Spartans’ magical season culminates in runner-up trophy

Mountain Brook High School’s return to the football state championship didn’t go according to plan, but the moment was the realization of a long-held dream for the Spartans’ seniors.

Those seniors fell to Saraland 38-17 on Dec. 2 in the Class 6A state championship game, the final game during the Super 7 championships at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

The state title was the first in Saraland’s program history, following runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2018.

Mountain Brook was in its first state championship appearance since 1996, meaning none of the players on the current roster were alive the last time their program was on the biggest stage. But there was a deep-rooted belief from childhood that they could take their community to the pinnacle of high school football.

“I’ve dreamed about something like this since I was 5 or 6 years old,” senior linebacker Vaughn Frost said. “I played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and not a lot of people can say that.”

Senior quarterback John Colvin added, “It’s a lot of fun when you know you’ve put the work in to be there.”

That was certainly the case for this Mountain Brook team. The Spartans had an incredible run over the final month of the season, following a tough loss to Gardendale on Oct. 21. Mountain Brook put together an impressive stretch after that, blowing out Baker in the regular season finale and beating Pinson Valley, Gadsden City, Hartselle and Muscle Shoals in the playoffs.

“The big thing we challenged our players to all year was to play the game with joy and with love for the game and with one another,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “It’s been heartwarming. It’s been an incredible year.”

Saraland’s Ryan Williams was the star of the show that night. He scored all four of his touchdowns in a dominant first half. Williams finished the night with 272 offensive yards, 188 receiving and 84 rushing.

Mountain Brook (12-3) got its offense going in the second quarter, with Jack Heaps kicking a 33-yard field goal and Cole Gamble scoring a 1-yard touchdown run. But Saraland got a big momentum shift just before the half, with Williams scoring his fourth touchdown on the final play after a replay review put two seconds back on the clock.

Even though Mountain Brook went into the half down 28-10, Yeager said his team never quit.

“I’m proud that we played better in the second half than we played in the first half,” Yeager said. “I didn’t know how much gas we had in the tank, but the kids gave every ounce they had in the tank.”

Frost led the Mountain Brook defense with 15 tackles on the night, while fellow senior Trent Wright, who exited the game in the final minutes with an injury, had 10 tackles.

Colvin had a solid evening for the Spartans, completing 16-of-27 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown. His top target was Clark Sanderson, who caught 10 balls for 153 yards and a 26-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter.

Saraland limited the dominant rushing attack of Mountain Brook to 67 yards on the night. Cole Gamble carried 20 times for 75 yards, after going for over 200 yards in three of the team’s five playoff games.

But at the end of a tough night for the Spartans, Rob Gillespie ran up to Yeager to make good on an old promise. Gillespie attended a youth football camp nearly a decade ago. At the end of it, he took a picture with Yeager and told him they would recreate the moment at the state championship once Gillespie was on the high school team.

“Tonight, Rob came and found me, and it all came rushing back to me,” Yeager said.

Even after defeat, it was clear the season meant a great deal to the team and the program.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Tucker Crawford said.