Sparkman took a major step toward securing a fourth straight trip to Class 7A playoffs by routing Huntsville 55-14 Thursday night in a Region 4 matchup at Milton Frank Stadium.

The Senators (5-3, 3-3 in region play) erupted for 34 unanswered points after halftime. Quarterback Josh Ward threw four touchdown passes and Sparkman’s defense forced four Crimson Panther turnovers, including a pair of interception returns for scores by defensive back Sean Williams in the second half.

Ward had touchdown passes of 15, 54, 24 and 70 yards. He finished with 301 yards through the air, completing 18-of-26 passes without an interception.

Ward connected with Matthew Rozier for two first-half touchdowns and added a 54-yard touchdown pass to Karmelo Montgomery to take a 21-14 lead at halftime. Huntsville (4-4, 3-3) kept it close in the first two quarters thanks to a 27-yard touchdown run by Carlin Long and quarterback Jacks McClung’s 8-yard TD pass to Huck Hensley.

Ward connected on all eight of his passes in the third quarter for 173 yards, including a 70-yard bomb to Jonathan Rozier that made it 28-14. Jayden Thomas later added a 2-yard scoring run and Williams picked off McClung and returned it 36 yards as the Senators built a 41-14 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Thomas added his second touchdown run, this time running in from 8 yards away, and Williams capped the scoring by stepping in front of another McClung throw and returning it 70 yards for a touchdown with 4:34 remaining.

Star of the game: Ward, a junior, attempted 26 passes and completed 18 for 301 yards. His 70-yard pass to Jonathan Rozier less than two minutes into the third quarter came after Sparkman’s defense had turned away Huntsville on downs. It increased the Senators’ lead to 28-14 and set the tone for the second half. “I told him to just let it go,” said Sparkman coach Laron White. “They play a lot of man-to-man coverage and it worked out in our favor tonight.”

Play of the game: Huntsville, which had missed a field goal on its first possession, appeared poised to tie the game at 7-all in the first quarter. But the Crimson Panthers fumbled while trying to run an option play in the red zone and Sparkman’s Kamarion Starks recovered the fumble at the 8. The Senators responded with an 11-play, 92-yard touchdown drive for a 14-0 lead.

Stat sheet: Sparkman – Matthew Rozier caught seven passes for 95 yards with two touchdowns. Jayden Thomas ran 16 times for 73 yards with two touchdowns and also had two catches. The Senators’ defense had two pick-6′s, forced a fumble and recovered a muffed punt. Huntsville – McClung, who threw for 164 yards in the first half, was just 2-of-13 for 17 yards after the intermission and finished with 181. Long ran for 169 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown.

By the numbers: 23, Sparkman – which ranks fourth among 7A programs in scoring defense – has allowed just 23 total points (4.6 per game) in its five wins this season. The Senators have surrendered an average of 37.7 points per game in their three losses … 41, this was Sparkman’s largest margin of victory in the series that dates to 1969. The Crimson Panthers hold a 17-7 advantage in the series, but Sparkman has won four in a row and six of the last seven … 11, total penalties against the Senators for 100 yards. Huntsville was penalized three times for 21 yards.

Coachspeak: “We’ve just got to line up at practice Monday and go to work. We control how the season goes from here.” – Sparkman coach Laron White

What’s next? Sparkman hosts Florence, which has only one region loss, next Friday. The Crimson Panthers travel to face Region 4 leader Austin in Decatur.