TRUSSVILLE, Alabama -- The #7 Mountain Brook Spartans take down #2 Hewitt-Trussville 20-17 on Husky Field at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium this Friday night. The Spartans used enough ground game along with their stingy defense to knock off the high powered Huskies offense. With the Spartans win, they locked in a playoff birth and they are on top of the Class 7A, Region 3 at 5-0 on the season and are still undefeated on the season.

Hewitt-Trussville took a lead early in the game, but the Mountain Brook defense and linebacker Clark Griffin picked off a Huskies pass in the end zone and on the first offensive play for the Spartans, Aj Gates raced 80-yards for a touchdown run and those were two big plays of the game. "Were here to stay and we are not going anywhere," said Spartans head coach Chris Yeager. "There is another team in Birmingham and they are green and gold. The best team won tonight. It was about our team. Chemistry won the game tonight. They played for one another and they play for their community. You can't buy that."

Mountain Brook (7-0, 5-0) scored first in the game on a Atkins Roberts 28-yard field goal and the Spartans took a 3-0 lead with 7:37 left in the first quarter. Creed Parker picked off a Spartans pass to set up the Huskies first touchdown of the game. With 2:30 left in the first quarter, Armoni Goodwin scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and the Huskies took the lead for the first time in the game at 7-3. With 10:49 left in the second quarter, Sam Higgins scored on a 24-yard run up the middle and the Spartans took back the lead at 10-7.

With 1:34 left in the half, Griffin picked off the Huskies pass and raced out of the end zone to the Spartans 20-yard line and on the first play for the Spartans, Gates raced around right end for an 80-yard touchdown run and Mountain Brook extended the lead to 17-7 going into halftime. "Wow what a win," said Spartans running back Gates. "Everyone doubted us. Coach pushed us to work hard in the summer and we have come together as a team. The offensive line worked hard all week, practiced hard and played hard. No one thought we could do this tonight."

With 5:14 left in the third quarter, the Huskies drove 75-yards and scored on a Parker Colburn 21-yard field goal and the Huskies just trailed by seven points midway through the third quarter. With 9:12 left in the fourth quarter, Roberts kicked a 27-yard field goal and Mountain Brook took a 20-10 lead. "We didn't really deserve to win," said Huskies head coach Josh Floyd. "We had a ton of penalties. We've just got to play better."

Hewitt-Trussville (6-2, 4-1) came right back on a clutch 80-yard drive and with 6:02 left in the game, Goodwin scored on a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-17. Mountain Brook drove to the Huskies 20-yard line but fumbled and gave the Huskies one more chance. On a third and one along with a fourth and one play, the Huskies tried two back to back pass plays that fell incomplete and Mountain Brook took over the ball with less than two minutes left in the game and the Huskies with no more time outs. "This means the world to us getting this big region win," said Spartans linebacker Colton Yeager. "We knew that they were a great team with amazing talent. We had an great game play from our coaches. The defense played crazy good. Were so thankful to get this win."

For Mountain Brook, Gates finished the game with 144 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Strother Gibbs  had 105 yards on 16 carries on that night. Tyson was kept in check for most of the night. The Spartans did a great job of keeping the Huskies from getting many big plays in the night. 

With the Spartans win, Mountain Brook clinches a spot in the playoffs and still have Thompson and Hoover left on their region schedule. Hewitt-Trussville will play Tuscaloosa County and Thompson in region play.