Do-it-all quarterback John Paul Head and a stingy defense lifted Vestavia Hills to a 44-0 win over Helena on Thursday at Buddy Anderson Field at Thompson Reynolds Stadium. It is the third straight shutout and fourth overall for the Rebels.

Head ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 113 yards and another score in the regular-season finale.

The sixth-ranked Rebels finish the season at 8-2 and are the third seed from Class 7A, Region 3. Vestavia Hills will travel to Decatur to play Austin next Friday to open the playoffs.

Head, a senior who is committed to play baseball at UAB, scored on a 5-yard run to put the home team up 7-0 and connected with Chase Webb on a 53-yard scoring toss to put Vestavia up 14-0 after one quarter. Webb finished with 2 catches for 66 yards.

Owen Simpson, who hit all six of his extra points on the first six TDs of the night, made a 35-yard field goal to push the Rebels to a 17-0 lead. Caden Taylor scored a 4-yard touchdown for Vestavia’s 24-0 halftime lead.

Head got his second rushing TD from 4 yards out in the third period before sophomore running back Carson Purdy scored on a 14-yard run for a 38-0 lead.

Freshman quarterback Charlie Taaffe got the final points of the night on a 77-yard run in the final period.

Taaffe finished with 94 rushing yards and William Tonsmeire ran for 84 yards in the win.

The Rebels rolled up 29 first downs and 378 yards on the ground. Vestavia Hills finished with 504 total yards in just over 15 minutes in time of possession.

Ninth-ranked Class 6A Helena dropped to 8-2 and will host Wetumpka next week as the Region 3 No. 2 seed.

The Huskies managed 75 yards on the ground in the setback and 140 yards through the air as Carson Acker completed 7-of-14 passes for 84 yards and Nathan Ferguson hit 3-of-4 for 56 yards.

Jordan Washington led Helena with 51 yards on the ground on 10 carries. Nathan Jones caught 3 passes for 74 yards.