Spartans await critical region game at Thompson

Chris Yeager’s postgame comments after the Mountain Brook High School football team’s 31-21 loss to Hoover last Friday spoke volumes.

The Spartan head coach was disappointed. He made mention of how proud he was of his team, but he took no solace in the fact that his team kept it close with the reigning state champions.

He said he wasn’t satisfied with the result, and that his team did enough good things to not lose a game the rest of the season, but enough bad things to not win a game the rest of the season.

“That game exposes things you need to work on,” Yeager said. “It exposes your strengths and weaknesses. I love playing Hoover and I hate playing Hoover.”

Mountain Brook battled back from a quick 14-0 deficit and a 24-7 halftime score. The Spartans scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to pull within three, and even had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead after recovering an onside kick.

But Hoover’s defensive stand and late touchdown put the game away and sent the Spartans to an 0-1 mark to start Class 7A, Region 3 play.

Yeager’s words are a testament to just how good he believes the Spartans can be. This week, they will play the second game in a brutal three-week stretch when they travel to Thompson. Mountain Brook hosted Hoover last week and plays Spain Park next week.

Friday at 7 p.m. at Larry Simmons Stadium, Mountain Brook will look to even its region mark as it faces an emerging Warrior team.

Last fall, the Spartans hung on and beat Thompson, 20-17.

The Mountain Brook defense played a large part in that win, as a late interception by Chandler Cox sealed the game and Zachary Carroll’s pick-six got the Spartans on the board.

Quarterback Hamp Sisson was 15-of-21 passing for 125 yards and a touchdown in that contest. Running back Harold Joiner picked up 51 yards on 12 carries.

Both players have upped their games even more in their senior campaigns, especially Joiner. Last week against Hoover, Joiner gained 132 yards on 23 carries and has eight touchdowns through the first three games. Combined with AJ Gates, who had 118 yards on nine rushes last week, Yeager believes he has the top running back tandem in the state.

Mountain Brook leads the all-time series with Thompson, 13-5, including wins in 10 of the last 11 meetings.

Abby Vinson contributed to this report.