By Shane Paschal, For the Tribune
IRONDALE, Ala.- The Mountain Brook Spartans visited Frank Nix Stadium in Irondale Thursday night to take on the Shades Valley Mounties in both teams’ final game of the regular season.
Former Shades Valley and Hall of Fame coach Robert Higginbotham takes in game with family. Credit: John Goolsby
The visitors would leave happy after a 37-0 shutout over the home-standing Mounties.
Mountain Brook would start scoring on their second possession, a drive that began at their 30 and culminated with a 2-yard scoring run by Stuart Andrews, along with the extra point. With 4:17 left in the first quarter, the Spartans would lead 7-0.
On their next possession, the Mounties punted back to the Spartans, and Mountain Brook started their next drive at Valley 49.
The Spartans’ Stuart Andrews would score again, this time on a 6-yard run. Mountain Brook would lead 14-0 with 1:12 left in the quarter with the extra point. Neither team could do anything for over half of the second quarter until Stuart Andrews broke free on a 55-yard scoring run for his third touchdown. The extra point was good, and with 4:03 left in the half, the Spartans led 21-0
The third quarter started with some positivity for the Mounties, who were on a productive drive, driving from their 27 to the Spartan 32. The Spartans intercepted a Mountie pass, running it back to the Valley 48, ending that drive.
A 33-yard scoring pass from Cayden Hofbauer to Sam Smith would increase the Spartan lead to 27-0 with 5:48 left in the third quarter. The extra point was no good.
On their next possession, the Spartans’ Stuart Andrews would score his fourth touchdown, this time on a 10-yard run. The extra point was good, and with 46 seconds left in the third quarter, the Spartans would extend their lead to 34-0.
The only scoring in the fourth quarter was a 37-yard field goal by the Spartans’ Anderson Roberts, extending their lead to 37-0, which ended up being the final score.
The Mounties’ Abbey Nelson, a sophomore at JCIB, made history when she kicked off to start the game for Valley. With the kick, Nelson became the first female to play football for the Mounties.
Abbey Nelson becomes first female to play football for Shades Valley. Credit: John Goolsby
Mountain Brook improved to 7-3 on the season and will play at Southside-Gadsden in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks. The season ends for Shades Valley, with their record standing at 3-6.
