Mountain Brook’s Reagan Riley is having fun being healthy and running cross-country

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SPORTS

Thursday, September 23, 2021 ❖ OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

Reagan Riley won the 3,200 meters (10:47.41) and finished second in the 1,600 (4:59.45), helping the Spartans to another runner-up finish at the AHSAA 2021 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

‘Glory to Glory’

By RuBin E. GRant

Reagan Riley is running cross-country again and nothing could please her more, especially after what she went through last year.

Riley, a junior at Mountain Brook High School, missed most of her sophomore cross-country season because of hip surgery.

She had a torn labrum in her hip, a mix of genetics and overworking, she said. She had surgery Sept. 11, 2020, but came back sooner than expected, pushing her herself in rehab to get back to doing what she loves.

“The prescribed time of recovery was three to four months, but I returned in eight weeks,” Riley said.

Riley returned in time to compete in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state cross-country meet, but she wasn’t in tip-top condition, finishing 18th in the Class 6A race with a time of 20:16.64. Still, she helped the Spartans finish as team runners-up to Homewood.

This season it’s a completely different story. In the Spartans’ first cross-country meet, Riley blew away the competition, winning the Warrior 2 Mile Invitational Sept. 2 with a time of 11:33.

“It’s been incredible, so much fun,” Riley said of her return to cross-country competition at full strength. “I love running, especially being together with my team and racing with them.”

On the one-year anniversary of her surgery, Riley com-

peted in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational at Oakville Indian Mounds Park near Moulton. She finished second with a time of 17:56.86 behind Vestavia Hills senior Crawford West, who won with a time of 17:36.52 to earn AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight for the week. “She’s so good,” Riley said of West. “It’s always good to race against her.” The two crossed paths again last Saturday at the Southern Showcase with close to 300 runners competing from several states at John Hunt Running Park in Huntsville. Riley ‘She has grown up and again finished second but this time to overcome so much. Abby Faith Cheeseman from The Webb School in Bell Buckle,

She’s definitely the Tennessee. Riley clocked 17:27.71 in leader of our team the 5K race while Cheeseman won with a time of 17:19.43. West was and a leader in the third, clocking 17:53.81. community, someone who’s looked up to.’ Family Affair Riley comes from a family of runners. Her dad, Richard Riley, raced at

MOUNTAIN BROOK TRACK Mountain Brook and in college at COACH MICHAEL MCGOVERN Furman and Auburn. Her mom, Shannon (Simmons) Riley, ran for the Spartans until the ninth grade. Her three older brothers — Griffin, James and Harris — all ran for the Spartans and made All-State. Griffin also ran at Ole Miss and was an All-American. So, there was little doubt that Reagan would become a runner. “I played basketball until my injury, but I’ve always loved running more,” she said. “I wouldn’t choose another See RILEY, page 27

SHUTDOWN

Defense Stepping Up for Unbeaten Spartans

By RuBin E. GRant

Mountain Brook senior outside linebacker John McMillan woke up last Saturday morning and watched a replay of the Spartans’ game from the night before with his dad, Murphy McMillan.

What they saw was another dominating performance by the Spartans’ defense as fifth-ranked Mountain Brook recorded a 31-0 shutout on the road at Shades Valley in a Class 6A, Region 5 game.

The Spartans (5-0, 3-0 in Region 5) forced four Shades Valley turnovers and held the Mounties to only 124 yards total offense. Cornerback Mac McCowan and safety Jones Beavers had interceptions and defensive end Gray Doster and linebacker Vaughn Frost had fumble recoveries.

For his part, McMillan liked his performance, although he wasn’t sure how many tackles he made. ‘Everybody on

“I think I had a good game,” he said. the defensive “I couldn’t even tell you how many tackles I had, but it was enough.” side of the ball

Mountain Brook has allowed only 17 has played at a points, yielded only two touchdowns and recorded two shutouts in five high level.’ games. The Spartans blanked Woodlawn 49-0 on Sept. 2. MOUNTAIN BROOK

Not bad for a team that returned only HEAD COACH CHRIS two full-time starters on defense – YEAGER McMillan and junior middle linebacker Trent Wright – and two other part-time starters, Beavers and McCowan, from their 2020 team, which reached the Class 6A semifinals.

“They’re playing very, very good,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “We’ve had some guys who have stepped up. It’s been a collective effort with a number of people making big plays. Everybody on the defensive side of the ball has played at a high level.”

Yeager said McMillan has been the leader, “the bellcow.” It’s a role McMillan takes to heart.

“I’m stepping up more as a vocal leader,” he said. “Before this year, I was one of those guys who people told what to do, but this year I’m the one telling the young guys what to do and that we can’t

See SPARTANS, page 26