Jags trounce Pelham to end season
PELHAM – It has been a trying season for the Spain Park High School football team, but the Jaguars finished things off on a high note.
Spain Park capped off the 2022 season Thursday night with a dominant 35-14 win over Pelham at Ned Bearden Stadium.
“I’m happy for the kids and the seniors,” Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes said following the game. “It’s been a heck of a year.”
Pelham never led in the contest, as the Jags posted 28 unanswered points to run away with the victory. Spain Park tied a season high with 35 points in the game and piled up 319 total yards in just eight possessions.
Spain Park (3-7) began the game with a long, physical drive. The Jags went 80 yards on 14 plays, scoring on Evan Smallwood’s 1-yard quarterback sneak to score first. The drive took over seven minutes off the clock and set the tone.
Clayton Mains found Kamari Hollis for an 8-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7, but that was all Spain Park’s defense would allow until the final minutes of the game.
Alex Smith and Chace Wolsoncroft intercepted passes on consecutive Pelham drives in the second quarter. The Jags got one more takeaway in the third quarter, as Arnold Bush snagged an errant pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown that made it a 28-7 game.
Spain Park’s defense allowed just 211 yards on the evening.
“We hadn’t really been good on takeaways all year, and tonight they did,” Vakakes said. “The defensive coaches never gave up on these kids and they’re still swinging.”
Smallwood, a senior, and freshman Brock Bradley alternated possessions throughout the evening, with both playing strong games. Bradley floated a pretty pass to Jonathan Bibbs for a 16-yard touchdown in the second quarter, while Smallwood connected with Reggie Jackson for a 79-yard score early in the fourth quarter.
Both were efficient, if nothing else. Smallwood finished 11-of-13 for 173 yards, and Bradley was 6-of-9 for 51 yards.
Derick Shanks was the Jags’ leading rusher, going for 21 yards on seven carries, including a 5-yard score in the second quarter.
The Spain Park senior class endured some tough years with the Jags, but Vakakes said this year’s seniors have “laid a heck of a foundation” for the program moving forward.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for them. A lot of the kids have left Spain Park. So, these seniors, the first time I met them, I told them I’ve got a lot of respect for them, because they’re still there. They love Spain Park. I’m glad they can at least go out with a win tonight,” he said.
For Pelham, Mains finished 12-of-27 for 64 yards and rushed for 69 yards on six carries. Ra-Sen Martin scored a fourth-quarter touchdown and finished with 14 carries for 47 yards. Michael Grayson also added 31 yards on eight carries.
Heading into next season, the Jags hope to flip a script that has seen them fail to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. The Jags showed flashes of being able to compete with the likes of Hoover, Thompson and Vestavia Hills throughout the season, but Vakakes said the message is simple for the players returning next fall.
“Be a heavyweight,” he said.
Pelham hosts Northridge in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs next Friday. The Jags’ season ends with the win.