Backfield finds its yin and yang

Running back AJ Gates broke off a 65-yard touchdown run in the Mountain Brook High School football team’s spring game. In and of itself, there is nothing unusual about that scenario.

Gates has breakaway speed and has broken several long runs in his time at Mountain Brook.

But during that run, someone was running stride-for-stride with him on the other side of the white lines.

Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager was alerted to the situation after the play concluded. 

He recalled, “When it was over with, the official said, ‘Coach, you had a player that was running down the sideline with me. If he gets in my zone again, I’m going to flag him,’” 

That player was none other than star running back Harold Joiner, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound senior back that has garnered quite a bit of recruiting attention and media hype over the past two seasons, as he has cemented himself as one of the top backs in the country, much less the state.

“That’s what you really want to see. They have fun,” Yeager said of the tailback tandem. “They enjoy this game. They’re constantly having fun, always laughing and cutting up with each other.”

Even as Joiner’s star has risen in recent months, Gates has impressed as well. Both could likely put up greater stats apart from one another, but they realize the great benefits that come along with being a tandem.

“I do believe that they are each other’s biggest fan, from what I can tell,” Yeager said. “I’ve never seen one ounce of jealousy or one ounce of anything other than hoping that the other one has great success.”

Joiner and Gates complement each other perfectly. Joiner has the stature and power to devastate anything in his path, and Gates, who stands at 5-foot-6, has the agility and speed to leave defenders in the dust.

“They complement each other incredibly well,” Yeager said. “They’re both talented in very, very different ways. It’s like an elite yin and yang.”

Although the two backs joke with one another and have friendly competitions in regards to individual numbers, they both pull their weight for the Spartan offense.

“We’re two different backs, but it doesn’t matter who has the most touchdowns, most yards. It doesn’t matter,” Gates said.

Their skill sets are unique, but by playing with each other and being such close friends on and off the field, they have each pulled a page or two out of the other’s book.

“I’ve seen since (Harold)’s been around AJ, he has a little jump in his step,” Yeager said. “He’s learned a couple things and AJ has learned to get behind his pads. I think there’s lessons to be learned from one another and they’re open to that.

“They recognize a great back when they see that and I think they see that in each other.”

That strong duo helped lead Mountain Brook to an 8-3 record last fall, and each has started the year off impressively, including a game against Hoover where both backs gained over 100 yards.

Gates and Joiner are also able to remain fresh throughout a game, and the benefit of fresh legs in the fourth quarter is a huge aid to any running back.

“If I don’t get a first down, he’s got it, and I don’t have to worry about it or anything,” Joiner said.

As a high school coach, Yeager has seen plenty of film from teams across the state. He doesn’t believe any backfield matches up with the one the Spartans possess.

“I don’t think there’s a better backfield in our state,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of film from out-of-state teams, too. I have not seen a better backfield. 

Gates fully agrees.

“They don’t have what we have,” he said.