Spartans look to build on momentum
Mountain Brook High School football coach Chris Yeager suspected his team’s offense was not going to be an issue to begin the season.
It certainly was not in last week’s 56-24 opening win over Gulf Shores. Coming off an eight-win season in 2016, the offense piled up 483 yards and scored all eight of its touchdowns in the first three quarters of the contest.
The offense did its part, as Yeager had hoped. The side of the ball Mountain Brook seemed to have more questions than answers entering the game was the defense, and the game was within a touchdown just a few minutes before halftime.
“I thought it was a great first game to grow,” said Yeager following the game. “It was the perfect first game to me because the game was hanging in the balance. They made us fight for that win. We had to go fight for it. That’s exactly what you want.”
The Mountain Brook defense gave up 21 points in the first half, but nearly shut out the Dolphins in the second half, yielding only a late field goal in a great performance.
“I like how the game progressed. Our kids on defense grew,” Yeager said. “That means a lot.”
Dynamic running back Harold Joiner played remarkably, piling up 195 yards and four touchdown runs on just 13 carries, as he was removed after the initial drive of the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Hamp Sisson was consistent as well, going 10-of-14 through the air for 167 yards and a 39-yard touchdown strike to Tye Pouncey.
The Spartans will try to build on all of those positives this Friday night, when they visit Helena at 7 p.m.
“You improve more from the first game to the second game the whole year long,” Yeager said. “As the game went on, I felt good about the team getting better. So we’re going to have to do that. We’re going to have to continue to get better.”
The two teams met for the first time last season, with Mountain Brook taking home a 21-14 victory. Helena scored on the first play of the game, a double reverse that resulted in an 80-yard pass.
The Spartans scored the next three touchdowns, two of them coming from Joiner, who had 130 yards on 20 carries.
Helena pulled within a touchdown but a late interception by Reid Hogue sealed the win for Mountain Brook.
Gary Lloyd contributed to this report.