Jags face one of state's top teams

Cole Starr's 37-yard field goal won the game for the Spain Park High School football team last week to cap off a wild, back-and-forth fourth quarter in a 23-20 Jag win over Oak Mountain.

“As soon as I saw it curve, I was like, ‘That’s in. We won the game,’ so I was pretty psyched,” Starr said.

With the win, Spain Park (7-2, 5-2 Class 7A, Region 3) secured the No. 3 playoff seed in Region 3. As a result, the Jags will contend their first-round playoff matchup on Nov. 4 at either Bob Jones, James Clemens or Gadsden City. Those three teams are currently tied for second place in Region 4.

“I’m proud of my kids,” Jags head coach Shawn Raney said following the game. “They just kept fighting.”

For the Jags, D'Arie Johnson finished with 97 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, and Larry Wooden finished with 89 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Braxton Barker went 9-of-21 passing for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The task for the Jags this week is Minor, potentially tougher than many of the possible teams Spain Park could see in the Class 7A portion of the state playoffs. Minor has run roughshod over Class 6A this fall. The Tenacious Tigers are off to a 9-0 start, with their closest margin of victory an 18-point win over Walker last week.

However, that doesn't tell the story of that game. A few minutes before the half, Minor trailed Walker 42-12, before scoring the final 48 points of the contest to win 60-42.

The game will be played at Minor High School on Thursday at 7 p.m.

- Sam Chandler contributed to this story.