Last-second heroics keep Spartans unbeaten
MOUNTAIN BROOK -- One of the more magical plays you’ll ever see ended up just how it was drawn up.
In the end, Class 7A No. 5 Mountain Brook defeated Hewitt-Trussville 11-10 on Paulson Wright’s 2-point conversion pass to Jake Thompson. It resulted in the Spartans improving to 7-0, 5-0 in Region 3 play and clinching a playoff berth. It ended the Huskies’ (4-4, 1-4) chances of making the playoffs.
But if only it was that simple.
Quarterback Strother Gibbs took the snap and handed it off to Sam Higgins, who was supposed to pitch it to Wright, ideally to throw a pass to Gibbs or Thompson. However, Hewitt-Trussville’s Jamarion White blew up the play, forcing a fumble before the pitch. Wright recovered it at the 20, heaved it in the air off his back foot and across his body, and it went to a crossing Thompson, who caught it at about the goal line and powered into the end zone.
The Spartans held on after a short kickoff and the celebration was on.
“It’s been some kind of season,” Spartans coach Chris Yeager said. “Maybe there’s some more magic. We’ve won every way you could imagine this season: offense, defense and now a miracle. Paulson threw it up there on a prayer and thank the Lord it was answered.”
It capped off a remarkable last seven minutes for Mountain Brook. Up 7-3, Hewitt-Trussville faced third-and-goal at the 2, but Logan Brewer — whose interception set up Atkins Roberts’ 33-yard field goal for the only first-half scoring — led the charge for a tackle of Sean Jackson for a loss of four. Jordan Lynn’s short field goal gave the Huskies a 10-3 lead.
Then came the drive, and what a drive it was.
Thompson caught a 23-yard pass on 1st and 24 after a penalty on the opening play, and then caught a 10-yard pass on fourth-and-9 around midfield. Gibbs hit Crawford Golden for a 27-yard gain to the 11 and the Spartans had a third-and-goal at the 2. The Huskies forced Gibbs to fumble, but a teammate recovered at the 8. On the next play, Gibbs hit Thompson for an 8-yard touchdown pass.
That’s when the Spartans — with region powers Thompson and Hoover looming on the schedule — went for two instead of going for the tie.
“We were winded,” Yeager said. “No. 1, we’re thin with injuries. It came down to we didn’t think we could go toe to toe with them in an overtime.”
It was special for the sophomore Thompson, normally one of the top blocking receivers. He finished with 70 yards on five catches. Gibbs completed 13-of-17 passes for 144 yards and the touchdown.
“I’ve caught like two balls all year,” Thompson said. “I was on my crossing route and I peeked back. I saw the ball rolling in the backfield. I saw Paulson pick it up. I was right there and he threw it right to me.”
He was there at the right time.
“He’s a baller,” Gibbs said. “Tonight, he just got open and I was able to find him off the edge. He just had a great game. He plays relentless.”
It was a back-to-back heartbreaker for the Huskies, who were driving late last week against Vestavia Hills in a 19-14 loss before quarterback Cade Carruth got hurt on the third-to-last play.
Jackson Holland, the team’s third different starting quarterback and normally a starting safety, put his team in a position to win. He scored on a 1-yard run with 2:36 left in the third quarter not long after his 28-yard pass to Jackson set up the score. On the next drive, he hit Jamyre Reese with a 48-yard bomb, but the Huskies had to settle for the field goal.
“It’s tough,” Huskies coach Josh Floyd said. “Our D-line, they were having to hold us to block us. They had trouble blocking our guys all night. I don’t know, it was just kind of a fluke deal at the end. We’ll have to watch film to see what happened.”
Holland finished 6-of-10 for 107 yards with an interception, recorded by Mountain Brook’s Brewer. Jackson had 79 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Mountain Brook is at Thompson next week while Hewitt-Trussville travels to Tuscaloosa County.
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