Oak Mountain Eagles (4-1)      vs.       Spain Park Jaguars (1-4)         

AHSAA TV Network\ WOTM Game of the Week

Class 7A Rivals Spain Park and Oak Mountain Set for TV Game of the Week

       MONTGOMERY – Neighbors take on neighbors Thursday night when Oak Mountain (4-1) travels up the road a few miles to take on Spain Park (1-4) at Bob Finley Field in a key Class 7A, Region 3 battle which will be showcased as the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the week.
      The game is being produced by WOTM TV with Vince Earley serving as the executive producer. Veteran announcers Mickey Shadrix and Gerhard Mathangani, both with WEAC TV 24, will be handling the play-by-play and color commentary for tonight’s game. The battle will be televised live over the AHSAA TV Network and livestreamed over the NFHS Network. WOTM TV has put together a strong network of cable affiliates across Alabama. It will be live on WOTM TV as well as WEAC TV 24 in Anniston and WABM TV 68 in Birmingham.
      Both teams were off last week and have had two weeks to prepare for this must-win contest for both teams. Oak Mountain, coached by Tyler Crane, are currently 2-1 in Region 3 with its only loss to current region co-leader Hoover (6-0). The Eagles have played well in close games this season but still have region games looming ahead with defending 7A state champion Thompson (6-0), which is tied with the Bucs at 3-0 in region play, and Hewitt-Trussville (5-1) and Tuscaloosa County (1-4). A loss to the Jaguars would mean having to sweep the rest of their games to earn a home playoff berth.
      Spain Park, 0-3 in region play, already has losses to Hewitt-Trussville, Thompson and Gadsden City but closes out with Vestavia Hills and Tuscaloosa County in region play. A win would give the Jags of Coach Shawn Raney an advantage in tie breakers if Spain Park can win out the rest of the season.
     Both teams know this one should be a down-to-the-wire type of battle. Senior quarterback Evan Smith is strong runner and passer who has a penchant for the big play. He seems to be at his best in the clutch. He is averaging more than 200 yards per game in total offense. Receiver Cade George caught four passes for 87 yards and a TD in a 28-21 setback to Hoover in the Eagles’ last game. Defensively, senior linebacker Jah’ki Mullen junior Garrett Murphy are two very athletic defenders.
    Spain Park counters with junior quarterback Evan Smallwood. Like Smith, he is a capable runner and passer as well. Smallwood is 44-of-73 passing this season for 43 yards and two TDs. He has thrown just one interception. Junior Zamir Farris leads the Jags in rushing with 370 yards and a touchdown on 60 carries. Place-kicker Braxton Sumpter kicked two field goals in Spain Park’s last game, a 29-26 loss to Gadsden City. Defensive end Brian Alston (6-3, 260) has been a big-play man on the Jaguars defense.
    The Jags fielded their first varsity football team in 2002 and has compiled a 131-89 record overall. Spain Park reached the Class 6A state finals in 2007 and 2015. Raney, in his ninth season as head coach, is 53-39 overall. Oak Mountain’s Crane is in his first year as head coach. The school opened its doors in 1999 and is playing its 23^rd season. The Eagles have compiled a  107-128 mark overall but finished 7-5 last season and are 4-1 year.
    This will be the 20^th meeting between the two schools. Spain Park holds a 14-5 edge. Oak Mountain won last year’s game 48-17 and Spain Park won in 2019 35028 in a game went two overtimes.
    Crane said Smith has done an outstanding job leading the Oak Mountain team. “Evan is a great player, Maybe the best athlete in  the entire state. Our schools are close. I drive by their school every day when I come to work. It is a great rivalry. Oak Mountain doesn’t want to lose to Spain Park and Spain Park doesn’t want to lose to Oak Mountain.”
    Raney adds, “It is crazy. You have some neighborhoods where folks from Oak Mountain are on one side of the street and Spain Park folks live on the other side of the street. It is just three miles from our front door to their front door.”
    He said the Eagles’ offensive leader Smith creates problems for any defense. “He is really outstanding,” Raney said. “We really have a challenge in front of us.”
   A total of 16 games are set for Thursday night with 11 set for the NFHS Network.

                         121 Games on Tap for NFHS Network Friday
    On Friday, the NFHS Network is set to live-stream 121 varsity football games over its NFHS Network School Broadcast Program.
   The AHSAA Radio Network’s Scoreboard Show will also air across the state Friday night. Go to www.ahsaaradionetwork.com for network information.
    To access the AHSAA Game of the Week over the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ahsaa/gamd6897bd53c

    To access the AHSAA Game of the Week over WOTM TV and its network of cable affiliates, go to AHSAA TV Network at the following link:
https://www.ahsaa.com/media and click on the AHSAA TV Network link.
    A complete list of all varsity football games set for tonight and Friday can be found at:
https://www.ahsaa.com/sports/football/2021-football-season-schedule
    Regional standings through last week’s games can also be found at:
https://www.ahsaa.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=2UayjTZDL1A%3d&portalid=0×tamp=1632342344234