Portions of this article have been updated to reflect Mindy McBride's denial of involvement as of 5/11/2026.
Days after the Alabama High School Athletics Association fined Homewood High School for breaking the organization’s video rule during the boys’ baseball state championship playoffs, administrators, coaches and boosters from a rival school are calling for AHSAA to open another investigation into Homewood, this time for alleged cheating during a girls’ soccer game.
A girls’ soccer playoff quarterfinal game between Homewood High School and Mountain Brook High School is at the center of the controversy. According to multiple witnesses, Homewood adjusted its video board lighting during Mountain Brook’s penalty kicks, impairing the student-athletes’ visibility. Homewood ultimately won the game.
As Homewood celebrated, ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weekend and ‘All of the Lights’ by Kanye West were played over the loudspeakers.
Photo by Jim Hicks
Mountain Brook booster, Jim Hicks, accused Homewood coach Sean McBride and his wife, Mindy, who serves as principal at Homewood Middle School, of not addressing the concerns of Mountain Brook's coaching staff. He said, “When our coach requested of the center referee to have the scoreboard turned off, or use the same graphic for both teams, Coach McBride [Homewood] shrugged his shoulders as to what can he do, and Mindy McBride told the referees something to the effect they would not, or could not turn off the video board.”
An NFHS video of the penalty kicks, provided by Hicks, shows several coaches from both teams speaking with officials and gesturing to the video board. Hicks contends a woman standing on the sideline and appearing to engage with officials is Mindy McBride, a claim McBride denied to AB Today.
In their complaint to the AHSAA, Mountain Brook said “The game was decided in penalty kicks under conditions that were blatantly unfair and deliberately manipulated by the home team (…) When MB players took their kicks, the scoreboard was left bright and actively changing, creating a significant and intentional visual distraction during one of the most critical moments of a high-stakes playoff game.”
Following the game, Mountain Brook High School’s athletic director, Andy Urban, spoke to the executive director of the AHSAA, Heath Harmon, to request an investigation into Homewood’s use of the video board. While Mountain Brook hoped to have the results of the game overturned, Harmon reportedly told Urban and other school administrators that the results will stand while an investigation is ongoing.
Mountain Brook leaders are hoping to see the results of the game overturned and Homewood’s team removed from future girls’ soccer playoff games. AHSAA could not be reached for comment.
