Village Sports | May 2010 |
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MBHS Sports Wrap-Up By Will Hightower
High school sports are in full swing at Mountain Brook High School, from the newfound success of the golf, baseball, and soccer teams to the sustained excellence of the track team. The 2010 year will go down as one of the most prolific in Mountain Brook High School history if things keep going the way they have started. Highlights of the year in athletics include the undefeated golf and tennis teams, the state-ranked soccer teams, varsity baseball making the playoffs, and the track team’s dominance. The Spartan golf team has certainly contributed to the success of athletics at the high school. The varsity guys started their season on a high note with a 12-stroke win at the West Alabama Classic in February and haven’t let up. After a mid season win at the Bradley Johnson Tournament, Mountain Brook headed to the Azalea City Invitational in Mobile. The guys jumped out to a quick lead and ended up an astounding 21 strokes under par, a tournament record. “Three 1st place finishes in three tournaments is a good start according to anyone’s standards,” commented Benny Eaves, the head golf coach. “On a side note, we have had two players commit to scholarship offers - Juniors Stewart Jolly (LSU) and Tom Lovelady (Alabama),” Eaves said. “We are very happy for those guys. I expect we may have a few more being recruited in the next three to four months.” The girls’ golf team has been slightly overshadowed by the guys’ success, yet the season the Lady Spartans are playing is nothing to be ashamed of. Girls’ head coach Jack Clayton said, “We are having a terrific season this year. We are very young, but very competitive. We have defeated Spain Park, the defending State Champions, and one of two teams favored to win this season.” Senior Milan Ballard, junior Patricia Stutts, and sophomore Virginia Drennen led the girls to a strong showing at the Hike the Hills tournament, in which Mountain Brook tied for second with powerhouse Auburn, a mere two strokes behind Spain Park. The varsity soccer team complements the excellence of the golf team well. After a heartbreaking loss in the state championship game last year in sudden death, the boys are hoping replicate their postseason success and have another shot at a title. Notable victories have come over #5 Homewood, #7 Prattville, #9 Thompson, and a tie with #1 Hoover. The Spartans also beat Tulsa Memorial (Oklahoma). Nathan Diehl received the special honor of being named to the North/South All Star Game, and Billy Massey leads the team in scoring. Webb also named several other team leaders, stating, “Billy Massey is our
The undefeated varsity golf team
Junior Andrew Barnes watches his tee shot
leading scorer at the moment, but Alex Reddy, Chris Steinkampf, and Michael Pace have also played very well. Wilson Fisher and Peter Oakes have split time in goal and both done admirably.” Keep up with the varsity soccer boys in their quest to win state a year after having it within their grasp. The girls’ soccer team has matched the boys’ success with an impressive record and a ranking in the state. Ellie Mouyal has been a force for Mountain Brook defending the goal this year, with Laura Ladd Graves and Mary Morgan Weed also leading the charge into the playoffs. The varsity baseball team has completed their season on a roll, winning 13 out of their last 17 games. After winning only one game out of the Spartans’ first ten, Mountain Brook’s season looked all but lost. But that, says senior catcher Stephen Hayes, was necessary to learn how to play as a team: “After starting the season 1-9, the seniors really stepped up and took leadership and we started playing together and started to accomplish our full potential.” The new season was looking fine after an opening-night 5-3 win over Pinson Valley, but things went downhill from there. The Spartans hit a rough patch, losing nine straight games, including a trying loss in a shutout at Pelham. But then Mountain Brook rallied, executing a terrific mid-season comeback to win 13 of their last 18 regular season games. Hayes named seniors Cody Jones and Robert Shoulders as crucial to the team’s amazing turn around, which included a long awaited for victory over rival Vestavia, the third-ranked team in the state, and a sweep over area nemesis Homewood. While the softball team does seem CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Spartan JV soccer team
Spartan player goes for the ball with his head
Mountain Brook fights for possession of the ball
MBHS Varsity Soccer Team Up for a Cure MBHS Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer teams donned pink jerseys as they played their last home games of the regular season to collect and donate the gate ticket receipts to Soccer for a Cure, a non-profit organization raising funds for cancer research. Together the teams raised over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society on Seen pictured here are the MBHS Varsity players, coaches and educators. Picture courtesy of Image Arts.
“Soccer for a Cure” night. Cancer is something that has or will touch all of us at some point, whether through personal experience or that of a loved one. The MBHS soccer teams wanted to help raise awareness and funding for research by playing the game they love for one night for a higher purpose.