Spartans roll past Homewood, clinch region title
HOMEWOOD -- The Mountain Brook High School football team rolled on the road Thursday night, downing region rival Homewood 49-14 at Waldrop Stadium.
The win clinched the Class 6A, Region 5 title for the Spartans, their second region crown in as many years.
“It feels really good (to win the region),” said Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager. “Week in and week out, you have to play at a high level and it’s extremely gratifying knowing the type of football that’s in this area.”
The Spartans were dominant on both sides of the ball throughout the game, but especially in the second half, shutting out the Patriots in the final 24 minutes.
“That was just an old-fashioned butt whooping,” said Homewood head coach Ben Berguson. “We just couldn’t get anything going and could not run the ball.”
Mountain Brook was led to victory by an explosive running attack, spearheaded by running backs Will Waldrop and Cole Gamble, who both finished with over 100 rushing yards and combined for four of the Spartans’ seven touchdowns.
“(Waldrop and Gamble) have great vision and make great decisions and they both have speed,” Yeager said. “Both of those guys when they get in the open, they run away from people.”
It was Waldrop that opened up the scoring. After forcing a Homewood three-and-out to start the game, Mountain Brook took over in Patriots territory and put together a seven-play drive all on the ground, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run by Waldrop.
Mountain Brook scored on its next three possessions, two through the air and another on the ground. With 3:54 to go in the first quarter. Spartans quarterback John Colvin hit receiver Sims Brown on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Then, with 6:27 to go in the half, Gamble hit the end zone on a 37-yard touchdown rush.
Sandwiched in-between the two Spartans scores was Homewood’s opening touchdown with just under eight minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Patriots, after falling behind 14-0, put together their longest drive of the night: a 14-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Woods Ray to Charlie Reeves.
Reeves would add another touchdown reception, a 66-yarder, later in the half, right after Mountain Brook’s Brown also scored his second touchdown of the night on a 41-yard pass from Colvin.
At halftime, the Spartans led the Patriots 28-14.
In the second half, the Mountain Brook defense was able to shut down the Homewood offense, which had just four possessions in the last two quarters, all of which concluded with punts. Meanwhile, the Spartans offense was able to add three more touchdowns on the ground in the second half, with two touchdown rushes by Waldrop -- 62- and 1-yarders, respectively -- and the final by sophomore Jack King to from 2 yards out to cap the scoring.
“You have to credit (Mountain Brook),” said Berguson. “That’s a real good football team. We couldn’t stop the run and weren’t able to get anything going offensively.”
For Yeager’s part, coming out of the game, he says he’s most pleased with the continued direction his team is taking as the regular season nears its conclusion.
“I think the thing I’m most pleased with and satisfied with is I feel like we’re trending upward,” he said.
Mountain Brook will finish region play next Friday at region foe Chelsea. Homewood will travel to Briarwood next week to wrap up region play.