Hornets come up short in final home game
CHELSEA -- A big defensive performance propelled the Spain Park High School football team to victory on Friday night. The Jaguars walked out of Chelsea with a 35-21 Class 7A, Region 3 win thanks to six second-half sacks and two interceptions.
Spain Park (2-5, 1-4 in region) picked up its first victory since its season opener. The away side was led with 4.5 sacks from sophomore and newly-minted five-star recruit Jared Smith.
“Our D-line is very talented,” said Jaguars’ head coach Tim Vakakes. “They make our coaches look good when they play hard.”
Chelsea (1-7, 1-4) suffered its fourth straight loss after being knotted at 21-21 at halftime.
“We didn’t play well on offense in the second half,” said Hornets’ head coach Tim Cassity. “We moved the ball, but we didn’t finish drives.”
The first quarter was wildly entertaining with 28 combined points.
Spain Park opened the game with an immediate score. Evan Smallwood connected with Jonathan Bibbs for 40 yards on the opening play and Derick Shanks followed with a 40-yard touchdown run the next play. The elder Shanks bounced off a would-be tackler then sprinted down the right sideline to score 32 seconds into the game.
Chelsea equalized on its first offensive drive. Emerson Russell sprang a 30-yard run that set-up a Carter Dotson to JyDarian McKinney 29-yard touchdown pass at the 8:49 mark.
Dakari Shanks emulated his brother’s run on the next Jaguars drive. The sophomore running back broke through two would-be tacklers and coasted the rest of the way to the end zone on a 27-yard score. Spain Park led 14-7 with 6:40 showing in the opening quarter.
Russell tacked on a rushing score before the first quarter concluded. The junior running back ran untouched off right tackle 25 yards to tie the game at 14-14 with 4:54 left in the frame.
Chelsea took a brief lead a little over midway into the second quarter. A shanked punt gifted the Hornets a short field starting at the Spain Park 30-yard line. Russell scored six plays later for a 21-14 lead.
Spain Park only needed four plays near the end of the half to tie the game before the break. Derick Shanks sprinted down the seam on third-and-10 and left the coverage in the dust. It was an easy pitch-and-catch for Smallwood to Shanks for the 34-yard score that evened the game at 21-21 going into halftime.
Smallwood found lightning in a bottle on the Jaguars opening second half drive. The senior sprinted through the defense on a third-and-8 quarterback draw for a 58-yard touchdown run. Spain Park led 28-21 with 6:24 to play in the third quarter.
The Jaguars defense was unleashed after that point. Landon Huey ripped away a fourth-down pass attempt from the intended receiver to end a positive Chelsea offensive drive that went past midfield.
Spain Park ended the third quarter with a 23-yard run by Smallwood. A pass to Reggie Jackson gained 33 yards and pushed the ball further down the field but negative plays followed and led to a third-and-long situation. Smallwood hit Bibbs perfectly over the shoulder at the right front pylon for a 28-yard score to improve the lead to 35-21 with 9:20 remaining.
The Jags defense stood its ground from that point. An interception by Alex Smith on one drive and a plethora of sacks on the final drive neutralized any Chelsea comeback effort.
The commanding defensive line performance from Spain Park was largely a three-headed effort. Smith paced the way with the forenamed 4.5 sacks, but seniors Brian Alston (2 sacks) and Caldwell Bussey (1.5 sacks) aided in terrorizing Dotson to the tune of 9 sacks.
Vakakes let the excitement show postgame as he hyped his squad coming off the field, including a joyful jab to Smallwood.
“I am so proud of these kids,” Vakakes said. “We’re still shooting ourselves in the foot a bunch, but they never quit. We owe these seniors to get this thing going the right way before they get out of here.”
Spain Park outgained Chelsea 444-271 in total yardage with 238 yards on the ground.
Derick Shanks ran for 94 yards on his first four carries and ended up with 142 yards on 14 touches. Smallwood completed 8-of-18 throws for 206 yards passing while adding 66 yards on the ground. Bibbs nearly breached the century mark with four catches for 96 yards receiving.
Russell gained a game-high 117 rushing yards and added 22 receiving yards.
Dotson, under tremendous pressure throughout, managed to go 19-for-34 with 167 yards passing, one passing touchdown, and the two interceptions thrown.
This was Chelsea’s last home game for the year. The Hornets close out the season with road contests at Hoover next Friday and Hewitt-Trussville in two weeks.
“We have to keep practicing, getting better, and doing things the right way,” Cassity said.
Spain Park will play Hewitt-Trussville next week at home.