Spain Park fans cheer on the school’s football players after they recorded their first win over rival Hoover in a 17-0 shutout on Oct. 1 at the Hoover Met. (Reporter Photo/Neal Wagner)

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

HOOVER – Spain Park head coach Shawn Raney had a simple message for his team as they prepared to take the field against Class 7A powerhouse Hoover on Oct. 1.

“My whole point today was ‘Do what you’re supposed to do, because a lot of times you play Hoover and you try to do too much,’” Raney said. “I sat in the room today and told them ‘There’s 13 teams that have come over here to try to get this done, and nobody’s got it done. For us to get over the hump, we needed something like this.”

With 2:28 left in the contest and the Jags leading 17-0, Spain Park’s Thomas Jordan recovered a punt reception fumbled by Hoover’s Cortez Hall at midfield to end any chance of a Buccaneer comeback and seal the Jags’ first-ever victory over their cross-town rival.

It was the first time Hoover has been shut out since it lost to Hewitt-Trussville on Sept. 27, 1991. Back then, the school was known as Berry High School.

Following the victory, Spain Park’s student section chanted “End the streak” before running to the bottom of the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium bleachers to greet the jubilant players.

“It’s an unbelievable win for this program. Anytime you can shut them out, that’s huge for us,” Raney said. “It was just a total team effort, a blessing from God.

Just to beat a program like that, it’s unbelievable.”

Spain Park quarterback Joey Beatty completed 12 of 19 passing attempts for 127 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The Buc defense held the Spain Park rushing attack in check, as top rushers Wade Streeter and Larry Wooden recorded 50 and 71 yards on 22 and 19 carries, respectively.

Defensive leaders for the Jags were Perry Young and Chester Hutchers, who recorded six solo tackles apiece, and Bryan Sanderson and Damon Wright, who recorded four solo tackles apiece.

Crosby Gray connected on a 22-yard field goal with 3:53 left in the first quarter to put the Jags on the board. After Hoover’s Barret Pickering missed a 40-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter, Wooden padded Spain Park’s lead on a six-yard run into the end zone with 26 seconds left in the first half.

Hoover forced a Spain Park three-and-out to start the second half, but Hoover’s Andrew Hawkins fumbled the punt reception, allowing Spain Park’s James Mason and Sanderson to fall on the ball.

The Jags’ capped off the ensuing drive with a 41-yard touchdown strike from Beatty to Will Greene to put the Jags up 17-0.