Spartans notch 2nd shutout of season
IRONDALE — Mountain Brook High School has as many shutouts as touchdowns allowed through five games.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The Class 6A fifth-ranked Spartans rolled to a 31-0 Region 5 victory over Shades Valley at Frank Nix Stadium on Friday.
Mountain Brook (5-0, 3-0 in region) forced four Shades Valley turnovers and held the Mounties (1-3, 1-1) to 124 yards of total offense. The Spartans got interceptions from Mac McCowan and Jones Beavers. Coming up with fumble recoveries were Gray Doster and Vaughn Frost.
“I feel like the defense put us in great field position,” said Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager. “That was the biggest thing. I thought the defense played just unbelievable tonight. I think it’s probably their best game. They just put us in great position.“
Mountain Brook has allowed only two touchdowns all season — one each to Huntsville and Huffman — and shut out both Woodlawn and Shades Valley. Vestavia Hills managed just a field goal against the Spartans.
Mountain Brook scored the game’s first points on its second drive, when quarterback John Colvin found Jake Thompson for a 26-yard score. The Spartans reached the end zone again early in the second quarter when George Cain broke free for a 20-yard run. After a Mounties fumble, Cole Gamble bolted for a 21-yard touchdown run.
Reed Harradine pushed the lead to 24-0 with 7:38 to play in the game on a 23-yard field goal. Three plays after Frost’s fumble recovery, Colvin connected with Jackson Beatty for a 5-yard touchdown.
“I think the biggest thing we learned about ourselves is if we just play hard every down, something good is eventually going to happen,” Yeager said.
At halftime, Shades Valley had just 18 yards. The Mounties finished with 68 passing yards and 56 rushing yards. Quarterback J’Caius Moore was 9-of-16 for 68 yards and two interceptions. Jordan Pearson led the ground game with 54 yards on 17 carries.
For Mountain Brook, Colvin was an efficient 9-of-14 for 99 yards and two scores. Gamble rushed 18 times for 133 yards and a touchdown. Cain finished with 72 yards on nine carries, and Will Waldrop chipped in with 11 rushes for 39 yards. Thompson caught three passes for 55 yards, while Beatty also had three grabs for 13 yards.
Now, the strength of schedule for the Spartans intensifies. They host Class 7A No. 1 Thompson next week.
“When you play a great team like Thompson, the thing you do is just, ‘Let’s focus on us,’” Yeager said. “Continue to trend upward and focus on us getting better. You just never take your eyes off of that because that’s what you can control.”
Mountain Brook then has an off week Oct. 1 before finishing the season with Region 5 contests versus Briarwood, at Homewood and at Chelsea.
“Those are great teams,” Yeager said. “If we go on with that attitude and you grow, there’s no such thing as failure. There’s only feedback. You just have to approach it that way.”