Spartans capture 3rd consecutive state title

BIRMINGHAM — Ben Garrett dropped his chin toward his chest after missing a breakaway layup in the second quarter of Saturday's Class 7A state final. 

But his fellow senior, Trendon Watford, didn't let it stay there. He placed his hand under Garrett's chin and lifted it up. 

"That's my guy," Watford said. "It was unfortunate that he missed that layup but, you know, next play."

The simple gesture, which lasted a mere moment, provided a snapshot of what Watford has brought to the Spartans' program over the past four years. 

More than three 7A state championships -- the final of which Mountain Brook secured on Saturday at Legacy Arena with a 61-42 victory over Baker -- Watford has provided his team unparalleled leadership and unwavering composure. 

"He's meant so much to our program because he's such a large part responsible for our program being a top program in the country," Spartans head coach Bucky McMillan said. "When you look at that, people never thought that was possible."

Watford scored 22 points and corralled 11 rebounds in the state final, earning MVP honors after a game in which his team needed him to be exactly that. 

The Spartans (31-3) struggled offensively against Baker (21-14). They shot 2-of-17 from beyond the arc, including 1-of-12 through two quarters, and missed a number of makeable layups. 

But Watford steadied them.

He poured in 13 points in the opening half, thanks in part to a 7-of-8 showing at the free-throw line, and collected four rebounds. 

Mountain Brook led 16-11 after one quarter and 30-16 at the half. 

"Trendon always does what we need done," McMillan said.

Mountain Brook could have led by more than it did after two quarters, as its full-court pressure rattled Baker from the outset. 

The Spartans recorded 18 turnovers total in the game. Few, if any, of Baker's buckets came without contest. 

"Probably for about three-quarters of the game, I thought we played really good defense," McMillan said.

The Spartans widened the distance between them and their opponent in the third quarter. They opened the frame on a 12-5 run behind Watford and senior Lior Berman, who scored nine points in the period. He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. 

"He's been great all year," Watford said of Berman. "He's been playing at the top of his skill every game." 

Baker trimmed a 21-point deficit down to 14 at the end of the third period. The outcome was all but sealed by then, but the highlights were far from over. 

With 5:35 remaining,  Berman threw down a powerful, two-handed dunk in transition that prompted the Spartans' student section, donning neon T-shirts, to begin chanting, "Lior! Lior! Lior!"

"I got down there, saw an open lane and took what they gave me," Berman said. "The feeling was amazing."

The student section serenaded Watford with his own chant when he walked off the court for the final time with less than a minute left in regulation. Standing near midcourt, he waved to the crowd and then headed to the bench.

There, the 6-foot-9 five-star recruit wrapped his coach in a full embrace. 

"When you have somebody that's a superstar, and he could go play anywhere in the country...and he chooses to stay in Birmingham and play for Mountain Brook High School, play for the state of Alabama, that shows a lot about who he is," McMillan said. 

Berman and Alex Washington, the hero of Mountain Brook's semifinal win over Lee-Montgomery, joined Watford on the all-tournament team. Colby Jones didn't make it but played well against Baker, contributing 10 points and six rebounds. 

Saturday's triumph marked Mountain Brook's fifth state basketball championship since 2013. It had a chance to win three in a row once before, in 2015, but fell to Hoover in the state final. 

This time, the Spartans seized their opportunity. No other program has won three consecutive titles in the state's highest classification.  

"I'm glad we're on the right side of history tonight," McMillan said.