Alabama football: Spain Park rallies past James Clemens to secure playoff seed

Spain Park High School football players rushed 467 total yards to defeat James Clemens 48-21 on Thursday night, concluding their regular season with a victory. The Jaguars secured the No. 5 seed in Region 3 with the win, improving their overall record to 6-4.

The game featured a dramatic shift in momentum after James Clemens tied the score at 7-7 early in the first quarter. Ke’Maury Lampkin returned a kickoff 93 yards to level the contest. Spain Park responded with a 34-point scoring run to take control before the final whistle.

Nash Davis led the offense, completing 9 of 12 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a 1-yard run and later connected with Barrett Price on a 60-yard strike to make it 14-7 after one quarter. Price finished the night with four receptions for 133 yards.

The Jaguars extended their lead to 35-7 at halftime. Hudson Hibbard, CJ Davis, and MJ Evans all scored before the break. Davis ran for 110 yards on 14 carries, while Tenney added a 62-yard touchdown run on the next play of action after James Clemens cut the deficit in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Tim Vakakes noted that his team peaked at the right time. "We’ve had some really tough games. Some went our way, some didn’t during the season, but it’s all about peaking at the right time," Vakakes said. He added that the team expects to have several players back for the postseason.

The defensive unit held James Clemens to 215 total yards and limited the opposing offense to 60 rushing yards. MJ Evans recorded three tackles for loss, including two sacks for 18 yards. Spain Park’s defense also forced three sacks and stopped James Clemens on all two of its fourth-down attempts.

In other regional action, Homewood defeated Oak Mountain 24-15 on Friday night at Waldrop Stadium. Homewood improved to 9-1 and will host Theodore in the first round of the playoffs. Oak Mountain finished its season with a 2-8 record.

Chelsea concluded its campaign with a 47-7 loss to Bessemer City on Thursday. The Hornets finished 1-9, marking the end of the season for their 17 seniors. Bessemer City improved to 7-3 and will travel to Pike Road for its first-round playoff match.

Spain Park will play in the first round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 6, when it travels to Buckhorn. Homewood will host Theodore on the same date, while Bessemer City heads to Pike Road.