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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) leaps up to grab and kickoff during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DL Payton Wood (34) and Spain Park DB Carter Holloway (4) combine to tackle Benjamin Russell RB Tajerious Wilson (11) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB EJ Kerley (7) and Spain Park LB JD Bonamy (11) try to keep Benjamin Russell's Noah Long (10) out of the end zone during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) attempts a pass during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, September 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Corey Barber (17) catches a long pass during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Dakarai Shanks (20) runs the football during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, September 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) and head coach Tim Vakakes during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DB Tristan Hill (28) tackles Benjamin Russell QB Alijah Johnson (7) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Corey Barber (17) catches a pass over Benjamin Russell DB Lajavious Calhoun (0) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB JD Bonamy (11) defends a pass to Benjamin Russell WR Carson Spears (25) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DL Landon Johnson (99) battles a double team during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DL Aden Walker (9) and Spain Park DL Zac Erickson (98) tackle Benjamin Russell QB Alijah Johnson (7) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Benjamin Russell DB Kaleb Robinson (9) and Benjamin Russell DE Bradley Pulliam (94) combine to tackle Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Benjamin Russell LB Christian Smith (28) tackles Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) runs after a catch during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Benjamin Russell LB Noah Long (10) tackles Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DB Joe Cross (19) intercepts a pass during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB John Higginbotham (10) looks to tackle Benjamin Russell's Lajavious Calhoun (0) during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Corey Barber (17) runs past Benjamin Russell DB Radrekus Glenn (3) to score a touchdwon during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) attempts to catch a pass during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB Joe Cross (19) returns an interception during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Dakarai Shanks (20) stiff arms Benjamin Russell DB Lajavious Calhoun (0) on his way to the endzone during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park celebrates a touchdown during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
A Spain Park cheerleader performs during a game between Benjamin Russell and Spain Park on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
BIRMINGHAM – Spain Park High School entered Friday night with a unique opportunity. Coming off a dramatic 28-26 at Helena last week, the Jaguars now faced Benjamin Russell, with a chance for back-to-back wins against the top two teams in the region from last year.
Spain Park (4-0 over, 2-0 Class 6A, Region 3) accomplished that and delivered an outstanding all-around performance, crushing the Wildcats 42-15.
“These kids want it,” said Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes. “I told the current senior class three years ago when we first started, that there was going to come a day that they would walk up this street to come to this stadium and play for championships. I told them this was a region championship opportunity, and they seized the moment.”
Corey Barber provided a career night for the home side and provided a spark to shake the Jaguars out of an early hole. Benjamin Russell scored on its opening drive, but Barber scored the first play of the subsequent drive from 70 yards out.
The junior wideout continued to provide big plays after that, adding touchdowns of 16 and 4 yards, and totaling six catches, 202 receiving yards and the three scores.
“We knew this was going to be one of the biggest games of the season,” said Barber. “This offense is what a man dreams for. They always put me in the right position to make plays, and it is a blessing having these guys on my team.”
Barber’s second touchdown pass came on a trick play in which running back CJ Cowley threw the pass and gave Spain Park a 14-8 lead before the opening frame ended.
Henry Gregory and Cowley would then add scores in the second quarter and push the halftime lead to 28-8.
The Wildcats opened the second half as they did the first half with a scoring drive after a roughing the passer on fourth-and-goal extended the drive. Tajerious Wilson punched it in from two yards out the next play to cut the deficit to 28-15.
Benjamin Russell (2-3, 2-1) allowed a 60-yard pass to Barber on the first play of the next drive but stood tall from there and Lajavious Calhoun blocked a field goal off the edge. The visitors marched down the field with a 10-play drive, but the final play fell three yards short of the end zone.
The Jaguars dashed any hopes of a comeback from there, marching down the field in nine plays for the 97-yard scoring drive, capped off by Barber’s final score of the game. Dakarai Shanks would join the scoring the next drive a big interception return from Joe Cross to put the game out of reach at 42-15.
Spain Park finished with a yardage advantage of 417-299 despite facing one of the top junior recruits in the country in Cederian Morgan.
Morgan scored the first touchdown of the game for Benjamin Russell and finished with 13 catches for 165 yards, but only one of those catches was over 20 yards.
“Our defensive staff did such a great job,” added Vakakes. “We knew [Morgan] was going to get his, but that we had to limit them and keep him in front of us to live another down. Our kids did a really good job of that and pressuring the quarterback.”
Clemson commit Brock Bradley finished 9-of-17 for Spain Park with 243 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The running duo of Shanks and Cowley finished with 132 rushing yards and the three combined TDs.
This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Spain Park and Chelsea now stand as the only undefeated teams in the region and are slated to meet Oct. 10 at Jaguar Stadium.
Each team will play a non-region game next week, with Spain Park traveling to James Clemens and Benjamin Russell hosting Charles Henderson.
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