Messneger file photo by Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher
Westbrook Christian’s boys basketball coach gave credit where credit was due after reaching the 500th career win mark.
“I’m fortunate that the Good Lord
has provided me the opportunity to coach for so long,” said Neal Wester following the Warriors’ 79-24 win over Ragland during a holiday tournament on Friday, Dec. 27 in Rainbow City. “I’ve been able to keep jobs and keep getting hired, so I’ve been very blessed. I’ve had a bunch of good players, and it’s been amazing the amount of support I’ve received from administrators and the people around me.”
Wester (pictured at left) actually earned his milestone win in Westbrook’s first game of the season, a 57-53 victory over Sardis on Nov. 14. His current career win total is 505 in 30 years as a varsity coach in the state of Alabama. Only 56 other coaches have reached this milestone during the 100-plus history of the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
Wester began his coaching career as assistant at Coosa High School in Rome, Ga., from 1990-91, then got his first head coaching position at Cherokee County from 1991 to 1997. He then was head coach at Etowah from 1997 to 2000. After a year of teaching at Snead State, Wester had a three-year stint at Ashville from 2001-03. He then moved up U.S. Hwy. 231 to coach at Oneonta for 10 seasons before returning for a second stint in Centre from 2013 to 2019. He returned to Coosa High for one season and spent three years at Chattooga, Ga., before being named Westbrook head coach in April 2023. Wester led Oneonta to three straight Class 4A Northeast Regional appearances, including a berth in the Final Four in 2012.
Wester considers his wife Susan and children Ryan, Catherine, Joel and Audrey as the keys to his success and longevity.
“Susan is a true woman of God who has been through it all those wins with me, along with the couple hundred losses,” he said. “She’s been amazing, and I’ve been blessed beyond measure in that regard. All of our children are good Christians, which means so much more than wins or losses.”
Wester’s late father Waymon is a member of the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame who coached basketball at Sand Rock and Cedar Bluff.
“My dad was a Godly man who I’ve used as an example as a teacher and coach,” said Wester. “He truly loved basketball, and I have such great memories of him taking me to games when I was younger. I think he would have been very proud of how our family has looked to Christ, because that was always his and my mother’s first priority.”
Ryan played for Neal at Oneonta High School, while Joel played for his father at Cherokee County High.
“I didn’t force either of them to play; they both loved the game,” said Neal. “They were a part of some very successful teams, but they always worked hard to get better. It was just another bond that we were fortunate to have as they were growing up.”
Wester appreciates the support of Westbrook athletic director and head football coach Steve Smith, with whom he played football at Cherokee County in the mid-1980s.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, and he was in my wedding, and I was in his,” said Wester. “When he called and asked me to join the Westbrook family, I wasn’t looking for a job, but God presented us with a great situation. Steve’s a great coach, but even more so, he’s a great Christian man. He is truly for all the sports her at Westbrook, not just football. He wants all of our programs to be successful and wants all of our athletes to represent our school the way it should be represented.”
Wester and Smith were teammates on Cherokee County’s 1984 Class 4A state runner-up football team.
“Coach Wester and I are good friends from way back,” said Smith, who won five state football championships at Piedmont before coming to Westbrook prior to the 2023 season. “We grew up and played ball together, and I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach and more so as a man. His track record in basketball speaks for itself, and I don’t think there’s many out there that can be considered better than him.”
