By Lee Davis
In the school’s 14-year history, Spain Park has had many great moments in athletics, including state championships, Final Four appearances and rousing victories in virtually all sports.
But there has never been a night quite like Oct. 1, 2015. That date will forever live in Jaguar glory, as Spain Park earned its first-ever football win over cross-town rival Hoover, a team seeking its fourth consecutive state championship.
The Jags didn’t need luck or magic to earn the 17-0 upset, and nobody explained it better than Buccaneer coach Josh Niblett, who saw his team’s 43-game winning streak against in-state competition come to an end.
“They were able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Niblett said. Hoover also hurt itself with two muffed punts and two missed field goals, but the Bucs didn’t hand Spain Park the win on a silver platter. The Jags earned it.
Spain Park’s win came after 13 consecutive losses to Hoover.
“For this team to do something that’s never been done before is unbelievable,” Jag coach Shawn Raney said. “When you play a great team like Hoover, you have to believe in yourself. Our guys believed.” Coincidentally, Raney served as Hoover’s defensive coordinator before becoming head coach at Spain Park three years ago.
After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Jaguars gained the momentum for good late in the second period. Spain Park running back Larry Wooden put together impressive runs of 15, nine and 10 yards to help bring his team to Hoover’s six yard line. From there, Wooden reached the goal line, to give the visitors a 10-0 halftime lead.
The Jaguars got an insurance touchdown early in the third quarter. Quarterback Joey Beatty connected with William Greene for a 41-yard scoring strike to raise the advantage to 17-0.
After that, Spain Park dominated with its defense. Offensively, the Jags used running backs Wade Streeter and Wooden to run down the clock. “Our backs made good runs by finding the crease in the line,” said Spain Park center Grey Best.
“We went out there and fought hard,” Jag linebacker Perry Young added. “That’s all it took.”
When the game ended, waves of Spain Park students ran onto the field in celebration, and toppled but didn’t tear down, a goal post. Players and fans
stayed on the field for nearly an hour to savor an important moment in their school’s athletic history.
“It was one of those nights that you won’t forget,” Raney said.
The symbolism of Spain Park’s victory almost overshadowed its practical meaning. The Jaguars moved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in Class 7A Region Three competition. Hoover fell to 5-1 for the year and 3-1 in region play. If both teams continue their winning ways, a rematch in the post-season is a possibility.
It is far too early to know whether Spain Park’s victory was an isolated event or one that signals a sea-change in the direction of the rivalry. Hoover may not be the invincible machine of past seasons, but most would still have the Bucs on the short list of teams favored to win the Class 7A championship. But now the Jaguars belong on that list as well.
Spain Park has a tough road ahead, facing region rivals Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain in the next two games. Raney’s challenge is to convince his players that defeating Hoover wasn’t just an end unto itself – it was a stepping stone on the way to even bigger things.
But all of that is about the future. Whatever happens the rest of the way, the night of Oct. 1, 2015, will resonate with Jaguar fans forever.
