Spartans make statement in quarterfinal win
MOUNTAIN BROOK — That was a statement.
Mountain Brook High School scored touchdowns on seven of its 10 possessions — two of those were to take a knee and run out the clock — piled up more than 500 yards of offense and rolled to a 49-30 Class 6A quarterfinal win over previously unbeaten Hartselle on Friday at Spartan Stadium.
The win sends the Spartans (11-2) to the Class 6A semifinals at Muscle Shoals (10-1) next week, who beat Gardendale 38-7. It’s the third straight trip to the semifinals for Mountain Brook. The Spartans’ last two seasons ended in this round.
“This year, hopefully, it’s different,” said junior running back Cole Gamble. “I’m just so glad we finished the way we did on this field.”
Gamble was a massive reason why the Spartans did finish this way on this field. He rushed 23 times for 276 yards and scored on runs of 53, 5, 88 and 30 yards.
“Cole has got such a worker’s, and such a blue-collar attitude and a humble attitude,” said Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager. “That guy runs that ball so hard. He runs away from people. He’s extremely fast.”
Gamble’s three first-half touchdowns paced the Spartans to a 28-14 halftime lead.
“End zone,” Gamble said of his mindset as soon as his fingertips touch the football. “First daylight, stick my foot in the ground and get in the end zone.”
The other score was a 39-yard pass from quarterback John Colvin to Jackson Beatty. Hartselle answered the Spartans’ opening scoring drive with a nine-play, 68-yard drive capped by Azariah Fletcher’s 39-yard run. Quarterback Jack Smith hit Eli Tidwell for a 5-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the first half.
Hartselle cut the deficit to 28-17 midway through the third quarter on a 27-yard field goal by Crawford Lang. Three plays later, Gamble was off to the races from 30 yards. Colvin found Clark Sanderson for a 7-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 42-17.
Early in the fourth quarter, Smith connected with Tidwell again for a 9-yard score to make it 42-23. Sanderson ran in a 6-yard touchdown midway through the final quarter, and Smith hit Fletcher for a 33-yard touchdown with fewer than two minutes to play.
“I feel like the offense executed extremely well,” Yeager said. “We had to make a lot of checks at the line, a bunch of them, and the players did an unbelievable job checking at the line. I think we hit every one of them perfectly.”
Colvin was a perfect 12-of-12 for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Sanderson caught nine passes for 125 yards and rushed for 38 more. Beatty caught two passes for 49 yards.
Defensively, Mac Palmer recovered a fumble for the Spartans.
For Hartselle, Smith was 24-of-33 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Tidwell caught 11 passes for 150 yards and two scores.
Mountain Brook and Muscle Shoals have played just once, a 38-7 Spartans win in the first round of the 2020 Class 6A playoffs.
“I don’t care where we go,” Yeager said. “I will go play in the desert to get to play this next game and get to practice on Thanksgiving Day.”
Yeager noted that the three keys against any opponent are blocking, tackling and taking care of the ball. That’s the focus.
“That’s what champions do,” he said. “Champions are great in those three categories and finishing. If we do those then we’ll make champions, whatever happens. We win a championship, fine, but if we make champions that’ll be the most important thing.”