re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Hamp Sisson connected with Wilson Higgins on a 2-point conversion in double overtime as Mountain Brook (3-2, 1-2) earned a 51-50 victory over No. 6 Spain Park (3-2, 1-2) 51-50 in Class 7A, Region 3 Friday night.

Sisson, who threw for 249 yards, had a run-pass option on the play and lofted the ball at the pylon, and Higgins snagged it at the last moment.

“It was close,” said Sisson, to whether Wiggins stayed in bounds.

“I’m not sure how close I was, but I was pretty sure I was in bounds,” Higgins said. “I’m usually pretty good to where I am on the field.”

Mountain Brook scored on Sisson’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Hamp Greene, then decided to win or lose on one play.

“We were spent,” Mountain Brook coach Chris Yeager said. “We didn’t have hardly anything left in the tank. We felt like we had enough gas for one play, but probably not for four more plays”

Mountain Brook appeared to have the game won in regulation when Sisson scored on a 10-yard run and Harold Joiner threw a 2-point conversion pass to Higgins with 30 seconds remaining.

But Spain Park quarterback Braxton Barker, who threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns, led the Jags from their own 35 to the Mountain Brook 24 before Cole Starr drilled a 41-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

The teams swapped touchdowns in the first overtime with Joiner, who rushed for 85 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns, scored on a 10-yard run before Barker connected for his fourth touchdown.

D’Arie Johnson, who rushed for 72 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns, scored on a 1-yard run for the Jags in the second overtime.

Greene finished with 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans.

Star of the game: Sisson was in control all night for the Spartans. He completed 17-of-21 passes for 243 yards and rushed 22 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Play of the game: Sisson probably could have run into the end zone on the final 2-point conversion, rolling to his left, but lofted the perfect pass to Wiggins.

Key sequence: The Mountain Brook offense hardly slowed down in the second half, finishing with 447 total yards, including 198 yards on 47 attempts on the ground. Mountain Brook rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to lead 21-14 in the third quarter, and 28-27 on Joiner’s 1-yard touchdown with 4:01 remaining.

Stat sheet: Barker now has thrown for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns through five games on 86-of-130 attempts. … Joiner, after being held to only 59 yards last week after three straight 100-yard plus games, has 571 yards and 11 touchdowns though five games. … Mountain Brook offensive lineman Anderson Tomlin received is first offer this past week from North Alabama. … Barker, the son of former Alabama quarterback Jay Barker, played against his stepbrother, Mountain Brook linebacker Avery Schelske.

Did you know?: Kickoff was delayed from 7 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. because of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.

Coachspeak: “This just was a special performance for our players. After the last two weeks with losses to Hoover and Thompson, I told these kids it could go either way. We’ve worked really hard and this shows hard work pays off. We really needed this one. Sisson really stepped up. This is his kind of game. The bigger the game, the better he plays,” – Yeager

They Said It …: “It was just an honor to play in this game. Our offense was hungry and we went out and executed all night. It was a great call at the end. We didn’t think our offense could be stopped. We came in here with a little chip on our shoulder and I think it showed. Hamp made great throws all night.” – Greene

‘’I feel honored just to be a part of this. I thought we needed to go for the two at the end. I didn’t think we could be stopped. Hamp made a great throw. I feel great to have made the play. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s an awesome feeling.” – Wiggins

“It was just a great team effort. I don’t think anybody on this team ever doubted we weren’t going to win this game. The offensive line was great all night. The wide receivers made great catches. The running backs were great. We just executed perfectly. Everything was working. I feel really good about the way I played,” – Sisson.

-- Next week: Mountain Brook has an open week after a three-game gauntlet of No. 2 Hoover, No. 3 Thompson and No. 6 Spain Park before traveling to Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 6. Spain Park also is off next week before traveling to Huffman on Oct. 6.

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