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Photos by Sarah Finnegan.
Sean Elmore’s big performance in the state title game lifted Mountain Brook to the 7A state title.
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Photos by Sarah Finnegan.
Trendon Watford beat out Garrison Brooks and Jamal Johnson for the Class 7A player of the year award, and finished second to John Petty in the running for Mr. Basketball.
The Mountain Brook High School boys basketball team won the Class 7A state championship in 2017 with so much more than two players, but two of them were honored on the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s all-state team.
Trendon Watford, a star sophomore who was at or near the top of almost every statistical category for the Spartans, was named a first-team all-state honoree. Sean Elmore, a sharpshooter and lockdown defender, was named to third team.
“We’re elated to have both Trendon and Sean on the all-state team,” said Mountain Brook coach Bucky McMillan.
By way of being a first-teamer, Watford was eligible and was named one of the three finalists for Class 7A player of the year, an award he won over Auburn’s Garrison Brooks and Spain Park’s Jamal Johnson, both seniors heading to play Division I college basketball next season.
“It feels good,” Watford said. “It’s a personal goal I wanted to achieve. There has been a lot of hard work put into it, and (Brooks and Johnson) are two great players. It could’ve gone to any of us.”
Watford finished second to Mae Jemison’s John Petty for the Mr. Basketball award, giving Petty the honor in back-to-back seasons. Petty, an Alabama signee, is the third person in the 32-year history of the award to win it twice.
Watford averaged 23 points per game, as Mountain Brook won its third state championship in school history. He nearly averaged a double-double, hauling in 9.9 rebounds per contest, to go along with three assists and 2.3 blocks per game.
Elmore was a consistent contributor all season long, but he left an undeniable impression on voters with his performance in the state championship game, as Mountain Brook knocked off Auburn 63-43.
Elmore knocked down a trifecta of 3-pointers in the final 3:19 of the third quarter, propelling Mountain Brook into a runaway fourth quarter in the win.
Prior to the game, McMillan and his father had an exchange about Elmore that proved prophetic. “It’s funny because my dad, who has watched every single game we’ve ever played in my time here, texted me this morning, ‘I’ve got a feeling Sean Elmore’s about to go off,’” McMillan said.
Elmore shot an impressive 42 percent (80-192) from 3-point range on the season, as he averaged 12.6 points per game, second on the team. He proved his worth on the defensive end as well, as he logged nearly two steals per contest.
McMillan also threw out senior Ben McCool’s name as someone deserving of all-state recognition as well. McCool averaged 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and was a key cog to the team’s success in his final year, giving the Spartans an option that could beat teams inside or out with his versatility.
“All those guys mentioned, just like all the other players on our team, were on a mission since Day 1 to be champions,” McMillan said. “That is why it’s not surprising that a team full of champions won a championship.”
