Jags control final quarter in win
HOOVER – Dakarai Shanks stole the Homecoming show for the Spain Park High School football team on Friday night. The junior running back ran for 127 yards and a pair of scores in the second half as the Jaguars pulled away from Chelsea for a 38-21 win.
“We have to run the football,” said Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes. “We’re in the weight room every week and it helped this week. We settled in after shooting ourselves in the foot after good things happened.”
Chelsea (2-6, 1-4 in Class 7A, Region 3) notched the only score of the first quarter with a 15-play, 68-yard drive in which it converted five third downs. Carter Dotson rolled to his left to hit Anthony Lanzi in the flat for a 3-yard touchdown.
Spain Park (4-3, 2-3) scored on each of its next two drives in quick fashion. The first was an 11-yard touchdown run by Derick Shanks and then on its second play from scrimmage the following drive, Brock Bradley swung it to Reggie Jackson, who took the screen pass and raced 37 yards up the sideline to give the Jaguars their first lead at 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
The Hornets tied it before halftime with another long, methodical drive. Dotson powered his way across the goal line for a 6-yard score, capping off a 16-play, 81-yard drive that used nearly seven minutes of game clock.
The Jags scored to open the second half as Dakarai Shanks scored his first from 6 yards out.
Chelsea then benefited from a litany of Spain Park penalties, three of which were personal fouls. The final play of the drive was an unusual score, as the Hornets’ center snapped the ball to Dotson simultaneously when the referee blew the ready to play whistle. Players stood around for multiple seconds believing the play was dead, until Dotson realized it was live and crossed the goal line for a 9-yard touchdown.
Spain Park retook the lead before the third quarter closed as Alex Lloyd made a 30-yard field goal to give the home side a 24-21 lead entering the final frame.
The Jaguars dominated from that point on. Jamari Mosley had an interception and 47-yard return, leading to a Bradley-to-Bibbs 23-yard touchdown. Then, Dakarai Shanks put the nail in the coffin with an 11-yard score with 4:32 remaining to bring it to the final score of 38-21.
Dakarai Shanks finished with 14 carries for 144 rushing yards and brother Derick finished with 16 carries for 77 rushing yards and the two combined for three touchdowns.
Bradley finished 9-for-13 for 154 yards through the air and the pair of scores.
Bibbs touched the ball nine times in the game, completing one pass for 39 yards and adding 8 catches for 117 yards receiving.
The Jaguars finished with 10 penalties, six of which cost double-digit yardage.
“When things get crazy, you cannot match it with more craziness,” said Vakakes. “When things get out of control, you have to match it with calm. Sometimes we don’t do that.”
Emerson Russell was busy in his return from injury for Chelsea. The senior back touched the ball 32 times for 142 total yards.
Dotson was 18-for-33 for 118 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and a pair of turnovers. He frequently targeted Jaxon Shuttlesworth who finished with 8 catches on a game-high 15 targets for 53 receiving yards.
“They never quit and I am so proud of them,” said Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity. “I would take these guys over anybody.”
Spain Park has won all four meetings in the series.
Next week, Chelsea hosts Hoover, while Spain Park looks to keep its playoff hopes alive as it heads to Hewitt-Trussville.