Photo by Sam Chandler.
Mountain Brook junior Noah Blattmann (9) contributes to the Spartans’ attack during a Class 7A, Area 6 match between Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook on Feb. 28 at Vestavia Hills High School.
A one-goal loss in last year’s state semifinal left Zach Shunnarah feeling both heartbroken and hazy.
Like many of his fellow Spartans, he struggled to comprehend how his Mountain Brook High School boys soccer team had fallen short of a state title.
It possessed talent, tenacity and experience.
“Looking at the team we had last year, we were like, ‘How did we not win that?’” recalled Shunnarah, a senior, as he waited for the start of a late February practice.
Vestavia Hills defeated Mountain Brook 1-0 last May in Huntsville, the site of the state tournament, on a second-half goal. The strike ended the Spartans’ hopes of winning the first state championship in program history.
“We know what it feels like to lose there,” said JT Jones, another senior, “and we don’t ever want to go through that again.”
Players on this 2019 Mountain Brook team don’t think they’ll have to. In fact, they’re not even letting the thought of another letdown enter their collective psyche.
Instead, the Spartans have adopted what Shunnarah, Jones and others label a “championship mentality.”
Sam Rysedorph, a junior, originally proposed the concept before the start of the season. It didn’t take long for it to embed in the team’s DNA.
“Every day, whether it’s a game, whether it’s practice, whether it’s even a Friday when we’re doing conditioning in the gym while it’s raining, every day it’s just go, continue to go, don’t back down,” Shunnarah said.
Already, it has yielded promising results.
Mountain Brook entered the season needing to find a new source of offense, as it graduated key offensive pieces in Mason Hemstreet and Ethan Harradine, the school’s all-time leading scorer.
But finding the back of the net hasn’t been an issue through the first half of the campaign.
The Spartans outscored opponents 27-10 in their first 12 games en route to compiling a 7-3-2 record. In February, they won the prestigious Southern Shootout tournament in Gulf Shores.
“I think compared to last year we’re passing, moving the ball better,” junior Pirmin Blattmann said. “I think we have a good shot at winning state if we keep it up.”
Blattmann has helped fill the void on offense. He tallied a trio of assists early in the season and recorded the decisive goal in a redemptive 1-0 win against Vestavia Hills on Feb. 28 in the Spartans’ Class 7A, Area 6 opener.
Blattmann headed in a ball that ricocheted off the crossbar. Whatley Thompson, also a junior, provided the assist.
“This year, we’re calling each other the dynamic duo,” Blattmann said.
Blattmann’s twin brother Noah, sophomore Patrick Neil and Rysedorph have also sparked Mountain Brook’s attack.
In the back, Shunnarah, Jones, and goalkeeper Reid Freeman have been defensive anchors. Shunnarah said one of his objectives is for the Spartans to concede no more than 18 goals over the course of the season, which is the fewest any Mountain Brook team has ever allowed.
“As long as you give it your all, the result will come,” Shunnarah said. “There’s really not a lot of stress in this team. It’s really just free-flowing, just playing soccer, and I think that’s what’s been helping us so far.”
Mountain Brook coach Joe Webb said he has been impressed by the Spartans’ attitude and approach. His players work purposefully, complain sparingly and prioritize team above self.
“We’re going to do what we need to get done and move on,” he said.
Business remains unfinished for Webb’s squad.
With the pain of the past gone but not forgotten, the Spartans have their eyes locked on the state title that escaped them so narrowly a year ago.
“We’re here to win,” Shunnarah said. “We lost a lot of talent, but we’re not backing down.”
This article was updated on April 1 at 1:55 p.m. to correct the name of Mountain Brook's goalkeeper.
