Spartans blow past Parker
BIRMINGHAM -- Cole Gamble and the Mountain Brook High School running backs played with a purpose in Thursday’s 35-6 win at Parker.
The No. 5 Spartans (6-1, 4-0 in Class 6A, Region 5) were coming off their first loss of the season two weeks ago to Class 7A Hoover. Coach Chris Yeager and the offense installed more two-back sets. That normally meant two of Gamble, Will Waldrop and Jack King were in the game.
Gamble had 13 touches for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He had 11 carries for 154 yards and caught two short tosses from quarterback John Colvin for 52 receiving yards. Waldrop added a rushing touchdown and set up the main block on Gamble’s 72-yard score in the second quarter to give the Spartans a 21-0 lead.
“The line does what the line does, but there’s always that extra defender,” Yeager said. “The difference between the 4- or 5-yard and 60-yard run like we had was the other back making the block on the person on the defense that’s supposed to be the ‘fixer.’
“The backs did a great job blocking for one another.”
Gamble got the scoring started with a 4-yard touchdown run. The Spartans led 14-0 after the first quarter, scoring a second touchdown on a 48-yard pass from Colvin to Clark Sanderson.
Gamble’s 72-yard touchdown run down the right side came on the first play of the second quarter. He added a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Spartans a 28-0 halftime lead.
“We probably ran that play a million times this week,” Gamble said. “That’s what I was looking for. We did an awesome job and it was a wide open lane.”
The Spartans didn’t get much going in the second half offensively, but did have a 15-play drive in the fourth quarter that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run from Waldrop. That came after Parker (4-4, 2-3) scored its only touchdown, an 80-yard run from receiver Na’eem Offord, who took the snap at quarterback.
“I feel incredible about the defense,” Yeager said. “I feel like we’ve got a good football player on every position of our defense. “There’s no one we’re trying to hide out there. It’s probably one of the best groups I’ve ever had at flat out gang tackling.
“The biggest thing we’ve got to do is play 48 minutes of clean football. I don’t know that we did that tonight. That’s a thing for us to shoot for.”
Colvin completed 11-of-15 passes for 176 yards. Sanderson caught six balls for 94 yards. The Spartans rushed for 203 yards.
The Spartans remained unbeaten in region play, and are at Mortimer Jordan next week before a home game against the region’s other unbeaten team, Gardendale, to close region play on Oct. 21.