Spartans Ranked 5th In ASWA Poll

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL - Mountain Brook has slowly climbed up the Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings this year with each win. And why not? The Spartans are one of the few undefeated teams in the state after seven weeks, and find themselves at No. 5 in the most recent poll.

Mountain Brook beat the second-ranked Hewitt-Trussville Huskies Friday night in front of a packed house in Trussville, thanks to a stifling defense that kept the high-powered Hewitt-Trussville offense at bay, allowing only 17 points and holding the Huskies star quarterback Paul Tyson to just 187 yards.

Spartans running back A.J. Gates ran for 128 yards, including an 80-yard scamper with less than a minute to go in the half to put the Spartans ahead 17-7 at intermission. Mountain Brook never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the game. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Mountain Brook can bask in the victory only for a short moment, as the Spartans face top 5 opponents Thompson (this weekend) and Hoover (next weekend) in the coming weeks.

The Class 7A rankings look like this:

1. Central-Phenix City (25); 8-0; 309

2. Thompson (1); 6-1; 215

3. Auburn; 7-0; 201

4. Hoover; 5-2; 176

5. Mountain Brook; 7-0; 174

6. Hewitt-Trussville; 6-2; 128

7. Austin; 6-1; 101

8. Theodore; 6-1; 90

9. McGill-Toolen; 5-2; 41

10. James Clemens; 5-2; 37

Photo Credit: Olivia Rodrigues/submitted by Hallie Gibbs