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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mountain Brook High School’s 179 state championship trophies are displayed at Spartan Arena. The school’s athletic program was ranked fifth in the nation during the 2021-22 school year.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
The Spartans celebrate with the Class 6A volleyball state championship trophy after sweeping St. Paul for a third consecutive state title at Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham CrossPlex in October 2021.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
The Spartans celebrate with the Class 6A state championship trophy after defeating Pelham 2-1 in double overtime at the John Hunt Soccer Complex in Huntsville on May 14.
Many high school athletics programs are known for one successful sport, one dynasty.
At Mountain Brook High School, that is not the case, and it’s a main reason why the school was recently named the MaxPreps Cup winner for the state of Alabama for the 2021-22 season and the fifth-best athletics program in the nation.
The MaxPreps Cup is comprised of a formula that attempts to determine the best overall high school sports programs in the nation. Points were awarded on a weighted basis with larger states receiving more points than smaller states (due to more competition), more popular sports (based on National Federation of State High School Associations participation survey) receiving more points than less popular sports, and larger schools gaining more points than smaller schools (based on more competition).
According to MaxPreps, the MaxPreps Cup uses a school’s state championships, runner-up and national rankings to determine a point scale. Mountain Brook finished the formula with 1,835 points, the second-most of any public school in the nation. Alabama had seven schools score above the 1,000-point mark. Among them locally were Vestavia Hills (1,448), Hoover (1,415) and Spain Park (1,084).
During the 2021-22 school year, Mountain Brook won Class 6A state championships in girls volleyball, girls cross-country, boys golf, boys soccer, girls tennis and girls outdoor track. The Spartans collected runner-up trophies
in boys cross-country, girls indoor track and boys tennis.
“It’s a testament to our student-athletes and our coaches, just the work that they put in,” said Mountain Brook Athletic Director Benny Eaves. “Collectively as a group it’s kind of cool because all of our teams across all the programs, our student-athletes buy into the fact that it’s about ‘us and we’ and not ‘I and me.’ That’s the way it is here. We are a sum of the parts. No question.”
Eaves said Mountain Brook holds 179 state championships in school history. The most blue maps the Spartans have won during one school year was seven in 1975. The school has tallied six state championships in a single school year four times, including 2021-22.
Mattie Gardner led the girls volleyball team to its third straight state championship last season in her first year as head coach.
“I think it’s an honor just to be part of a school and a program that is so successful and celebrates it and values it because it’s rare to be in a school where there are many programs, men’s and women’s, that are successful and are respected,” said Gardner, who is in her sixth year at Mountain Brook. “I really love it here. It’s definitely a culture that I understand and can connect with, a place where I feel like I can thrive and help my players thrive. That’s the special thing about it.”
Michael McGovern, the cross-country and track and field coach, graduated from Mountain Brook High School and is in his 22nd year coaching there. He called Mountain Brook an “everything school,” from academics to athletics to fine arts.
“I think it’s an unbelievable honor,” McGovern said. “As someone who grew up here, went to school here, competed here, and now coached and lived and worked here, I think it’s awesome that Mountain Brook is getting this kind of recognition.”
McGovern said the support of the community, parents and administration helps the Spartans compete at the highest level.
It’s a testament to our student-athletes and our coaches, just the work that they put in.
Benny Eaves
“I think it becomes a part of the culture,” he said. “It really does. We are going to compete at the state level every year. The expectation is that our cross-country, our track teams, will be in contention for a state championship. I think the kids know that coming in.”
Gardner echoed McGovern, saying that the longstanding culture and history helps coaches and student-athletes today.
Said Gardner, “One that I didn’t create but one that I’m happy to be a part of and continue.”
