Vestavia Hills Spoils County High’s Homecoming in 52-7 Win

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Tuscaloosa County High School remained winless as Vestavia Hills spoiled the Wildcats’ homecoming with a dominant 52-7 victory. County High jumped to an early 7-0 lead but surrendered 52 unanswered points.

Interim head coach Matthew “Waldo” Carden led County High in its first game since firing former coach Chris Bell two weeks ago after a 62-7 loss to Thompson.

The Wildcats opened the game with an 80-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Kaleb Marcum to senior receiver Aiden Guzewicz, giving County High a 7-0 lead with 11:47 left in the first quarter.

Vestavia Hills immediately responded, scoring on the first play of its opening drive when senior receiver Luke Stubbs took a sweep 85 yards to the end zone. A successful two-point conversion put the Rebels ahead 8-7 with 11:28 left in the opening quarter.

From there, Vestavia took control, scoring 43 unanswered points before halftime. Each touchdown came from a different player as the Wildcats struggled to contain the Rebels’ fast-paced offense.

Senior running back Noah Boylan scored on a two-yard run to give Vestavia a 15-7 lead. Junior running back Lawson Manown added another score from one yard out, extending the Rebels’ lead to 22-7 with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter.

An interception by senior defensive back Will Bochnak set up another Vestavia touchdown. On fourth-and-6 on the first play of the second quarter, senior quarterback Charlie Taaffee connected with Price Lamaster for a 10-yard score, extending the Rebels' lead to 29-7 with 11:55 left in the half.

Junior running back Warren Martin capped the Rebels’ next drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 36-7 with 4:19 remaining in the first half.

Vestavia’s special teams added to the onslaught when Bochnak returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown, making it 43-7 going into the break.

The second half featured a running clock. Sophomore backup quarterback Noland Williamson threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Baker Huntley on the third play after halftime, increasing the Rebels’ lead to 50-7 with 10:34 left in the third quarter. Vestavia’s defense added a safety to make the final score 52-7.

County High dropped to 0-6, while Vestavia improved to 5-1.

The Wildcats return to action Thursday, Oct. 8, when they travel to Spain Park, still searching for their first win of the season.

Micah Nichols covers Alabama baseball, football, and basketball for Tide 100.9. Follow @MicahNichols0 on X for in-game updates, highlights, and more Crimson Tide coverage.