Top ranked Mountain Brook pulls away from Shades Valley 24-7

Mountain Brook, AL – The No. 1 ranked Mountain Brook Spartans (4-0, 2-0) made the most of their delayed home opener to hold off 6A Region 5 rival Shades Valley (0-4, 0-2) 24-7 Thursday night at Spartan Stadium.  

Shades Valley kept things interesting, pulling to within a field goal late with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.  After the Mounties closed the gap to 10-7 Spartan signal caller Strother Gibbs, who was nursing a hamstring pull from earlier in the contest, lead Mountain Brook on a six minute drive that included a six yard run on third and five and a 35 yard completion on third and 24 culminating in a one yard touchdown jolt by senior running back Michael Brogan.  

The Spartans put the game on ice as Brogan payed off a Win Horn fumble recovery on Shades Valley’s next possession scoring from just inside the Mountie five yard line. 

Gibbs finished the game with 62 yards though the air, connecting on 5-of-10 passes, including a second quarter touchdown strike to Paulson Wright, while running for 38 yards on 10 attempts.  Running back Michael Brogan carried the load for the Spartans rushing for 139 yards and and a pair of scores on 34 carries.  

Shades Valley quarterback Earl Woods completed 5-of-17 passes for 24 yards while adding another 72 yards on the ground.  

Mountain Brook returns to action next Friday night on the road at 7A No. 1 Thompson in a battle of top ranked teams.  The contest will be the second time this season that Thompson will host class 6A’s No. 1 ranked team.  The Warriors defeated formerly No. 1 ranked Oxford 56-34 in week 0.

Shades Valley will step out of region play next week and travel to Gardendale.  The Rockets are coming off a pair of losses to top five programs No. 4 Pinson Valley and fourth ranked Clay-Chalkville in consecutive weeks.