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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Wade Streeter and Spain Park's Will Greene console each other after the loss. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park fans late in the 2nd half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
McGill-Toolen Brandon Hinton is downed by Spain Park's James Mason. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Joey Beatty looks for an open receiver down field but is sacked by McGill-Toolen's Deanthony Washington. . Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Will Greene hauls in a pass in the first half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Isiah Bonilla looks to the sideline for a little running room between defenders. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
McGill Toolen's Terrell Kennedy is pushed out of bounds by Spain Park's Bryan Sanderson. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Wade Streeter is overwhelmed by the McGill-Toolen defense. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Larry Wooden runs for a short gain. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
McGill-Toolen Parish Chambers is stopped short of the end zone by Spain Park's Chester Hutcherson in the firs quarter. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
McGill-Toolen John Kloeckener looses his helmet in the end zone. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Wade Streeter runs down the line for a short gain. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Larry Wooden takes off on a first down run. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Will Greene hauls in a pass in the first half. Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
McGill-Toolen Paris Chambers runs for a short gain. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Will Greene looks for a little running room. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Larry Wooden runs for a first down. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Larry Wooden is wrapped up after a short gain. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Chester Hutcherson downs McGill-Toolen Terrell Kennedy. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Houston Hollis hauls in an interception in the first half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Paul Clark runs around the end for a short gain. Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Before the game players and cheerleaders filed into the stadium among cheering fans. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Paul Clark runs around the end for a short gain. Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Joey Beatty looks for an open receiver down field. Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Spain Park's Paul Clark runs around the end for a short gain. Spain Park fans cheer on their team. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Before the game players and cheerleaders filed into the stadium among cheering fans. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Before the game players and cheerleaders filed into the stadium among cheering fans. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Wade Streeter takes off on a run in the first half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Larry Wooden is brought down by McGill-Toolen defender Deanthony Washington. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
McGill-Toolen Paris Chambers is wrestled down by a host of Jaguars. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
McGill Toolen Terrell Kennedy is tackled by Spain Park's Douglas Henze and Spain Park's Damon Wright Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Wade Streeter runs for a short gain. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Bridge Suber looks for daylight on the sidelines. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Thomas Jordan tries to keep a punt out of the end zone in the 1st half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Frank Couch
Players before the game. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Markell Clark recovers a fumble late in the 4th quarter. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Crosby Gray kicks a field goal to pull the Jaguars within 2. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Jalen McMillan goes for the block late in the 2nd half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park fans late in the 2nd half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Wade Streeter after the final offensive play for Spain Park. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Jalen McMillan reacts after the loss. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Josh Denson and McGill Toolen's Brandon Hinton meet after the game. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Frank Couch
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Damarius Farmer reached up for a pass in the 2nd half. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
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Ted Melton
Spain Park's Wade Streeter takes off on a 2nd half run. Spain Park vs McGill Toolen in the 7A championship football game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Wednesday December 2, 2015. Photo by Ted Melton
TUSCALOOSA-- After willing its way to the Class 7A, Region 3 title, stringing together 12 consecutive victories, claiming a pair of triumphs over archrival Hoover and earning a state final berth, Spain Park finally ran out of steam.
Barely.
After being outplayed on both sides of the ball for the majority of the Class 7A State Championship on Wednesday night, Dec.2 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Jags (12-2) nearly mounted a third consecutive fourth-quarter comeback, trimming McGill-Toolen’s two-score lead down to only two points with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
“That’s who they are,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “These kids believe no matter what the situation is that we can win a football game because we’ve done it.”
Jags quarterback Joey Beatty scored on a sneak from 1-yard out with 5:54 left in the game and Crosby Gray booted a 29-yard field goal just over a minute later to make it 14-12, but McGill-Toolen (13-1) managed to hold on in the waning minutes, forcing a Spain Park turnover on downs on its final possession to capture the first state football title in school history.
“McGill’s got a great team, really good on defense,” Raney said. “I thought we struggled offensively. I just thought we was out of our game the first half, and I kind of saw a look in our kids’ eyes in pregame. I kind of saw it through the first half. That’s my job to have them ready to play, so I’ll take that.”
Spain Park Presser
Spain Park press conference following its 14-12 defeat in the Class 7A State Championship.
McGill-Toolen’s swarming defense shut down Spain Park, dominating the line of scrimmage and holding the team to 178 total yards. The backfield tandem of running backs Wade Streeter and Larry Wooden struggled to find openings while Beatty, who enjoyed reliable protection throughout the season, endured constant pressure that resulted in five sacks.
“You just kind of have to get the ball out quicker than usual, and if you need to, throw the ball away, which I should’ve done more of tonight,” Beatty said.
McGill-Toolen jumped to a 14-3 halftime lead behind running back Terrell Kennedy’s two touchdowns. Kennedy scored on a 4-yard sweep play just under four minutes into the first quarter to put the Yellow Jackets on the board. He then struck again right before the half. On his second TD, Kennedy powered into the end zone from 54 yards out, breaking through multiple tackles and weaving through the Jags’ defense. He finished the game with 203 rushing yards and was named MVP.
Gray converted his first field goal of the game, a 37-yarder, at the end of the first quarter to cut the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 7-3. The boot stands as the longest in a 7A State Championship Game, while his two total field goals also set a 7A mark.
Despite surrendering 387 yards to McGill-Toolen, Spain Park forced three turnovers, with two coming in the second half on fumble recoveries.
The Jags' third and final forced turnover, which came on the first play from scrimmage after Beatty’s touchdown run made the score 14-9, put the team in position to take the lead. A strong defensive stand by McGill-Toolen, however, held the Jags to three points and finalized the scoring.
Even with the loss, Spain Park's second in two state championship appearances, Raney said his team surpassed expectations in 2015.
“I’ve been around these kids since January, and I’ve seen what they’ve done,” Raney said. “I knew we was going to be a good football team. I didn’t know if we could be this good, but they just continued to do what we asked them to do and it’s been a blessing to be around these kids.”
