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TCI Sports/Barry Stephenson
Oak Mountain Football
Oak Mountain's Daniel Salchert (26) in a game between Hoover and Oak Mountain on Friday, September 30, 2016, at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Photos by Ted Melton/ ActionSportsPix.SmugMug.com
Spain Park Football
Spain Park's Larry Wooden (25) throws a stiff-arm in a game between Vestavia Hills and Spain Park on Friday, September 2, 2016, at Spain Park Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
The matchup between Spain Park and Oak Mountain has the potential to solve a lot of problems or create them.
An Oak Mountain win could create just enough chaos to shoot the Eagles as high as the No. 2 seed in Class 7A, Region 3. A Spain Park win means Oak Mountain would be depending on outside circumstances to advance to the postseason.
Whatever the case may be, it will all be solved following this week, and the result of the game at 7 p.m. Friday at Heardmont Park will be a big factor in how it shakes out. Both teams need a win to put them in the best position possible.
Spain Park (6-2, 4-2 Class 7A, Region 3) is coming off a convincing 35-0 win over Tuscaloosa County last week. On the night, the Jags racked up 206 yards rushing and 361 yards of total offense.
“Our offensive line blocked really well,” Raney said following the game. “We’re down two linemen – two starters – and some young kids have stepped in. They struggled a little bit last week, but with a week of practice I thought they did a lot better tonight.”
“Next week will be a huge game for us,” Raney said of the upcoming Oak Mountain game. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do to finish the season out.”
Meanwhile, Oak Mountain (3-5, 3-3) faltered in the fourth quarter of a 41-27 loss to Mountain Brook last week.
“We couldn’t stop them,” said Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell. “In the fourth quarter we just forgot how to tackle.”
Despite a handful of possible scenarios that could place Oak Mountain in the postseason with a loss this week, the Eagles certainly want a win.
“We need to win,” Bell said. “That’s what it comes down to. You don’t want to back in, you want to play yourself in. We need to win to get in.”
Bell is glad that game is at home.
“It’ll be very big,” he said.
