GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. – The Vinemont Junior Varsity Eagles traveled to Brindlee Mountain Monday night to face the Lions in the North Central Junior High Football Championship. The well-matched teams met for the second time this season after facing off in the Aug. 24 season opener, where the Eagles came up short.
The Eagles arrived with a game plan focused on controlling the pace and establishing the running game, led by Grayson Robinson and Sam Foell. Robinson found the end zone to give the Eagles the first score of the game in the opening quarter. After gaining the 2-point conversion, the Eagles took the lead 8-0. The Lions answered quickly with their own scoring drive and 2-point conversion, tying the game at 8-8 to end the quarter.
The second quarter featured an effective offensive drive by the Eagles for a touchdown, but they were unable to convert, putting them up by 6. The Eagles’ defense came up with a goal-line stop, forcing a fumble that Vinemont recovered to halt the Lions’ scoring attempt. The Eagles went into halftime up 14-8.
Brindlee Mountain came out firing in the third quarter, tying the game at 14-14. The Lions held the Eagles scoreless through the end of the third quarter. Led by the impressive rushing efforts of Robinson and Foell, the Eagles were able to move the ball downfield into the red zone in the fourth quarter, but a pick-six near the goal line set the Eagles back again. At the end of the play, Robinson left the game with an injury. Once again, the Eagles’ defense showed their strength and stopped the Lions’ conversion, ending the series with the Lions up 20-14.
Under the leadership of quarterback Whitlan Harris, the Eagles rallied and marched downfield to tie the game 20-20 with a determined run by Foell. Uncompromising in his efforts, Foell powered through the defense, pushing his way up the middle to stretch across the goal line to complete the 2-point conversion and put the Eagles back on top, 22-20, with under a minute left in play.
On the ensuing drive, the Lions scrambled to the outside and drove downfield for a touchdown followed by a successful conversion to take a 28-22 lead. The Eagles were unable to convert on their final drive, and the game ended with the Lions taking a knee as the clock hit zero.
The Brindlee Mountain Lions claimed the 2026 North Central Junior High Football Championship with a 28-22 victory over Vinemont. The Eagles finished as runners-up, closing out the season with a 6-2 record.
