Top-ranked Spartans on target for threepeat

After a brief slip to No. 2 in the Class 7A poll, Alabama Sports Writer Association poll voters came to their senses and moved the Mountain Brook Spartans back to the top spot in the poll released Jan. 14.

Still playing without star TaWarren Grant, who has been suspended due to unannounced school violations, the Spartans played some of their best basketball of the season in beating Spain Park and Hewitt-Trussville in area games to improve to 18-4, 3-0.

In a game televised by WABM My68, the Spartans used their ferocious pressing defense and a sharp offensive attack to overwhelm then-No. 4 Spain Park 64-44. The Spartans benefited from the absence of Jaguar big man Austin Wiley, who was sick and didn’t play. The Jaguars fell to 17-3, 1-1 in the Area 6 game.

The homestanding Spartans, seeking their third straight state championship come March, were never headed. They led 20-10 at the quarter, 36-19 at the half and 50-31 after three periods.

Jack Kline led the Spartans, doing much of the damage inside without Wiley to contend with, scoring 18 points and pulling down seven rebounds. Terrell Guy came off the bench to score 15 points.

Jamal Johnson scored 12 points to go with five rebounds and two blocked shots, and A.J. Smiley scored 12 points.

Spartans coach Bucky McMillan said he thought his team did a better job of not turning the ball over than they had been.

“And what a great atmosphere for high school basketball,” he said of the full-house crowd in Spartan Arena. 

“This was a battle tonight, and I think our team handled it pretty well.”

The Spartans followed that by hammering host Hewitt-Trussville 70-38. The Spartans forced 26 turnovers, including 16 steals, and had 16 assists in the victory.

Terrell Guy led the Spartans with 13 points. Jack Kline and Jared Henderson added nine points apiece and Henderson added seven rebounds.

Mountain Brook’s boys were to close out January with challenging games. A rematch with Spain Park, this time at Spain Park, a game against improving Hoover and a Border War match with Blackman of Murfreesboro, Tenn., are among those games that should be tests for the Spartans. 

Area tournaments will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 7 and sub-regionals are Feb. 9-10. Regionals will be Feb. 11-19. The newly christened State Finals for all seven classes will be held Feb. 23-28 at Legacy Arena at the BJCC.