1 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Dakarai Shanks (20) fights off defenders as he scores a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
2 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB JD Bonamy (11) and Spain Park DB Carter Holloway (4) tackle Chelsea RB Chase Stracener (3) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
3 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Corey Barber (17) returns a kickoff during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
4 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) scores a touchdown during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
5 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) attempts a diving catch during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
6 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Clemson University's offensive coordinator, Garrett Riley watches his quarterback commit, Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
7 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Dakarai Shanks (20) runs the footoball during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
8 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) attempts a pass during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
9 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
10 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) runs the football during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
11 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Chelsea S Sam Parrish (10) and Chelsea LB Ethan Prickett (4) defend a pass to Spain Park WR Mason McClure (2) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
12 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Chelsea S Sam Parrish (10) breaks up a pass to Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
13 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Chelsea DE Sam Trout (31) tackles Spain Park WR Andrew Thornton (1) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
14 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB John Higginbotham (10) tackles Chelsea WR Aiden Hughes (8) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
15 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Cowley (26) runs the football during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
16 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Chelsea's Noah Lee (20) pushes Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) out of bounds during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
17 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) attempts a pass during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
18 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mitchell Frazer (7) catches a pass during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
19 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) attempts a pass during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
20 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Brock Bradley (5) runs the football during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
21 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB JD Bonamy (11) and DB George Ritchey (22) tackle Chelsea WR Aiden Hughes (8) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
22 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Dakarai Shanks (20) runs the football during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
23 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DB Brayden Matherson (0) tackles Chelsea WR CJ Durbin (7) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
24 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Mason McClure (2) tackles Chelsea WR CJ Durbin (7) during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
25 of 25
Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Corey Barber (17) runs after a catch during a game between Chelsea and Spain Park on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
HOOVER – Spain Park High School won by four touchdowns on Thursday night, but the tenor of the Jags’ 31-3 win over Chelsea felt more as if both teams had just played a game that went down to the wire.
In a battle of unbeatens, Spain Park (7-0, 4-0 in Class 6A, Region 3) proved to be the superior team on this night at Jaguar Stadium, in the Under the Lights Game of the Week.
But Chelsea (6-1, 3-1) certainly made life challenging for the home team. The Hornets possessed the ball for nearly 75% of the first quarter. They also held Spain Park’s high-flying passing attack to just 81 yards on the night.
Spain Park needed to find a different way to win. Enter the running game and some defensive adjustments, both of which allowed the Jags to pull away in the second half.
“We just had to figure it out,” Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes said following the game.
Clemson commit Brock Bradley wound up being credited with three touchdown passes on the night, but two of them were pop passes to Corey Barber that act more as jet sweeps. Bradley finished 11-of-21 for 81 yards, the three touchdowns and an interception.
“Brock did some good things, our receivers did some good things, but tonight was about our offensive line and running the football,” Vakakes said.
That offensive line paved the way for Dakarai Shanks and CJ Cowley, who averaged a combined 5.9 yards per carry on the night. Shanks toted the ball 19 times, piling up 134 yards. Cowley had 71 yards on 16 carries and caught a 5-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the game.
Following Cowley’s touchdown, Chelsea set out on a drive that lasted nearly nine minutes, but only resulted in a 20-yard field goal off the foot of Luke Miller. It would end up being the Hornets’ only score of the night.
Chelsea’s defense was able to keep the Spain Park offense at bay, at least in terms of big plays. The Hornets were determined to make the Jags drive the length of the field all night. Unfortunately for Chelsea, Spain Park was able to do just that.
Shanks scored on a 14-yard run to make it 14-3 at the half. Josh Tulloss converted a 23-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, while Barber caught his touchdown passes late in the third and fourth quarters to put the game away.
“The scoreboard is not indicative of the game,” Chelsea head coach Todd Cassity said. “Our defense played really well. Our secondary played their rear ends off.”
Sam Parrish intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play of the first half and returned it about 70 yards before being tackled.
Spain Park’s defense was also up to the challenge. The Jags held down Chelsea’s Chase Stracener, limiting him to 73 yards on 19 carries.
Miller Bauman was 17-of-28 passing for 129 yards. Aiden Hughes had eight grabs for 61 yards and CJ Durbin finished with 33 yards on five catches.
The loss was the first of the year for a Chelsea team that will need to rebound quickly, as the Hornets face tough region foes Helena and Benjamin Russell over the next two weeks.
“This group is very resilient. They’re a group that it’s going to roll off of them, but I bet Monday they’ll be ready to get better,” Cassity said.
Spain Park finishes the region slate with winnable games against Calera and Chilton County.
“Tonight, it wasn’t always pretty, but these kids, it means a lot to them,” Vakakes said.
Click here to sign up for our Under the Lights newsletter and follow us on social media.
Click here to view and purchase photos from this week's games.
