Spartans fall in Watford's return

Spain Park withstood an initial surge from visiting Mountain Brook, and defeated the Spartans, 77-65, in a Class 7A, Area 6 contest on Friday night in front of a raucous, sellout crowd.

In Trendon Watford’s first action since the Steel City Invitational in mid-December, the standout freshman scored five quick points as Mountain Brook (13-5) opened up a 10-2 lead, mere minutes into the game.

He would pile up 28 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-24 shooting, but it was not enough, as Spain Park (13-6) countered with the tandem of Jamal Johnson and Austin Wiley.

Wiley, who turned 17 years old on Friday, blocked six shots in the game, many in thunderous fashion, to get the home crowd engaged. The Auburn commit finished the game with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds.

The big man scored five points in the first half, primarily because the Spartans would sink three defenders onto him in the lane each time he touched the ball. But the Jaguars began making shots, and that strategy had to be altered.

“The lanes opened up,” Wiley said. “My teammates were making shots and it helped me get open shots.”

Johnson put up 21 points, with 11 coming in a big second quarter to give the Jags a two-point halftime lead.

“It’s a big win. Mountain Brook is a tough team, but we stayed together,” he said.

He capped off the first half with a steal and emphatic slam dunk as time expired, giving Spain Park a 32-28 edge.

Much of the third quarter gave the impression that the game would be tight for the duration, but a 15-3 burst from Spain Park gave the Jags a double digit lead, one that they would not relinquish in the final quarter.

“A lot of guys made big shots,” Johnson said of the run. “We got our teammates involved, we got out in transition, we beat the press a couple times and we finished on offense.”

Jameson Floyd and Justin Brown also played a key role in victory, with Floyd scoring 17 and Brown 15. Floyd knocked down back-to-back threes to take the lead to kick off the third quarter run. Brown’s athleticism was on full display much of the night, as he landed a dunk and was able to create separation for shots.

Ben McCool played well for the Spartans, scoring 15. Drew Smith dished out seven assists.

The Jags are the early frontrunners in Area 6, with a 2-0 start, as the Spartans fell to 1-1.

Both teams host another area contest on Tuesday night. Mountain Brook faces Hewitt-Trussville, as Spain Park takes on Vestavia Hills.