By Rubin E. Grant
Mountain Brook football coach Chris Yeager was concerned going into the Spartans’ 2021 season opener against rival Vestavia Hills.
The Spartans entered the game with a plethora of new faces following the graduation of 36 seniors from the 2020 team, which reached the Class 6A semifinals.
“We had a lot of kids who had never played in a big game before, and then they were playing against our rival,” Yeager said.
The Spartans’ newcomers alleviated Yeager’s uneasiness with a convincing 33-3 victory last Friday at Spartan Stadium, ruining the debut of new Rebels coach Sean Calhoun.
Perhaps no one had more to do with putting Yeager at ease than junior quarterback John Colvin.
Playing with poise and confidence in his first varsity start, Colvin completed 11 of 17 passes for 172 yards and the three touchdowns, all to senior receiver Jake Thompson.
“The best example of someone who hadn’t been in that situation (of a big game) is John Colvin,” Yeager said. “He started last year against Thompson when Strother Gibbs was hurt, but we didn’t put the game in his hands. This time we put it all on him and he was the best example of how the new kids responded. He knows how to process information and make good decisions.”
Thompson caught five passes for 55 yards with touchdown catches of 16, 12 and 2 yards.
The Spartans built a 26-0 halftime lead while using a play legendary coach Buddy Anderson ran successfully throughout his 43 years at the helm of Vestavia Hills. Anderson retired at the end of last season.
The simple off-tackle running play paid immediate dividends for the Spartans when running back Cole Gamble took a handoff from Colvin and burst 27 yards off the right tackle on the first play of the game.
“What happened is we were watching film, trying to get a feel for their personnel,” Yeager said. “We saw that play and thought it might be a good play for us. We did a simple handoff, but they usually tossed it.
“It was our version of the Buddy Anderson sweep and we thought we’d give it a whirl and it ended up being our best play of the game. We must have run it 25 times.”
Mountain Brook’s defense also was superb, holding Vestavia Hills to only 118 total yards and nearly recording a shutout. The Rebels didn’t score until the final minute, when Ben Keene kicked a 21-yard field goal.
Yeager was surprised by the lopsided outcome.
“Going in, I thought it would be a street fight,” he said. “It really concerned me with so many young guys playing. I was impressed by the number of new kids that got to go in and how well they performed. It’s a legacy of the leaders from last year who passed the torch to the new leaders this year.”
Meredith Stars in Hoover Debut
In a preseason interview, Hoover coach Josh Niblett said new Bucs quarterback Bennett Meredith had the “it” factor.
Meredith, a transfer from Spain Park, showed “it” last Saturday in the Bucs’ opener on a big stage.
He completed 16 of 26 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns, leading Hoover to an impressive 38-14 victory against North Gwinnett, Georgia, in the 30th Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Meredith passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone and ran for another score as the Bucs built a 31-14 halftime lead.
Hoover played without four key starters, including dynamic junior receiver R.J. Hamilton. But senior receiver Cotton Peters more than made up for his absence with seven receptions for 137 yards and touchdown catches of 44 and 30 yards.
Ahamari Williams led the Bucs on the ground with 118 yards rushing on 14 carries, including a 34-yard touchdown run in the second half.
Spain Park Runs Past Huntsville
Spain Park unveiled its new option offense with striking results.
The Jaguars rolled up 361 yards on the ground and produced two 100-yard rushers in a 37-13 thrashing of visiting Huntsville.
Junior Zamir Farris ran for 129 yards on 12 carries and scored on a 21-yard touchdown run. Sophomore Zavier Long rushed for 113 yards on 16 attempts and scored three touchdowns on runs of 11, 21 and 41 yards.
Spain Park junior quarterback Evan Smallwood completed 13 of 18 passes for 131 yards, including a 21-yard scoring toss to Clay Spencer. Smallwood also rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries.
The Jags had 492 yards total offense.
Senior kicker Braxton Sumpter booted three field goals, covering 35, 26 and 52 yards. The 52-yarder came as time expired in the opening half.
Late Field Goal Lifts Homewood
J.C. Daniel kicked a 27-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to give Homewood a season-opening 37-34 victory at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.
Junior quarterback Woods Ray had a big game for the Patriots, accounting for more than 300 yards total offense and five touchdowns. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 80 yards and a score.
Junior receiver Jackson Parris caught five passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Aron Marsch caught four passes for 90 yards and a score.
The teams were tied after each of the first three quarters – 7-7 after the first, 20-20 at halftime and 34-34 after three quarters, setting the stage for Daniel’s game-winner.
Reebals, Vizzina Spark Briarwood
Briarwood’s dynamic duo of senior running back Luke Reebals and junior quarterback Christopher Vizzina proved too much to handle for visiting Madison Academy, leading the Lions to a 41-17 victory.
Reebals ran for 104 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns on runs of 1, 80 and 2 yards. He also caught five passes for 78 yards and another score.
Vizzina was a perfect 14 of 14 passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns, a 42-yarder to Luke Gilbert and a 56-yarder to Reebals. Vizzina also rushed nine times for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Smith Off to Flying Start for Oak Mountain
Oak Mountain senior quarterback Evan Smith, the 2020 OTMJ Offensive Player of the Year, began his final season with a bang, ensuring new Eagles head coach Tyler Crane a win in his debut.
Smith ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns and passed for two more as Oak Mountain routed Chelsea 46-19, breaking away from a 13-13 halftime tie.
Smith, who has committed to Northwestern, scored on runs of 47 and 69 yards and threw touchdown passes of 24 yards to Cade George and 26 yards to Ethan Hammett.
Senior running back C.J. Branson scored twice on runs of 37 and 36 yards, and junior running back Trey Vassell had a 5-yard scoring run for the Eagles.
John Carroll Opens With a Shutout
John Carroll Catholic’s defense turned in a dominating performance as the Cavaliers shut out visiting Fultondale 27-0.
The Cavs recorded five sacks and eight tackles for losses and forced three turnovers. John Carroll’s defense also scored the first points of the game with a safety late in the first quarter.
The offense did its share. Sophomore quarterback Carson McFadden completed 9 of 17 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns, and senior running back Aaron Mason ran for 101 yards and a score.
McFadden’s three touchdown passes went to three different receivers, Quad Harrison, Christian Harris and Derrick Davis Jr.
