Lions hold off Shades Valley

Published 6:48 pm Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Six Birmingham area teams faced off in a jamboree at Vestavia Hills High School on Friday.

Briarwood and Shades Valley opened in the first game to warm up for Thursday’s season opener at Vestavia. The Lions got on the board first with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Paul Barber to Zeke Walters with 4:23 left in the first half.

The two would connect later in the second half on an 11-yard strike, which sealed the win for Briarwood, 14-6.

Barber was 13-of-21 passing for 116 yards, while his top target, Walters, caught seven passes for 72 yards. Despite the win, Barber knows there’s still work to be done.

“We still have little things to work out, but I am real proud of how far this team has come since the summer. The coaches have worked us hard, and I am looking forward to getting the season started,” Barber said.

Vestavia will host Briarwood for the second-straight year as their home opener. The Lions won last year, 21-12.