Senior running back Cole Gamble powered his way to four touchdowns and Mountain Brook’s defense came up big in a 34-24 victory over Hoover.

The victory marked the first win for Class 6A seventh-ranked Mountain Brook (5-1, 3-0) over Class 7A Hoover (1-5, 1-2) since 2011.

Gamble was dangerous from anywhere on the field, scoring from 55 yards, from the 2-yard line, from the 1-yard line and from 13 yards out, several times running from the Wildcat formation.

Gamble ran the ball 38 times for 239 yards.

It was the defense that allowed the Spartans to take the lead after a back-and-forth affair that saw the teams deadlocked 14-all with 1:29 left in the first quarter.

With both teams looking unstoppable early the Spartans forced back-to-back three-and-outs and then forced a fumble as time ran out in the first half to stop an eight-play drive from Hoover. Mountain Brook went into the break ahead 27-14.

“We told (our team) to expect that,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “That’s a very good football team, good players, well-coached. They’ve played better competition than we have. We knew that the speed of the game was something that we were going to have to catch up to a little bit. I knew it’d be a tight ball game, a four-quarter game, but I really thought that we could do what we did.”

Spartans senior quarterback John Cooper found wideout Hudson Young for a 24-yard touchdown before the break to make it 27-14. Cooper was 11-for-13 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown in the win.

Hoover battled back with a 30-yard field goal to come within 10 points in the third quarter, 27-17, but that was the closest the Bucs could get. Gamble scored his fourth touchdown to make it 34-17.

Hoover’s JJ Moultrie took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to the house for a touchdown as time was winding down in the fourth, putting the Bucs back within 10, but Hoover’s onside kick attempt was recovered by the Spartans’ Hampton King at the Bucs’ 49.

Hoover’s Noah Schubach was 10-for-14 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the first score of the game, a 65-yard bomb to Jordan Woolen on the first offensive play. But Schubach threw a costly interception, on a tipped ball, late in the fourth quarter that allowed Mountain Brook to run out the clock.

“I thought we took a lot of strides tonight offensively, compared to where we had been the last couple of weeks,” said Hoover coach Wade Waldrop. “I thought we had a good week of preparation. Our kids, we’re 1-and-5, we’re in a tough spot. I thought there were some areas we grew up in tonight.”

Play of the game: With Hoover up 7-0 and looking like they had momentum, Gamble went off-tackle for 55 yards and a score on Mountain Brook’s third play from scrimmage. It was the perfect answer for the Spartans and kept them in the game.

By the numbers: Mountain Brook and Hoover have played 44 times. Tonight’s victory was only the Spartans’ ninth in the series and their first since 2011.

Game ball: Gamble’s mammoth effort on the ground and four scores make him the runaway choice.

Coachspeak: “Defensively, disappointed in our effort early. I thought the speed and execution they (Mountain Brook) used in the first half was really good. That running back is a really good player and hard to tackle. We had some sophomores out there on defense that had a hard time tackling him.” — Waldrop

They said it …: “I’m just taking it play by play, completion-by-completion, just concentrating on delivering the ball.” — Mountain Brook senior quarterback John Cooper

“A couple of times (I got tired). But the main thing is that you look around and you see those other guys fighting and they’re tired too. It just re-energizes you. Our offensive line did an incredible job. Their endurance throughout the whole game is what won us that game. it was that extra, fifth effort that pulled us through.” — Gamble

What’s next?: Hoover hosts Oak Mountain while Mountain Brook has the week off.