Jaguars end season with loss to Hueytown
HOOVER — In 2020, Spain Park High School edged Hueytown 63-62 in an incredible battle.
This year, Hueytown put up nearly the same number of points and ran away with a 58-21 win over Spain Park at Jaguar Stadium. It was the first time in six matchups that the Golden Gophers have beaten the Jaguars.
Hueytown was off and running from kickoff. The Golden Gophers got two touchdowns — a 61-yard pass from Earl Woods to De’Andre Coleman and a 43-yard hookup from the same duo — as well as a safety to take a 16-0 lead fewer than two minutes into the game.
Hueytown (9-1) led 36-7 after just one quarter and cruised the rest of the way.
Spain Park got on the board late in the first quarter when Zamir Farris bolted 25 yards to cut the deficit to 22-7. The Jaguars got their second touchdown when Evan Smallwood connected with Pierson Cole for a 71-yard TD in the second quarter. By that point, Hueytown already had 43 points and ultimately took a 51-21 lead into the half after Smallwood found Clay Spencer for an 8-yard score with 28 seconds left in the half.
Woods scored the lone second-half touchdown when he ran it in from 11 yards.
For Hueytown, Woods finished 13-of-17 through the air for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 17 times for 119 yards and three scores. Coleman caught six passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a 67-yard run. Ja’Khael Rowser rushed nine times for 35 yards and two touchdowns.
For Spain Park, Smallwood was 10-of-23 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Farris tallied 41 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries to lead the Jags. Cole caught three passes for 101 yards. George Gilbert caught three passes for 32 yards, and John Michael Lee hauled in a 29-yard reception. Ethan Gutowski led the Spain Park defense with five tackles. Jak Kendrick had a sack.
Hueytown amassed 546 total yards, averaging 9.3 yards per play. Spain Park totaled 275 yards and turned the ball over twice, one interception and one lost fumble.
Spain Park finishes the 2021 season with a 2-8 record, its worst since the Jaguars’ inaugural season in 2002. Hueytown, now the winner of eight straight games, moves on to the Class 6A playoffs next week with a home game against Carver-Montgomery.