Spartans lean on defense as offense rebuilds
It’s a complete flip of the script for the Mountain Brook High School football team heading into the 2018 season.
Before last season, the Spartans were in the process of rebuilding their defense after losing most of their starters to graduation. It was up to the offense to lead the way early on as the defense got up to speed.
This season, it will be up to a defense that returns nine starters to carry the team while the offense gets its bearings.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on offense, but it’s coming around,” said Chris Yeager, who is entering his 13th year as head coach at Mountain Brook.
Just like the defense came around last fall, Yeager is hopeful the offense will find its legs relatively quickly. That will need to be the case if the Spartans are to put together a third consecutive winning season.
“Each season is totally brand new,” Yeager said. “This group has seen back-to-back years and they haven’t seen a losing year. The realization of what the last two groups have done make the last two years pretty special.”
OFFENSE
Yeager said the biggest loss was quarterback Hamp Sisson, who started at quarterback for Mountain Brook for three years, made a 35 on his ACT and commanded the team on and off the field.
“He knew the offense inside and out, was another coach on the field,” Yeager said. “There was no limit. We could do whatever we wanted to do with him. He could help teach it to other guys.”
Now, the reins of the offense have been handed over to sophomore Strother Gibbs. The Spartans feel good about Gibbs’ potential, but he will need to grow into the role and adjust to playing the stiff competition of Class 7A, Region 3 each week.
“He’s learning what to do,” Yeager said.
Gibbs’ progression will be helped by AJ Gates, who should give Mountain Brook stability at running back, even with the departure of Harold Joiner.
“He’ll help take a lot of pressure off of Strother,” Yeager said.
Daniel Wilbanks — who will also play linebacker — will spell Gates when needed and Sam Higgins is back as well to garner some carries. The Spartans are replacing Clay Stearns in the H-back/tight end role, too. Yeager said Crawford Golden will get a chance to fill that hole and gives the Spartans a slightly different dimension than Stearns.
Yeager said, “Clay was good in the box. Crawford, we can split him out and be the wide receiver and throw the ball up to him. He’s 6-foot-2 and some change and can run like a deer.”
Out wide, Hamp Greene returns as a starting receiver, while Pierce Rodrigues and Blake Roth are also in the mix.
On the line, Yeager compared left guard Michael Mancuso to a Hummer. But the other four starting spots were all up for grabs in the summer. Braxton Wetzler, Hayden McDonald, Hugh Lawson Joy, Chip Porter, Braden Allemand, Will Christopher, Beau Hubbard and Andrew Fleming are all battling for a starting honor.
DEFENSE
On the defensive side of the ball, Robert Evans has entered the fold as the new coordinator, as he came over from Hoover in the spring.
“It’s been unbelievable, the whole staff over there,” Yeager said. “There’s some similarities to what we’ve done but there’s a lot of differences, too. When I first talked to him, I sort of wanted to blend the two.”
Yeager said the players have responded well to the new leadership on that side of the ball and that it was a positive thing to challenge players, even ones that have established themselves as starters.
“It’s been really good already,” he said. “When you’re used to doing the same thing, it gets routine. There’s not a whole lot of difference between a routine and a rut.”
It will help the transition that the Spartans have nine returning starters on that side of the ball. On the line, Trey Gory, Gavin Lee and James Burkett are all back as starters. Cade Holmes, Ford Kelly, Mason Brint and Jay Barze are guys that will battle for time in the rotation.
The Spartans have four key returners in the middle at linebacker, with Colton Yeager, Clark Griffin, Wilbanks and Collin Bussman all back. In the secondary, Baynes Autrey, Grant Griffin and Robert Reed are returning starters, with Logan Brewer and Duncan Bicksler expected to see time as well. Alex Washington, who has starred on the basketball court in recent years, has also shown promise.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Spartans feel good about the special teams side of things, with Aidan Hood and Atkins Roberts back. The two will likely split the kicking and punting duties.
SCHEDULE
Region 3 is always one of the toughest in the state and that distinction will remain the same this fall, as Hewitt-Trussville replaces Huffman. The Spartans will host region foes Spain Park, Vestavia Hills and Thompson, and will travel to Tuscaloosa County, Oak Mountain, Hewitt-Trussville and Hoover.
“The way that the region is, it stretches you and forces you either to reach your potential or realize that you’re out of place,” Yeager said. “If you’re a competitor, it forces you to your highest level of competition.”
Outside the region, the Spartans will play Northridge, Center Point and Gardendale.