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If the Spain Park Jaguars seemed a little flat early in their game with Vestavia Hills on Friday at Jaguar Field, who could blame them?
It’s not every week the Jags are ranked No. 2 in Class 7A. It’s not every week they’re coming down from the high of whipping their archrivals.
In fact, it’s the first time they’ve been in that position of basking in the glow of bashing the Hoover Bucs.
So with the Rebels taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field 72 yards, it looked like the Jags needed a wake-up call.
They got it from senior linebacker Perry Young.
Young blocked Curry Howard’s 25-yard field goal attempt and teammate Chase Young picked it up and the chase was on. Eighty-five yards later, the Jaguars had a touchdown and they were wide-awake.
The Jaguars built on the momentum to build a 21-0 halftime lead and made it stand up as Spain Park grabbed complete control of the Class 7A, Region 3 race.
The Jags (6-1, 5-0) now hold the tiebreaker edge over their three closest challengers and can clinch the title with a win next week over Oak Mountain.
“It’s a huge win,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “I felt we were a little flat, a little dead, but big players make big plays and Perry Young made the big play.”
Raney acknowledged that next week could be the region clincher, but he’s setting a high standard for the Jaguars. “We’d like to go through the region undefeated. You go through this region undefeated that’s something special. We’ve got the chance to do something special.
The Jaguars used their usual method to dispatch the Rebels.
Tyler Sumpter pinned the Rebs at their 4 late in the first quarter, and the defense forced a three-and-out, with Vestavia punting from its one after a sack of Brett Jones. The Jags took over at the VH 44 and drove the distance in eight plays. Wade Streeter rushed for 20 of those years and quarterback Joey Beatty connected with Parker Kelley for 14 yards and Bridge Suber for 10. Beatty got the score, sneaking forward from the 1 and sticking the ball over the plane. Crosby Gray’s second extra point made it 14-0 with 8:22 left in the half.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Jaguars pushed the Rebs back again. Will Dailey had a sack, and it was another three-and-out. A 25-yard punt set the Jags up at the 50, and Beatty found Suber open for a 36-yard score with 3:32 left in the half. Gray’s extra point ended the scoring for the half, and the game.
The Jaguars defense – intent on posting its second straight shutout – gave the Rebels little. And the Jags offense turned to Streeter and Larry Wooden to wear down the Vestavia defense. Ball control and field position was the story of the second half. The Rebels’ deepest penetration of the half was the SP 22, and that drive ended on downs.
“I thought this might be a trap game,” Raney said. “A little flat early. But we had a great week of preparation and that carried us through.
“I think we’re a little tired. So we’re going to give them Sunday off and they’re out of school Monday, so they’ll get a couple of days off.”
“In this region, there’s no chance to let up.”
Up next is Oak Mountain at Heardmont Park on Friday and the Jaguars close region play at home against Mountain Brook the following week.
