Spartans fall short against Warriors
ALABASTER --- After a hard-fought 21-14 loss to Hoover last Friday, Mountain Brook was in need of a victory.
Entering Friday’s 7A-3 matchup with Thompson, a triumph would not only give the Spartans their first region win of the 2015 season, but would also catapult head coach Chris Yeager into the 100 career-victory club.
For a moment it seemed like it would happen.
After another slow start, falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the Spartans gradually clawed their way back into the game, evening the score with just under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Connor Adair hit wide receiver Sims Herron on a pinpoint 36-yard touchdown pass, their second six-point connection of the game, to make the score 14-13. An extra point by kicker Harrison Ritchie knotted the score at 14-14, marking the first time the Spartans weren’t trailing since 7:45 in the first quarter.
But all of that momentum came to a screeching halt on the very next Thompson possession.
Taking advantage of a shortened field, due to a lengthy kick return that brought the ball to the Spartan 49-yard line, the Warriors needed only six plays to reach the end zone. Quarterback Walker Lott bulldozed through the Mountain Brook defense for a 17-yard rushing touchdown, and kicker Dimitri Davis added an extra point to put the Warriors up 21-14 with 1:52 to play.
A Mountain Brook (1-2, 0-2) four-and-out on its final possession solidified its second-consecutive 21-14 loss in region play.
“You don’t make the number of mistakes that we did and win in this region,” Yeager said. “As hard as the region is, it’s very unforgiving on this stage.”
Thompson (3-1, 1-1) jumped out to a quick lead, scoring on two of its first three possessions.
Running back Carlos Stephens collected a pitch from Lott and weaved through the Spartan defense for an 8-yard rushing touchdown on the game’s opening drive, capping an 11-play, 68-yard effort. Lott then threw a 26-yard strike to wide receiver Harrison Johnston on a fade route to close out the first quarter.
“That’s three games in a row that we’re down 14-3, 14-0,” Yeager said. “We’ve got to come out of the blocks a little quicker, and I think that would solve a lot of problems.”
The Mountain Brook offense showed signs of life in the second quarter after their first possessions of the game ended in punts.
Herron ignited the Spartans’ second quarter scoring drive with a shifty 20-yard punt return, giving the team excellent field position on the Warriors 38-yard line.
Herron then finished what he started by hauling in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Adair to cut the deficit to 14-7.
That’s where the score remained locked until Herron’s second touchdown reception with 4:05 to play in the fourth quarter.
"There’s a lot of football left to play, and we just got to go back and get a little bit better every week, but I think we’re OK,” Yeager said. “I love how hard our kids are playing. We just got to play smart Mountain Brook football.”