Mountain Brook, Mountain Brook, Mountain Brook
Recap: On a rainy Tuesday morning, it was the Mountain Brook Spartans (29-3) versus the Vestavia Rebels (22-11) playing in the Regional Final at Wallace State Community College. The winner would go to the Final Four in Birmingham and get…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingRecap:
On a rainy Tuesday morning, it was the Mountain Brook Spartans (29-3) versus the Vestavia Rebels (22-11) playing in the Regional Final at Wallace State Community College. The winner would go to the Final Four in Birmingham and get one step closer to a state championship. The Spartans’ defense came out harassing for all 94 feet. Vestavia did not score their first bucket until 3:37 left in the first. After the first quarter, it was 21-4 in Mountain Brook’s favor. At half it was 32-11 with Vestavia only making one three pointer. The second half was all Mountain Brook with the reserves playing most the half. Mountain Brook won the game 57-36 and advanced to their third straight Final Four and sixth in the last seven years.
Observations:
Championship Mentality
You’ve seen it countless times in sports. When a team wins a championship, it completely changes their approach and attitude to the opposition. Mountain Brook coach, Bucky McMillan said, “I think a major factor in this is a past teams who have gotten us here. These players are comfortable being here, and I think that will help carry over to the Civic Center as well. From the start, you could see that Mountain Brook knew they could handle the Rebels. They had previously won the three meetings this year. They shot the ball confidently, pressed relentlessly, and attacked the rim whenever they could. They all played unselfishly and are willing to do whatever it takes to complete the 3-peat state championship.
Trendon Watford
You always have to mention Trendon Watford, the 6’9” 5-star recruit from Mountain Brook. He was the all-regional MVP and is being recruited by teams like Memphis, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Indiana. He scored a game high 21 points and 15 points in the first half. His athleticism is in a class of its own as he soared above the rim and knocked down outside shots. As good as Mountain Brook is, Watford is the rudder that steers the ship and will make a huge difference in Birmingham.
Defense Wins Championships
Defense wins championships. It’s easy to say it, but even harder to believe it. Mountain Brook ran a trapping full court press off each made basket. They ran a zone defense and shifted well and communicated excellently. Coach McMillan said, “I thought we played really well defensively. There was a time there when I thought we had a good chance to … maybe hold them to 30 or something. It’s a great job by our guys in that game.” The defense was tight and sucked inside forcing the Rebels to shoot outside where they only shot 25% for the game.