OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sports
Pizitz Middle School Wins Metro South Wrestling Tournament P. 30 Weekend Prep Roundup P. 31
Yeager and Spartans Lead All-OTM Team
Lee Davis
Respect
Over the Mountain Basketball Doesn’t Deserve Stepchild Reputation
T Members of the 2011 All-Over the Mountain defensive team are, from left, front: Coach of the Year Chris Yeager, Mountain Brook; Aaron Rowell, Homewood; Chris Jones, Oak Mountain; David D’Amico, Vestavia Hills; and Robert Burgess, John Carroll Catholic. Second row: Kalen Reed, Briarwood; Keaton Lett, Vestavia Hills, Ryan Raspino, Vestavia Hills; Hatton Smith, Mountain Brook. Back: Chris Finley, Homewood; Harry Reich, Mountain Brook; Jimmy Laughlin, Journal photos by Marvin Gentry Vestavia Hills; Zach Gillen, Mountain Brook; and Win Cowden, Mountain Brook. Not pictured: Daniel Bostick, John Carroll Catholic.
Members of the 2011 All-Over the Mountain offensive team are, from left, front: Georgie Salem, Vestavia Hills; Matthew Furuto, Briarwood; Bradley Bostick, Oak Mountain; Gavin Golsan, Mountain Brook; Nyck Young, Homewood. Second row: Mark Rector, Mountain Brook; Walker Byrd, Mountain Brook; Ed Aldag, Mountain Brook; Coates Doss, Mountain Brook. Back: Paul Davis, Mountain Brook; Daniel Robert, Briarwood; Tim Crenshaw, Briarwood; Ben Craft, Briarwood; and Charlie Vines, Vestavia Hills. Not pictured: Trent Marshall, John Carroll Catholic; Canon Smith, Briarwood.
By Lee Davis
B
Journal Sports Writer
y any measure, 2011 was a season that few Mountain Brook fans will ever forget. Although the Spartans fell short in their pursuit of a Class 6A championship, Coach Chris Yeager’s team accomplished much more than many expected: Mountain Brook ran the table for a perfect 10-0 regular season mark. The Spartans won Class 6A’s Region 6 championship, generally considered to be the toughest big-school league in Alabama. Mountain Brook defeated region rival and
eventual Class 6A runner-up Hoover 17-9 to give the Spartans their first win over the Buccaneers since the 1980s. Yeager’s squad advanced all the way to the third round of the Class 6A playoffs before losing a controversial 35-28 decision to Oxford on the road. With all that in mind, it’s no surprise that Mountain Brook dominates the 2011 All-Over the Mountain team, which is produced by an exclusive Over the Mountain Journal poll of the head football coaches of the eight schools that participate in Class 6A or 5A competition. Ten Spartans were chosen for the team, and Yeager was the choice for 2011 Over the Mountain Coach of the Year. Yeager , who succeeded Joey Jones as the
Mountain Brook coach nearly a decade ago, built the Spartans into one of Alabama’s most consistent football powerhouses. “We are proud to represent Mountain Brook as part of this terrific all-star team,” said Yeager. “What we accomplished this year is a tribute to the hard work our young men put into our season this year. “It also speaks to the support we receive from our school, our administration and the Mountain Brook community as a whole.” Coach Josh Niblett’s Hoover Bucs placed seven players on the elite team, as did Coach Fred Yancey’s Briarwood Lions. The Bucs finished the
See OTM TEAM, page 30
he reputation of Over the Mountain boys’ basketball is in some ways similar to the reputation of men’s basketball in the Southeastern Conference: No matter how strong the caliber of play, it will always – in some people’s minds – be overshadowed by the image of football. It’s an unfair rap, but understandable, especially the way that this area has ruled high school football over the past decades. But a closer look shows that basketball isn’t so far behind. Remember last season? A Vestavia Hills team with an overall losing record got hot in tournament play and reached the Class 6A Final Four. And that was after Homewood, Mountain Brook and Spain Park all spent a considerable amount of time ranked in the state’s top 10. The previous year, the Patriots reached the Class 6A finals. In 200809, a Jordan Swing-led Vestavia team earned the state championship after struggling through a near-disastrous late season slump. Of course, this little summary of the last few years of basketball in the area doesn’t include John Carroll Catholic’s great run of championships in the Ronald Steele era. There are a lot of reasons why area basketball programs are successful – strong support systems, good athletes and supportive parents, among other things – but another big plus is the high quality of coaches. Veteran coaches such as Vestavia’s George Hatchett, Homewood’s Tim Shepler and John Carroll Catholic’s Larry Harbin have literally seen everything in their long years at courtside. Additionally, there are upand-coming young coaches, including Mountain Brook’s Bucky McMillian and Spain Park’s Neal Barker. Another reason is the continuing trend toward specialization that has characterized most high school sports in the last 20 years. There was a time not long ago when the majority of basketball players on most high school teams also played football. See DAVIS, page 31