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Photo by Todd Lester
Justin Pegues dives for the end zone to lift Spain Park to the win on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020.
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Briarwood WR Brooks Donnelly (2) makes a catch during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Action during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Caleb Ward (26) tackles Briarwood WR Sawyer Tindall (6) after a catch during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Ethan Gutowski (27) and Spain Park DL\TE Caldwell Bussey (21) combine to tackle Briarwood RB Luke Reebals (23) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Ethan Gutowski (27) attempts to tackle Briarwood RB Luke Reebals (23) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Ethan Gutowski (27) looks to tackle Briarwood QB Christopher Vizzina (17) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood WR Nicholas Dicen (24) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood LB Tyler Waugh (30) runs for a touchdown during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood and Spain Park battle for a fumble during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood WR Nicholas Dicen (24) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood WR Brooks Donnelly (2) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood WR Sawyer Tindall (6) attempts a catch during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Jack Baylor (9) tackles Briarwood WR Nicholas Dicen (24) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood DB Alastair Harris (31) and Briarwood DB Cal Higdon (5) close in on Spain Park WR Cooper Kelley (10) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood QB Christopher Vizzina (17) runs the football during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood band members during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood band members during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park DL Gage Hughes (43) and Spain Park FB Nyc Speer (25) cause a fumble during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood QB Christopher Vizzina (17) attempts a pass during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park DB Braden Brock (31) looks to tackle Briarwood WR Brooks Donnelly (2) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Spain Park LB Jayst Dorion (5) and Spain Park DB Michael Ogletree (7) combine to tackle Briarwood WR Eli Steadman (12) during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Briarwood QB Christopher Vizzina (17) reads the defense during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Briarwood RB Luke Reebals (23) catches a pass during a game between Briarwood and Spain Park on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
HOOVER – Justin Pegues had a simple goal in mind once the play was signaled in from the sideline.
“Get in the end zone,” he said.
Pegues took the handoff, bounced it to the left and dove for the pylon, stretching the ball out inside the pylon for the score.
The 7-yard touchdown run capped off a second-half rally that lifted the Spain Park High School football team to a 21-14 win over visiting Briarwood on Friday night at Jaguar Stadium.
“I’m very proud of them,” Spain Park head coach Shawn Raney said following the game. “At this level, it’s so hard to win games, so when you win one, you’re very happy.”
Spain Park (2-0) mounted a rally after entering the halftime locker room trailing Briarwood (1-1) 14-0.
Briarwood’s offensive game plan worked to perfection early, as the Lions took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 13 plays, scoring first on Parker Hutson’s 11-yard run out of the Wildcat formation.
The Lions doubled their lead just before the half, as linebacker-turned-fullback Tyler Waugh took a 4th-and-1 run 36 yards to pay dirt, making the score 14-0. Both of Briarwood’s touchdowns were scored by defensive starters who are used in special offensive packages.
“We had a couple busted calls,” Raney said of the Briarwood scoring plays.
Spain Park’s offense achieved just two first downs in the opening half, punting on all four of its possessions. The halftime adjustments were nothing revolutionary, but Raney stayed in the ear of Bennett Meredith, the junior quarterback making just his second varsity start.
“I just kept talking to him, because he’s never been in that situation either,” Raney said. “Those kids look to him for leadership. He got a little frustrated in the first half and we saw that in him, so we just continued to coach him. He turned around and started encouraging his guys. They’ll play for him.”
Meredith wound up completing 21-of-30 passes for 184 yards in a solid overall showing. Jaylen Ward was his top receiver, as he caught eight passes for 73 yards.
The Jags looked ready to turn the game around on their first possession of the third quarter, when a halfback pass from Pegues to Ward scored a long touchdown. But the play was called back for holding and Briarwood’s Holden Patterson recovered a fumble two plays later.
Pegues scored the first of his two touchdowns the next time Spain Park had the ball, scoring on a 1-yard run to cap off a 13-play drive. Pegues finished the night with 97 yards on 24 carries.
Jayst Dorion recovered a fumble on the ensuing possession, setting Spain Park with field position on the Lions’ side of midfield. The Jags tied the game at 14 with 8:46 to play in the final period on a 5-yard pass from Meredith to Cooper Kelley who finished the evening with 49 yards on seven grabs.
Spain Park converted three third-down plays on the final drive of the game to cap off the rally. After dominating Huntsville in the season’s opening contest, Raney felt like his players bought into the positive press a little too much.
“It’s all about energy and how you prepare and play the game,” he said. “We had some people telling us we looked last week and kids buy into that. I knew Briarwood was going to come in and take a big shot at us and they did.”
Briarwood’s offense struggled to find any consistency in the second half, but the Lions outgained the Jags 305-280 for the game. Christopher Vizzina was solid, completing 21-of-31 passes for 170 yards. Brooks Donnelly, back from a knee injury last year, was Vizzina’s favorite target, catching nine balls for 93 yards. Luke Reebals was Briarwood’s leading rusher, with 50 yards on 11 carries.
Next week, both teams begin region play. Briarwood heads to Chelsea while Spain Park hosts Hewitt-Trussville.
Click here to view and purchase photos from the game.
