Photo by Erin Nelson.
Mountain Brook’s Julius Clark (5) shoots a layup guarded by the Huffman defense in overtime of the Class 6A boys Northeast Regional final at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Matthews Coliseum on Feb. 21. The Spartans fell to Huffman 59-56 in overtime.
The Mountain Brook High School basketball teams aspired to go a bit further in the postseason, but each team put together outstanding seasons.
The Spartans boys were unable to defend the Class 6A state title, but they won the Area 9 regular season title and finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in 6A by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
Mountain Brook blew past Minor in the sub-regional round and blew out Oxford in the Northeast Regional final. But Huffman knocked off the Spartans 59-56 in overtime in the regional final at Jacksonville State University.
Jaquarious Sword nailed a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. Huffman took the lead in overtime and Mountain Brook had a similar shot at the end of OT that went begging.
It was apparent early that the game would be tightly contested, as the two squads have been two of the best in 6A all season long. The two teams were tied at 11-11 at the end of a quarter of play and Mountain Brook held a 22-17 lead at the halftime break.
The teams went back and forth throughout the third quarter, with Mountain Brook holding a 37-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Huffman scored the first five points of the fourth quarter and the two teams went back and forth the remainder of the period.
Julius Clark scored 21 points to lead the way for the Spartans in the game, while Ty Davis notched 15 points and 4 rebounds. Dive Rowe went for 8 points and 3 rebounds.
Tyler Davis lauded his team and program for its chemistry and unity throughout the season.
“I’d love to play two more games with them, but we’re going to look back and know that we did have a great season. I’m thankful for them,” Davis said.
The Mountain Brook girls made their first appearance at regionals since 2016, capping off a tremendous season with a 25-8 record. Mountain Brook finished second in Area 9, falling only to Chelsea three times throughout the area slate. The Lady Spartans then held off Minor in the sub-regional round and took eventual state runner-up Oxford to the wire in the regional semifinals.
Oxford held a steady lead for much of the first three quarters, but Mountain Brook made its push late in the third quarter. The Lady Spartans took their first lead of the contest on a Libby Geisler layup before Oxford tied the game at 32-32 after three quarters.
In the fourth, Mountain Brook scored five straight early in the frame to open up a bit of a lead, but Oxford responded. An 8-0 Lady Jackets run, jumpstarted by a four-point play by Lauren Ellard, gave them the lead for good.
“We went 10-16 last year and had one of the biggest turnarounds this year,” Mountain Brook head coach Sara Price said. “You’re a top 10 team this season and making it to the sweet 16 is a huge accomplishment.”
Mountain Brook had no seniors this season, meaning the team will remain intact next season and have significant postseason experience under its collective belt.
“It was a great experience,” said MJ Lassiter, who finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in the game. “We really grew as a team. This experience at JSU is setting us up for a trip back next year.”
