Kyle Parmley
What will we see in 2024? Will it be a year where new high school sports programs rise to the top, or will we see many of the same programs continue to dominate their sports?
I have thoroughly enjoyed covering some of the recent dynasties around here: Hewitt-Trussville softball, Mountain Brook volleyball, Hoover girls basketball, Mountain Brook boys basketball, to name a few.
Seeing those teams continue to sustain such a high level of success year after year has been inspiring to witness. People always talk about the challenges of getting to the top, but it’s often more challenging to stay at the top.
However, I must admit I also love seeing new teams ascend, overcoming the odds and achieving greatness. We’ve seen this with several girls basketball programs in recent years. Vestavia Hills has risen to a perennial top five program in Class 7A. Sara Price has raised the level of Mountain Brook’s program. Jason Harlow has done the same at Chelsea, taking the Lady Hornets to the final four for the first time just a few years back.
How about John Carroll football this past season? Winning nine games for the first time since 1994 is no small feat.
There are plenty of other programs worthy of mentioning in this vein.
But here in 2024, might we see another repeat of Hoover’s boys and girls basketball teams sweeping the 7A championships? Does Vestavia Hills’ baseball team have another state title run in it? Or perhaps a team we haven’t mentioned rises up and does something unforeseen.
That’s the great thing about sports. You never know what is going to happen on a given day. Outcomes are never guaranteed, and sometimes teams go on special runs that defy convention. I sure hope to see some of that this year.
If you know me, you’ve likely given me grief for the lack of movies I’ve watched in my lifetime. It’s a shockingly sad number. I always say I’d rather watch a game instead. No two are ever the same, just like no two years are the same.
I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings to bear. If you have any predictions, I’d love to hear them.
Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes Media.
