Photo by Richard Force.
John Colvin (20).
Mountain Brook High School enters Chris Yeager’s 21st season as head coach with a roster that’s short on returning starters but long on players who’ve grown up in the program together.
“There’s not a day that’s gone by that I haven’t walked away thinking we got some things done today,” Yeager said of coaching a young team. “You can see improvement from day to day to day.”
The Spartans also shift into a new region as part of the state’s latest classification cycle, one that puts Mountain Brook with a mix of familiar and new opponents.
“You get to see new teams, new coaches, different coaching philosophies, different schemes,” Yeager said. “We’ll be traveling to some places we haven’t traveled to before.”
Mountain Brook opens the season on the road against Hueytown on Aug. 21, then travels to Mobile to face UMS-Wright the following week. Region play begins Sept. 4 at Homewood, a familiar opponent from the previous area. The Spartans host Helena and Ramsay and travel to Chilton County and Calera within the region, with Chelsea and Pelham both visiting later in the year. Mountain Brook also hosts Oxford in a non-region game Sept. 25 and closes the regular season with an open date Oct. 30.
OFFENSE
Offensive coordinator Brad Easley, entering his fifth year at Mountain Brook, said this year’s offense is inexperienced across the board but eager to learn. A quarterback battle between senior Pruet James and junior Caden Bryant will continue into fall camp.
“They both have physical ability, they can throw the ball, they can both run,” Yeager said. “But that position is supposed to elevate the people around them.”
The offensive line returns the fewest experienced pieces of any group, but Easley praised its effort and selflessness. Senior John Bradford returns at center, with seniors Henry Slaughter, Bradley Bales and Robert Moore, junior Bain Thorstad, junior D.Y. Menendez and sophomore Mac Russell rounding out a line still finding its identity.
Photo by Michael Jackson.
Bennett Jordan (81).
At tight end, seniors Bennett Jordan and Wallace Hunter give the Spartans size and experience, both capable of blocking and catching while helping mentor the newer faces around them.
Mountain Brook’s receiving corps is led by seniors John Colvin and Archie Andrews, both entering their third year as starters, a rarity at the position in this program. Colvin will also see snaps at running back. Junior Brock Wilkinson and junior Robinson Peer provide depth behind them.
At running back, sophomore Beau Payne has emerged as the primary ball carrier, with Easley praising his effort on every snap over any single skill.
“He knows no other gear but full speed,” Easley said.
DEFENSE
Mountain Brook’s defense returns just one full-season starter from a year ago in senior Will Ellis, but defensive coordinator Shane Stearns, entering his fifth year running the defense, said the group has already built the kind of depth on the defensive line that was missing a few seasons ago.
“It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it,” Stearns said of the program’s defensive identity. “The amount of precision and depth we can get into our fronts is what makes us different.”
Up front, senior Henry Walton has played all three line spots and takes pride in his versatility. He’s joined by Ellis, senior Mason Baynes and senior Payne Pennebaker, who moved down from linebacker to add speed to the front. Senior Skip Stuermann and junior Alex Long, a converted safety, man the Rover position, a hybrid end spot in Mountain Brook’s scheme.
Photo by Alex Millender.
Graham Smith (43).
At linebacker, senior Graham Smith returns as a full-time starter, with junior Josh Holloway, who started the final four or five games of last season due to injury, also back. Junior Gray Anderson and junior Miller Teague both saw varsity reps a year ago and are pushing for time, with senior Rowland Nichols also in the mix. Stearns said the staff is still looking for another linebacker to step forward.
The secondary is anchored by senior Pearson Trammell at safety, alongside junior Wyatt Sleeper, a converted receiver. Junior Luke Carroll returns at cornerback, and
Photo by James Nicholas.
Pearson Trammell (36).
sophomore Sam Young has emerged as the other starting corner after a strong summer, with senior Jack Bright providing depth on the back end.
Stearns said the staff has shifted its evaluation of the defense away from raw yardage totals and toward what he calls havoc points, a metric that tracks tackles for loss, forced fumbles, recoveries and interceptions. He said the correlation has been clear on tape.
“Every drive where we got some kind of havoc point, we got off the field. Every drive when we didn’t, we did not get off the field,” Stearns said.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Patrick Crye returns as long snapper, a role he said he fell into by accident before falling in love with it. Senior William Russ handles placekicking duties.
“I love it. I don’t want to be noticed, I want to be perfect every time,” Crye said.
