Starr's field goal lifts Jags over Oak Mountain
Cole Starr won’t forget this one anytime soon.
With two seconds left in regulation and the score knotted at 20, the Spain Park High School junior place-kicker sent a 37-yard field goal sailing through the uprights.
The attempt, which was only the third of Starr’s young career, lifted the Jags (7-2, 5-2) to an exhilarating 23-20 victory over Class 7A, Region 3 foe Oak Mountain (3-6, 3-4) on Friday night at Heardmont Park.
“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 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. “They just kept fighting.”
Despite the loss, Oak Mountain still managed to cement its spot in the playoffs. Thanks to Mountain Brook’s win over Huffman and Hoover’s win over Thompson, the Eagles clinched the No. 4 playoff seed in Region 3. They will play their first-round matchup at Hewitt-Trussville.
“I am encouraged by the way we played. I thought it was the best we played probably since the Vestavia ball game,” Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell said in regard to his team’s 34-7 triumph on Sept. 9. “We need to build on that, and our kids got to remember we’ve still got football left to play. We’ve still got a lot to play for.”
Starr’s game-winning kick capped a wild fourth quarter that saw a 13-point Spain Park advantage evaporate in a matter of minutes.
After a 21-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Barker to Thomas Jordan extended the Jags’ lead to 20-7 with 8:21 remaining, the game looked good as over. It would have been 21-7, but Starr missed the extra point.
Down but not out, Oak Mountain responded with a flash of resilience.
Eagles sophomore quarterback Jackson Kimbrell engineered a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown plunge from running back Daniel Salchert. Although the extra point missed wide, the TD trimmed Spain Park’s lead to 20-13 with 3:41 on the clock.
The Eagles then forced a three-and-out on Spain Park’s next series before taking over at their own 47.
Kimbrell hit wide receiver Garrett DeAraujo for a 35-yard gain on the third play of the drive, which set Oak Mountain up with first and goal from the 5. Kimbrell then found 6-foot-1 Carson Bobo for a 6-yard score on third and goal to make it 20-19. A successful extra point attempt from place-kicker Nick Carney tied the game at 20-20 with 38 seconds remaining.
The Jags came roaring back.
Barker completed 3-of-4 passes on what proved to be the game-winning drive, including a 31-yard heave down the left sideline to running back Larry Wooden.
“We’re a great team, and we have playmakers, and Larry Wooden’s one of the best ones,” Barker said. “We just threw it up to him, and he made a play. It was all him.”
Wooden’s catch positioned the Jags at Oak Mountain’s 20-yard line with seven ticks remaining. That’s when Raney beckoned his kicker to center stage.
“I’ve watched him all year. If the ball’s on the 20, he’s got a chance of making it, and the ball was just about six inches behind the 20,” Raney said. “I just told him don’t over kick it, and he just went in there and drilled it. I was so happy for him.”
The score was tied 7-7 at halftime thanks to a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Wooden and a 28-yard passing TD from Kimbrell to DeAraujo.
Spain Park struck first in the second half when running back D’arie Johnson rolled into the end zone from 3 yards out with 5:09 left in the third quarter.
For the Jags, Johnson finished with 97 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, and Wooden finished with 89 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Barker went 9-of-21 passing for 119 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He replaced starter Hunter Howell toward the beginning of the second quarter following an interception.
For Oak Mountain, Kimbrell went 7-of-11 passing for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Both teams will wrap up their regular seasons next week.
Spain Park will play at Class 6A Minor, a squad widely revered as one of the best teams in the state, regardless of classification.
Oak Mountain, meanwhile, will travel to Hazel Green for a non-region contest.
“They’ve got a good football team up there,” Bell said. “It’ll be a good test for us.”