Will Grochowski’s leg lifts James Clemens over Mountain Brook 29-26

Will Grochowski, after missing his final two extra points, makes his final kick of the evening, a 29-yarder to win Sept. 26 against Mountain Brook. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MOUNTAIN BROOK – The James Clemens Jets (4-1, 2-1) had led Mountain Brook by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter, and a 56-yard interception return by Monty Rice for the Jets with nine minutes left appeared to ice the game.

Two Mountain Brook touchdowns and subsequent two-point conversions later, though, tied the game at 26-apiece. Through the arm of Heath Burchfield, James Clemens drove down the field and took a timeout with 2 seconds left.

It was Will Grochowski’s two missed extra points – one off a bobbled snap, one that slunk by the left upright – that put the Spartans in position to tie the game, but it was the same kicker who put the game away as time expired with a 29-yard field goal.

“I just kind of didn’t think about it,” Grochowski said of the game-winner. “I just let everything around me calm down and then just do everything I’ve been practicing.”

Burchfield, who finished 23-of-29 with 275 yards and two touchdowns, had scores on a 5-yard pass to tight end Dylan Hampton and a 39-yard catch-and-run to Miles Whitlow in the first quarter.

Leading at halftime 14-10, the Jets widened their lead to 26-10 after a 61-yard score by Maceo Booker and 50-yard run by freshman Devon Atkinson in the third period.

Mountain Brook quarterback Jacob Carroll tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth, but it was all the scoring the Spartans had left.

“To go to Mountain Brook, play in Region 3 and go toe-to-toe with them and compete the way we competed and then come out on top, it just feels really good,” Jets coach Wade Waldrop said.

Whitlow grabbed 15 catches for 195 yards and Booker managed 156 yards on 22 carries and four catches for 32 yards in the Jets’ unprecedented fourth season win.

“This is a good basis of a potential playoff game could be like,” Waldrop said. “If we’re fortunate enough to play well and get to the postseason this is a type of game it will be.”

James Clemens gets back to region play against Grissom Oct. 3.