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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Peyton Floyd (7) finds room to run during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Peyton Floyd (7) celebrates a touchdown run during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville 2023 State Softball Champions receive championship rings during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville 2023 State Softball Champions receive championship rings during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park cheerleaders during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville Cheerleaders celebrate during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Peyton Floyd (7) leaps for the goal line for the extra point attempt during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park linebacker Chase Wolsoncroft (10) catches a pass for touchdown during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park quarterback Brock Bradley (5) during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park wide receiver Jonathan Bibbs (3) makes a finger tip catch during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville wide receiver Cooper Langston (23) looks for open space to run during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville tight end Donovan Price (33) races towards the end zone for a touchdown during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park band performs during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park running back Khaden Comer (20) fights for extra yards during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park wide receiver Mitchell Frazer (7) and Spain Park tight end Henry Gregory (85) celebrate a touchdown during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park band performs during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park tight end Cam McFarlin (8) during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park running back Khaden Comer (20) looks for space to run during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville band performs during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville band performs during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park quarterback Brock Bradley (5) during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville offensive lineman Kade Martin (73) , Hewitt-Trussville tight end Donovan Price (33) , Hewitt-Trussville defensive back Riggs Dunn (12) and Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Peyton Floyd (7) serve as team captains during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Hewitt-Trussville cheerleaders during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles.
Spain Park linebacker Chase Wolsoncroft (10) celebrates a touchdown during a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Spain Park on Friday, Oct 20, 2023, at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium in Trussville, AL. Photo by Shawn Bowles.
TRUSSVILLE – This is the type of performance Spain Park High School had been waiting on.
Consistently healthy for a few weeks, the Jaguars put every bit of it together Friday night and spoiled No. 5 Hewitt-Trussville’s senior night, running away with a 50-29 victory at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium.
Standing near the 30-yard line minutes after the win, head coach Tim Vakakes’ eyes reddened and tears formed.
“These kids have battled,” he said, hoarsely. “We had some bad luck earlier in the season with injuries. I saw them doubting themselves early on. When we saw some doubt in our kids’ eyes, our coaches believed in them, loved on them. We’re a [dang] heavyweight, and we’re here to stay. We had to keep loving on them, keep pumping them up, get them in the weight room and not stop. They responded.”
Sophomore quarterback Brock Bradley’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Spain Park (5-3, 3-3 in Class 7A, Region 3) a 36-21 lead with 7:15 to play in the game. Hewitt-Trussville (6-3, 4-2) didn’t go away, quickly scoring two minutes later on a 43-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Floyd to tight end Donovan Price. Floyd hit James Kelly for the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 36-29.
The final few minutes, however, all belonged to Spain Park. Bradley fired a 54-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Bibbs to go up 43-29 with 2:17 to play, and five plays later Floyd was intercepted by Kelby Roberson, who returned the interception 90 yards to paydirt.
“We were really bad on offense and defense tonight,” said Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd. “Just did not play really well. They had a ton of third-down conversions. We couldn’t get off the field.”
Huskies running back Kennedy Mitchell lost a fumble to Spain Park’s Roberson on the third play of the game. A drive later, Peyton Floyd put Hewitt-Trussville up 7-0 on a 36-yard run. Spain Park answered on a double-reverse pass from Bradley to Logan Brownlee for a 26-yard touchdown to tie the game. Running back Dakarai Shanks gave the Jaguars a 14-7 lead on his 10-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
Bradley connected with wideout Reggie Jackson on a 46-yard score to go up 21-7 in the second quarter, and Floyd responded with a 1-yard run to cut it to a 21-13 game. Alex Lloyd’s 21-yard field goal gave Spain Park a 24-13 halftime lead. Hewitt-Trussville forced a Spain Park three-and-out on its first possession of the third quarter and turned the ensuing drive into seven points on a 9-yard run by Jaqson Melton. Floyd leaped into the end zone for the two-point conversion, leaving the Huskies trailing 24-21.
But the Jaguars again answered, piecing together a nine-play, 76-yard drive that ended with Bradley hitting Mitchell Frazer for a 5-yard score. Bradley was 6-of-6 on the drive for 74 yards. A botched snap on the point-after try left Spain Park up 30-21.
“We’re a heavyweight,” Vakakes said. “We are going to be a heavyweight. We might not win every game. Nobody wins every game, but we’re a heavyweight, we work like it and it shows.”
For Spain Park, Bradley finished a sizzling 26-of-33 for 408 yards and four touchdown passes. Bibbs caught 10 of those passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
“Jonathan Bibbs is an SEC football player,” Vakakes said. “He’s an SEC player, no doubt in my mind. He is one of the best receivers in the state. He might have put himself on the map tonight.”
Before leaving early in the third quarter with an injury, Jackson caught six passes for 77 yards and a score. Cam McFarlin caught three passes for 71 yards. Shanks finished with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
For Hewitt-Trussville, Floyd was 17-of-23 for 216 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He rushed 16 times for 145 yards and two scores. Jadon Loving was the main target, grabbing 10 passes for 97 yards. Price caught both of his passes in the second half for 65 yards and a touchdown. Melton rushed seven times for 42 yards and a touchdown. Michael Igbinoghene notched an interception for the Huskies.
“I was worried about it since we played so well last week,” Josh Floyd said. “I was worried all week about this game, I really was, because I knew they could score, throw and catch really well. Their receivers are really, really good and made a ton of plays tonight. They really hurt us. We didn’t get it done tonight. We did not play good football at all.”
Hewitt-Trussville completes its regular season next week at Chelsea.
“We’re going to have to learn from this and move on fast,” Floyd said. “It doesn’t end our season or anything like that. It feels about that way right now, but it doesn’t. We’re going to have to learn from this and really shake it and move on because we’ve got a huge game next week if we want to start with a home playoff game.”
Spain Park, which will miss the Class 7A playoffs after Hoover beat Chelsea on Friday, travels to Oak Mountain next week. The plan for the Jaguars doesn’t change.
“Get back in the weight room Sunday and get back at it,” Vakakes said.
