Senior Night for Spanish Fort On the Hill was close to perfect for the home team Friday night.

Senior linebacker Sterling Dixon surprisingly returned from what was thought to be a season-ending injury, quarterback Aaden Shamburger was in complete control of the offense and the Toros rolled to a 35-6 win over a strong Class 6A Region 1 rival St. Paul’s.

“We challenged our guys all week to grow and get better and they did that,” said Spanish Fort coach Chase Smith. “I’m super proud of how they responded.”

The sophomore Shamburger looked like seasoned veteran running the Toros’ offensive attack. He completed 13-of-18 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns and one interception on a deflected ball. He also rushed eight times for 33 yards.

“Our defense was magnificent and our offensive line played great, so it was a team win,” Shamburger said. “We made some adjustments and called some RPOs (run-pass options) and that’s what I really like.”

St. Paul’s (4-2 overall and 2-2 in region play) began the game strong, picking up two first downs before punting the ball to the Spanish Fort 6. A quick three-and-out forced a punt. But the low punt hit a St. Paul’s player on the back of the foot before ever hitting the ground. Markell Kyer recovered for Spanish Fort and that started the onslaught.

Spanish Fort (4-2 overall and 4-1 in region play) scored on a 13-yard run by Sawyer Wilson. A long punt return set up the second touchdown, a 24-yard screen pass to Wilson. In the second quarter, Shamburger hit Gabe Myers on a 36-yard strike down the left sideline to increase the lead to 21-0. Then, an interception by Javontae Walton set up another touchdown, this time on a double-pass from Nehemiah Hixon to tight end Chandler Wilson from 11 yards out.

The 28-0 lead held through the third quarter. The Toros scored on a blocked punt in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, with Josh Powell falling on the ball for the score.

St. Paul’s got on the ball with 9:21 remaining in the game when Tank Jones took a direct snap and powered in from one yard out.

Stars came out: There were some celebrities in attendance for the 11th annual California Dreaming Bowl. Former Baldwin County, Alabama and Kansas City Chiefs star Wallace Gilberry was in attendance and he brought along his friend, former NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace. Gilberry explained that the two became friends because Wallace is a devoted fan of the Chiefs. The two friends have since entered business together.

By The Numbers: Spanish Fort displayed a balanced offense. The Toros ran the ball 31 times for 166 yards, while passing for 184 yards. Overall, Spanish Fort ran 51 plays for 350 yards, an average of 6.9 yards per play. St. Paul’s ran the ball 21 times for 43 yards and also passed for 121 yards.

Game ball: Sawyer Wilson scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown.

Coachspeak: “They outplayed us and they were the more physical team tonight,” said St. Paul’s coach Ham Barnett. “That’s a recipe for disaster.”

Next week: Spanish Fort has a short week to get ready to visit McGill-Toolen on Thursday night for another key region game. St. Paul’s will host Robertsdale on Friday.