The Gardendale Rockets (5-5, 3-3) knew they had a big task ahead of them when they made the trip across town to take on 7A Mountain Book (8-2). A few mistakes here and there mixed with a career game from Spartan running back AJ Gates resulted in a 38-14 Mountain Brook victory.  

The game started out with a bang when the opening kick was returned deep into Spartan territory. What seemed to be a promising start turned quickly when an errant pass by quarterback Goose Crowder (13 of 22 passing for 98 yards and an interception) was intercepted.

A Rockets fumble would later lead to the first score of the game—a 33-yard field goal to put the Spartans up 3-0 early.

Mountain Brook would score twice in the first half before the Rockets would get on the board with a 4-yard touchdown run by LT Sanders, who ended the night with 11 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown. The excitement on the Gardendale sideline was short lived thanks to Gates’ 99-yard kickoff return, which gave the Spartans a 24-7 halftime lead.  

Gates would start the second half right where he left off, running 37 yards to the end zone. Quarterback Strother Gibbs stretch the Spartans’ lead to 38-7 with a 1-yard plunge.

The Rockets’ defense, which was led by Dawson Cato with 6 solo tackles, played extremely well against a high-powered offense, but Mountain Brook would prove to be too much. 

Gardendale’s high-point came in the form of a 96-yard, 20-play scoring drive.

“That’s what you want, putting plays together and showing our boys that they can take the ball and go score,” said Gardendale head coach Chad Eads of the long drive.

Even with a 38-14 loss, the No. 4-seed Rockets will have something to build on going into the first round of the playoffs against 1-seed Fort Payne.