By Lee Davis
It’s not fair, but even the best offensive centers in football labor in anonymity compared to quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.
Spain Park senior center Grey Best got a much-deserved moment of fame during the Jaguars’ epic 17-0 upset of arch-rival Hoover on Oct. 1.
With the game scoreless in the final minutes of the first half, Spain Park had marched to the Bucs six-yard line. On the next play, Best snapped the ball to quarterback Joe Beatty. Best pulled to his left and blocked a Hoover defender, who fell onto a teammate, effectively removing him from the play. Best’s two-for-one domino block sprang running back Larry Wooden for a six-yard touchdown run, and the Jaguars never looked back.
“The play was designed for me,” Best said. “I was supposed to block the inside guy, but then the linebacker walked up. So then I pulled to the corner and took the guy out, and Larry walked into the end zone.”
Best’s block was named Metro Birmingham’s Play of The Week by at least one news organization.
“I didn’t think much about the play at the time,” Best said. “So I was surprised when it got so much attention. The offensive line doesn’t usually get much publicity, so it was good for all of us.”
Spain Park’s win over Hoover was its first in school history, and few outside the Jaguar Family can fully comprehend the significance. “Spain Park has had a lot of success, but Hoover has been the standard that all other programs in the state have been measured (against),” Best said. “When we were going to Spain Park-Hoover games as kids, we thought, ‘Maybe we’ll be the ones that finally beat Hoover.’ There’s no way to describe what the game meant to our players, coaches, student body and the community.”
Many expected the Jaguars to be drained after the emotional victory, but they rebounded for an equally impressive 21-0 win over Class 7A Region Three rival Vestavia Hills.
“My family has ties to Ole Miss, and we didn’t want to be like them – beating Alabama and then losing badly to Florida two weeks later,” Best said. “We wanted to show that we aren’t just a good team but also a consistent one that is ready to play every time we take the field.”
The key to Spain Park’s consistency is always expecting the unexpected, according to Best.
“Every day in practice, a horn goes off, which means we have to run plays simulating a difficult third down situation,” he explained. “We never know from day to day when that horn is coming. So we have to be ready for anything at any time.”
Although most casual football fans watch the backs and receivers, the intricacies of offensive line play can be just as sophisticated. “The key is staying focused and understanding the offense,” Best said. “The center is a lot like the quarterback of the offensive line, calling the blocking patterns. So it’s a matter of repetition and comprehension of what the offense is trying to do.”
Whatever the Jaguars are doing, it’s working. Spain Park beat Oak Mountain Friday 20-10 to improve to a 6-1 record including three shutouts. The only loss came in a 38-35 overtime thriller against Austin in the season opener. Most importantly, the team had a perfect mark in region competition.
“After the Austin game, our defense improved and now we are playing with consistency and confidence,” Best said. “I can see us going a long way in the playoffs if we keep working to improve.”
Best has been a bulwark in the offensive line throughout his career with the Jaguars. At one time or another, he has played every position in the offensive line at Spain Park, including tight end. The 2015 season is his first opportunity to play center on a full-time basis.
“I really enjoy the center position,” he said. “It’s kind of a natural leadership role. It’s a chance to be almost like a coach on the field for the offensive line.”
Best, who weighs 255 pounds, dreams of playing college football. He has been contacted by schools such as Southern Mississippi, South Alabama, Arkansas State and Delta State, but he isn’t sure about his future.
“As much as I’d love to play in college, my emphasis now has to be on the here and now at Spain Park,” he said. “If we are successful, everything else will work itself out.”
In the meantime, nobody at Spain Park will ever forget Grey Best’s best block in his school’s greatest victory. ϖ
