learning to play the game.

Joy League will adhere to the state’s health and safety protocols for youth sports.

Joy League is based in Homewood, but there is no residency requirement for registration. Anyone who wants to play is welcome. For more information, call Tim Meehan at 205-913-3902. You also can request a registration form at joyleaguebaseball@ gmail.com or at the joyleague.org address.