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Photo by Zach Irvine
Action during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine.
Spain Park's Corey Barber (17) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Dakarai Shanks (20) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Ryan Breazeale (21) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Brock Bradley (5) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Tristan Hill (28) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park backfield during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Brock Bradley (5) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Brock Bradley (5) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Josh Tulloss (50) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
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Photo by Zach Irvine
Spain Park's Joe Cross (19) during a football game between Spain Park and James Clemens on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at Madison City Schools Stadium.
MADISON — Quarterback Brock Bradley and standout wide receiver Corey Barber had their fingerprints on Spain Park High School’s 34-24 win over James Clemens on Friday night at Madison City Stadium. But the real stars in a game that was played in heavy rain throughout were Dakarai Shanks and the big guys up front who opened up the holes for the talented running back to operate.
Shanks, a bruising 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior, carried the ball 26 times for 150 yards and scored the game-clinching touchdown on a 3-yard run with 3:41 left on the clock. He also had one catch for 23 yards on a night that he shouldered nearly all of the rushing load because of a first-half injury to sophomore CJ Cowley.
“When CJ went out with a bruise, I told (Shanks) ‘Buddy, you’re about to make your money. You’re about to tote it,’” said Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes, whose team is ranked third in Class 6A. “He did. He made some really good runs, the line kept swinging and leaning on ‘em. We put the game in his hands behind the linemen. It couldn’t be the Brock Bradley show tonight or Corey Barber.”
Spain Park (5-0 overall) leaned on the running game because of the weather. Bradley did manage to complete nine passes in 15 attempts for 115 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The standout junior quarterback also had a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half. But this was a night that Shanks stole the offensive spotlight and the Jaguars defense made some timely plays.
Early on, though, it was Class 7A No. 10 James Clemens (4-1 overall) taking control. The Jaguars’ first two series ended with a 3-yard touchdown run by A.J. Gideon and a 18-yard scoring pass from Matthew Evers to Isaac Achenbach.
“Don’t panic,” Vakakes said of the message after his team fell behind 14-0. “We’ve been here before, just keep playing. When you’re a heavyweight, you just keep swinging. Every heavyweight has their favorite punch but the champions have chins. I think what we do on a day-to-day basis, week-to-week, month-to-month, I believe develops our chin and it showed tonight.”
Spain Park countered with a scoring drive that featured a 26-yard pass from Bradley to Mitchell Frazer and culminated with a 5-yard scoring run by Bradley. James Clemens added a field goal and it appeared the Jets would head into halftime with a 17-7 lead. But Spain Park defensive back Joe Cross intercepted a pass at the James Clemens 35-yard line with just under a minute left in the half. Four plays later, Bradley squeezed in from a yard out to cut the deficit to 17-14.
James Clemens began the second half with a failed onside kick attempt, giving Spain Park the ball at the Jets 49-yard line. Three carries by Shanks netted 41 yards and Bradley found Ryan Breazeale for an 8-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 21-17 lead. James Clemens moved the ball on the ensuing series before Spain Park defensive back Hagen Holley intercepted a pass deep in the Jaguars territory. Spain Park put together a 10-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 11-yard scoring pass from Bradley to Breazeale. The extra point failed but Spain Park still held a 27-17 lead.
The Jets trimmed the deficit to 27-24 with an 8-yard touchdown run by Evers with 10:01 left in the game. Spain Park responded with a 13-play, 80-yard drive that featured the running of Shanks and Barber, who moved from receiver to running back on the drive. Shanks’ touchdown came with 3:41 on the clock and Spain Park closed out the win.
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