Spartans finish regular season strong
DECATUR -- Mountain Brook High School came into its last game of the season wanting to get ready for the Class 6A playoffs.
Mountain Brook defeated 7A, Region 8 champion Austin 31-22 on Thursday night behind a stout defense and a second-half offensive push, led by quarterback Strother Gibbs.
Spartans head coach Chris Yeager said this win proved to him that the team is ready for a deep playoff run in 6A.
“This is the kind of talent we are going to see at the top of the food chain in 6A,” he said. “To us, this was a test to see if we’re ready for that and to go chase that state championship. We are and we’re equipped.”
After being down 10-7 at halftime, the Spartans offense came alive, scoring three touchdowns to stay ahead of Austin in the second half.
Gibbs had four total touchdowns with two rushing and two passing touchdowns in the contest. Gibbs struggled early, accounting for minus-8 yards total in the first half, but he finished with 124 rushing yards and 46 passing yards.
Gibbs said he was proud of the way his team stepped up to overcome adversity in the win.
“We showed we had a lot of heart tonight,” he said. “I was proud of the defense and offense played all around and not giving up no matter the circumstance.”
The Spartans defense kept them in the game throughout the first half. After a big first play from Austin, Mountain Brook’s defense came up with a fumble recovery at the 5-yard line.
The next drive, Quincy Crittendon scored on a 10-yard scramble to give the Black Bears a 7-0 lead. Austin extended its lead to 10-0 on a Noah Flood 23-yard field goal with 10:27 in the second quarter.
After a long kickoff return, Gibbs hit a wide-open Turner Welsh for an 8-yard touchdown.
Mountain recovered a muffed punt late in the second quarter, but Austin took its next drive down to the Spartans 11-yard line before a tipped pass was intercepted by James Nichols with four seconds remaining before halftime.
Mountain Brook struck first in the second half with a Reed Harradine 29-yard field goal, which tied the game at 10-10.
The fourth quarter became a battle of the offenses, as Gibbs hit Paulson Wright for a 9-yard touchdown to take the 17-10 lead.
Trenton Wright came up with an interception on a long pass play attempt to give the ball back to the Spartans offense. Gibbs cashed in on the turnover with a 62-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to two touchdowns over Austin.
Crittendon answered with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter with a 55-yard touchdown run, but the Black Bears missed the point after attempt.
Mountain Brook used a gutsy fourth-down call to keep possession of the ball before Gibbs took off for a 44-yard touchdown run to give the Spartans a 31-16 lead.
Austin added another touchdown with a Crittendon 5-yard run, but the Black Bears could not convert a two-point conversion play. Austin picked up the onside kick, but Mountain Brook’s defense made the final stop on fourth down to get the ball back and earn the 31-22 win.
Mountain Brook finished the season at 9-1 with the playoffs looming next week. Next Friday, the Spartans will host Muscle Shoals in the first round.