Spartans close strong, win opener
VESTAVIA HILLS – Chris Yeager and Robert Evans can meet for coffee once again.
The head coaches of the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills high school football teams worked together for the last four years at Mountain Brook, Evans running Yeager’s defense, turning it into one of the most dominant defenses in the state.
The duo has gained and maintains mutual respect and admiration for one another, and Mountain Brook’s season-opening 24-14 victory over Vestavia on Thursday night at Thompson Reynolds Stadium did nothing to change that.
As the game drew closer, Yeager and Evans — entering his first season as the head man at Vestavia — had to put their friendship on hold temporarily.
“I’ve never been more happy that a game’s been in my rearview mirror,” Yeager said following the game, accompanied by a sigh that signified relief. “I’ve been dreading this game for eight months. I still love Rob Evans, always have, and respect him. That program is in good hands right now.”
If Thursday’s game was any indication, Evans has learned a thing or two from Yeager that he will apply to leading his own program.
In 2021, the Spartans and Rebels met to open the season, with Mountain Brook winning in blowout fashion. This fall’s matchup was anything but.
Vestavia quarterback John Paul Head sprinted 44 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, and followed that up with a two-point pass to Warren Ainsworth to cut Mountain Brook’s lead to 17-14 entering the fourth quarter.
In the final quarter, Mountain Brook’s Tucker Crawford intercepted a pair of passes, and the Spartans’ offense scored on a 5-yard Rob Gillespie reception to put the game away.
“They were the better team overall, but we did some good things,” Evans said. I was with that bunch [Mountain Brook] last year and last year we were up 27-0 at halftime. This year, it’s 17-14 game going into the 4th quarter. We’re making progress as a program. There are no moral victories, but you can see in a year’s time that we’re going to be a different team moving forward.”
Mountain Brook (1-0) started the game with the clear advantage. The Spartans moved the ball at will for much of the opening two quarters, settling for a Reed Harradine 27-yard field goal on their opening drive and turning the ball over inside the 5-yard line on their second.
After the Spartans defense forced a second turnover on downs, Mountain Brook drove 76 yards and scored on John Colvin’s 17-yard pass to Clark Sanderson to go ahead 10-0.
Vestavia’s offense sprang to life in the final minute of the second quarter, as the Rebels marched 74 yards in a hurry. Head converted seven straight passes, the final one being a 10-yard touchdown to Keown Richardson, who came down with what was essentially a jump ball. The Rebels were denied on the two-point try and entered the locker room down 10-6.
Head showed several flashes leading the Rebels offense, finishing 21-of-34 passing for 146 yards to go along with 114 rushing yards. Much of the passing production went to Richardson, who hauled in eight passes for 111 yards. Cooper Mollison had four grabs for 42 yards.
William Tonsmeire had 38 yards on the ground on nine carries.
Mountain Brook opened a 17-6 lead on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Colvin hit Jackson Beatty and Sanderson on consecutive big plays to get the Spartans close. Cole Gamble took care of the rest, scoring on a 3-yard run. Gamble was the Spartans’ leading rusher, gaining 71 yards on 15 carries.
Jack King racked up 60 yards on 16 carries and Will Waldrop finished with nine rushes for 44 yards.
Colvin capped off the game’s scoring in the fourth quarter with his 5-yard pass to Gillespie to put the Spartans up 24-14. Colvin was an efficient and sharp 13-of-18 passing for 172 yards. Gillespie had five catches for 40 yards, Sanderson finished with five grabs for 96 yards and Beatty had 36 yards on three catches.
“It’s no blame game, that’s a good football team. There’s no shame in losing to them, we just have to be better,” Evans said.
Next week, Vestavia Hills hosts another longtime rival in Homewood. Mountain Brook heads home to play James Clemens in a non-region matchup as well.