SPAIN PARK RALLYS IN SECOND HALF TO DEFEAT PRATTVILLE 27-20

THREE TOUGH TURNOVERS DOOM LION TO SECOND STRAIGHT DEFEAT

Friday night September 7 Prattville made their first trip to Spain Park High School located in Hoover to take on the Jaguars.

The Lions fell behind early as Spain Park drove 80-yards in 14-plays to take a 7-0 lead on their first possession following the kickoff.

Prattville answered with a 66-yard drive on their first possession to knot the game at 7-all with 4:30 left in the quarter.

After Stanley Mays’ 11-yard run around left end on third down and seven gave the Lions a first down at the Lion 48, Prattville put the ball in Kamryn Pettway’s hands, and the junior running back answered the call ripping off a 9-yard run into Jaguar territory and a first down at the Spain Park 41.

Pettway then blasted off right tackle for 32-yards down to the Jags’ 9-yard line.  Two more trips and Pettway literally walked into the end zone behind the block of Clark Rice.  Austin Macginnis’ first of two PATs knotted the game at 7-all with 4:30 left in the quarter.

The Lions defense rose to the occasion on the ensuing possession by Spain Park.  Macginnis’ kickoff sailed into the end zone.  Spain Park went three and out, highlighted by a sack of quarterback Nick Mullens from Yusef Howard forcing a punt.

The Lions took over at its 44.  A holding penalty moved the ball back to the 31.  Undaunted by the holding penalty Kalen Whitlow went to the air hitting sophomore Seth Knotts twice.  The first pass was a beauty that Knotts carried for 42 yards to the Spain Park 37.

The second pass netted 23 yards and another first down to the Jag’s 14. Four plays later Stanley Mays scooted around left end to score giving the Lions a 14-7 lead with 23.3 seconds left in the quarter.

Prattville’s defense continued to play well.  On the ensuing possession the Lions’ defense forced the Jaguars to go three and out and a punt.

Taking over at its 27 Prattville coughed up the football with Spain Park pouncing on the loose pigskin.  But again the defense rose to the occasion and swatted the Jaguars away taking over on downs at its 23.

The two teams exchanged two possessions until late in the first half Spain Park took over at its 30 with 2:52 remaining until halftime.

The Jaguars went to the air with Mullens throwing seven consecutive aerials that cumulated with a 17-yard TD toss to Dalton Brown to tie the game at 14-all with 1:42 left.

Prattville took the ensuing kickoff and quickly motored down field with a first down at the Jaguars 37 with less than a minute remaining.  Whitlow picked up four yards on first down then threw two incomplete passes.  On fourth down Macginnis spilt the uprights with a 50-yard field goal.  His third field goal of the season, the first a 52-yarder against Carver.

Alas football has two halves.  The Lions won the first half, and played well on both sides of the line of scrimmage.  But the second half wasn’t pretty.

With “Mo” on their side after the long field goal and with possession of the second half kickoff, Prattville appeared ready to flex its muscle and win their regional opener.

It didn’t happen.  Taking the second half kickoff the Lions went three and out, but on fourth down Spain Park ran into Macginnis as he was punting giving the Lions new life with a first down at its 40.

On second down Whitlow scrambled out of the backfield for a first down to Spain Park’s 43.

Sadly it went downhill from there.   Tripp Burnett was called on to punt after a sack of Whitlow.  Spain Park took over at its 10-yard line.

The Jags then drove 90-yards in 11-plays, overcoming two penalties to take the lead, 21-17, with 4:19 left in the quarter.  Mullens fired a bullet to Otis Harris at the Lion 34-yardline.  Harris then broke two tackles and raced into the end zone.

Prattville never recovered and for the next 11 minutes the Lions never reached midfield.  During this time the Jaqs added two field goals for a 27-17 lead.

With 6:45 left in the game Prattville took over at is 24 following the second field goal.

Give the young Lions credit, they wouldn’t run up the white flag.

Prattville put together an impressive drive that carried to a first down at the Jags 17-yard line.  However an 11-yard sack of Whitlow by Spain Park linebacker Jacob Wolkow forced Prattville to kick a 33-yard field goal with 3:23 left, trimming the lead to 27-20.

Spain Park then took the ensuing kickoff, a pooch attempt, which Jourdan Walker cradled at the Jags’ 41,

Spain Park then picked up two first downs, all on the ground with the Jaqs' workhorse Harris carrying four consecutive trips to a first down at Prattville’s 29, where they ran out the clock.

Spain Park coach Chip Lindsey was elated following the game.  He told the Birmingham News reporter Doug Segrest “Where it (the win over Prattville) ranks, at least since I have been here, is as one huge win.  Prattville has a great program.  I’m glad we got them early.”

Running back Kamyrn Pettway ended the evening with 123 yards rushing, giving the junior 292 yards for the young season.  Kalen Whitlow passed for 175 yards.

Prattville will host long time rival Wetumpka Friday night at Stanley-Jensen Stadium with a 7 p.m. kick.

Coach Chad Anderson will see a lot of familiar faces on the Indians’ roster.  Anderson coached the Indians for eight seasons before returning home to Prattville in the spring, after Lion coach Jamey Dubose departed for Florence.  DuBose's Florence team picked up its first win of the season last weekend, defeating Buckhorn, 49-7.

With the defeat the Lions now stand at 0-2, 0-1 in the Regional 4 standings.  The Defeat also was the first time since 1988 that Prattville lost its first two games.