Following a go-ahead touchdown from Hoover with a little more than two minutes left in the game, Spain Park coach Tim Vakakes gathered his team around and stressed that the toughest team would win the game.

Brock Bradley kept his cool.

“There’s no quarterback in the country I’d rather have behind center than Brock Bradley,” Vakakes said.

Stealthily maneuvering his team down the field, the Clemson quarterback commit scrambled for a 15-yard gain on a fourth down and fired a laser to Corey Barber three plays later for a 9-yard touchdown and the Class 6A fourth-ranked Jaguars rallied for a 39-37 victory over Class 7A No. 5 Hoover in Friday’s showdown at the Hoover Met.

“We work that two-minute drill all the time,” Bradley said. “That’s just greatness, man. That comes from heart and I’m so proud of this team.”

Spain Park (2-0) fell behind 6-0 on the opening possession, allowing Hoover to drive 70 yards and cap the drive with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Mac Beason to Avery Crawford, but forced consecutive fumbles and went up 14-6 at the end of the opening quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from receiver Mitchell Frazer to running back Jaylen Mosley and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bradley to Connor Greb.

The Jaguars surged ahead to a 20-6 advantage on an 87-yard pass from Bradley to Barber, but Hoover cut the halftime lead to 20-12 on a 1-yard plunge by JR Mosley with 4:18 remaining in the first half.

Spain Park opened the second half with a grueling drive, but turned the ball over on downs, only for Payton Wood to pick off Beason on the ensuing drive and return the interception 85 yards for a score and a 27-12 lead more than midway through the third quarter.

Hoover (1-1) regrouped and scored 18 unanswered points on a 3-yard touchdown run from Kelian Jefferson and a 13-yard scoring pass from Beason to Ar’Mari Towns before taking a 30-27 lead on a 50-yard field goal by James Bryant with 5:59 left in the game.

“We knew it was going to be a battle walking into it (fourth quarter) but I stuck with my guys,” Bradley said.

Bradley connected with Barber for 36 yards on a double-reverse pass and Camden Major for 37 yards and Dakarai Shanks retook the lead, 33-30, on a 6-yard touchdown run.

Hoover glided down the field in five plays on the following possession, going up 37-33 on a 9-yard run from AJ Allen, but Bradley and Barber led the Jaguars back down the field and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 9-yard pass into the right boundary on the end zone.

“Developing those seniors and underclassmen, getting those guys really pays off,” Bradley said. “It really goes back to Coach V and what he’s all about. We work for this moment, all the shifts and eye-candy, we worked through it all summer and it paid off tonight.”

Star of the game: Barber. The junior receiver finished with 9 receptions for 208 yards and the game-winning touchdown catch with 50 seconds remaining in the game.

“It was great, I love my team. We overcame. People doubted us all week but we put in the work and knew we would come in here and win,” he said.

By the numbers: 8, the number of consecutive wins in the series for Hoover until tonight’s loss, the Bucs lead the series 20-4 all-time. …4, the number of sacks and turnovers combined by both defenses. …0, the number of completions on Hoover’s final drive of the game.

Stat sheet: Spain Park – Bradley finished 19-of-26 passing for 335 yards and 3 touchdowns, while adding 18 yards on the ground. Shanks and had 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, and Jaylen Mosley had 3 catches for 62 yards and a score. Greb topped out at 3 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Hoover – Beason was 20-of-30 passing for 286 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jefferson, Mosley, Allen and JaCorrey Hayes combined for 116 rushing yards, the former three all scoring, and Jonah Winston had 7 receptions for 68 yards and Crawford had 4 catches or 76 yards and a score.

Coachspeak: “Community. We got a great thing going down on Jaguar Drive. We got a great administration and great kids. I told them that the toughest team would figure out a way to win and they did.” — Spain Park’s Tim Vakakes

He said it: “It means so much, man. Just greatness. Taking this city back, it’s something I’ve dreamed about my whole life.” — Bradley on ending Hoover’s 8-game win streak against the Jaguars

What’s next? Spain Park remains on the road and will face Helena, while Hoover heads to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.