MOUNTAIN BROOK – Both local teams competing in the varsity boys basketball Class 7A, Area 6 tournament had their hopes of advancing in the playoffs dashed on Thursday, Feb. 9.

No. 2 seed Spain Park fell to No. 3 seed Huffman 89-64, while No. 4 seed Oak Mountain fell to No. 1 seed and tournament host Mountain Brook 75-55.

Mountain Brook and Huffman will play in the area tournament championship game on Saturday, Feb. 11, and no matter the outcome, both will advance to the Northeast Regional tournament beginning Feb. 16 at Jacksonville State University.

The game between Spain Park and Huffman was close until early in the third period.

The Jaguars trailed 22-19 after one quarter of play and 42-40 at halftime.

Spain Park’s Lynn Kidd opened the scoring in the second half, and the score was tied with as much as 5:30 on the clock in the third period.

From there, Huffman went on a 10-0 run capped with a strong finish inside by Qudarrius Mullins.

Spain Park’s Jamal Johnson finally ended the Huffman run with a three-pointer from the corner and added another triple moments later, but 1:04 on the clock, Johnson picked up his third foul of the game.

Johnson disagreed with the call and was then assessed a technical foul, meaning one more foul would disqualify him from the game.

SPHS coach Donnie Quinn was forced to sit Johnson, and the game spiraled out of control for the Jaguars from there.

With Spain Park’s best ball handler out of the game, Huffman turned up the defensive pressure and forced several turnovers.

Johnson re-entered the game with 8 minutes remaining, but the Jags trailed by 18 at that point and there was no coming back.

In the nightcap, Oak Mountain led Mountain Brook 9-6 early in the first period, but it was all Spartans from there.

Mountain Brook led 16-12 at the end of the first period after a three-pointer from Sean Elmore.

Elmore stole away Oak Mountain’s first possession of the second period and scored despite being fouled, an example of OMHS struggling with its opponent’s defensive pressure.

Mountain Brook led by as many as 14 points in the second period, but a three-pointer by Oak Mountain’s Wyatt Legas brought it to 31-20 at halftime.

Logan Sheaffer started the second half with a three for the Eagles, but Trendon Watford dominated inside throughout the game and Mountain Brook used speed and numbers on the outside to build its lead to 56-35 at the end of the third period.

Legas and Chris Mayweather each had 11 points for OMHS, while Noah Egan had nine points, all in the third period.

Watford led all scorers with 27 points.

Spain Park’s Johnson and Brooklyn Polk and Oak Mountain’s Mayweather and Will Stephenson were named to the all-area team.