With a great defensive performance along with 418 Yards of Total Offense.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Pellham’s defense smothered previously unbeaten Spain Park (8-1, 6-1) on Friday, allowing just seven first downs on 106 total yards. The Panthers (6-3, 4-3) toppled Class 6A, Region 4’s best team 27-24 at Bearden Stadium.
Spain Park’s hidden yards made things more difficult for the Panthers than they would have preferred. An 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Otis Harris and a blocked punt recovery scoop-and-score by Phillip Brown accounted for over half of the Jags’ points.
“Our defense played very well all all night,” said Pelham coach Brett Burnett. “We just had those things happening in the kicking game in the first half with the kickoff return and the punt block that put us in a hole. These kids fought hard and never quit on us.”
The kickoff return stole a lot of early momentum from the Panthers, which had just taken a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter on a 22-yard touchdown run from Tyler Brasfield. Spain Park’s Harris was the player to answer, quickly putting the Jaguars back in front. He followed it with a 31-yard touchdown run which sent Spain Park to locker room with a 24-14 lead.
The special teams game-changers didn’t recur in the second half, allowing Pelham to pitch a second half shutout. Devon Mines opened second half scoring with a 46-yard run late in the third quarter, allowing Austin Bowen two chances to be a hero.
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Photo: AL.com Butch Dill
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