Toros’ Trick Plays Stun Helena: Double Pass, Onside Kick Lift Spanish Fort to 13-3 Playoff Win

HELENA, Ala. — Spanish Fort coach Chase Smith told his players during the week that they might need two trick plays to win in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. On Friday night, Nov. 6, the Toros used both of them.

A double-pass touchdown from a freshman backup quarterback and a surprise onside kick that followed it flipped a 3-0 deficit, and kicker Zachary Megie added two field goals as Spanish Fort beat Helena 13-3 on the road in the opening round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs.

The win lifts the Toros to 8-3 and sends them home for the second round. Spanish Fort will host Benjamin Russell of Alexander City next Friday, Nov. 13. Helena finished its season 7-4.

The play before the play

For most of the night, points were hard to come by. Helena’s defense held Spanish Fort in check, and the Huskies carried a 3-0 lead into a pivotal sequence deep in their own territory.

With the Toros facing second-and-10, senior quarterback J.J. Thibodeaux threw a pass that Helena’s Amar’e Hudson got his hands on. The ball slipped through, and Spanish Fort kept possession.

Helena coach Richie Busby said afterward that the missed interception was the hinge of the game.

“If we make the interception, it could have been a different game. That play meant a 10-point swing,” Busby said.

Double pass, then a surprise kick

On the very next snap, Spanish Fort went to the play it had been saving. Thibodeaux threw a lateral to freshman Nolan Richardson, who is listed as the Toros’ backup quarterback, and Richardson lofted a 28-yard touchdown pass to Robert Farmer in the end zone.

Smith said his staff had spotted a tendency in the Helena secondary.

“We practiced those plays all week,” Smith said. “We saw how their safety was cheating toward the backfield and it was time for the double pass.”

He said the offense needed a spark against a defense that had been playing well.

“We knew that we had to do something,” Smith said. “Helena played great defense and our kids needed a lift.”

Spanish Fort did not wait long to press its advantage. After a penalty against Helena on the extra-point try, the Toros lined up for an onside kick. Hayes Thomas recovered it, giving Spanish Fort a first down at the Helena 30-yard line.

That possession ended with Megie’s 31-yard field goal, and Spanish Fort led 10-3.

A bad snap and a short field

Helena’s next costly moment came on an errant snap that sailed over the head of quarterback Caleb Soreano. The Huskies were left facing second-and-25 from their own 6-yard line, and the drive ended with a 20-yard punt that handed the Toros the ball in Helena territory.

Five plays later, Megie connected from 43 yards to set the final margin at 13-3. Spanish Fort’s defense took care of the rest, holding Helena without a touchdown for the entire game.

A young team with a big win

The result is all the more notable given the makeup of the Spanish Fort roster. The Toros have only five seniors, and much of the team that won Friday is made up of sophomores and juniors.

“For a group of sophomores and juniors to come up here and beat a good Helena team, I couldn’t be prouder,” Smith said. “These kids fought and did anything that we asked them to do. Now, we get to host a second round playoff game. I am so proud of them.”

Smith said the trick plays were not an act of desperation but part of the plan all week.

“We practice the onside kick and double pass all week. I told the kids that we might have to use both of them,” he said.

How Spanish Fort got here

The Toros entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed from Class 5A, Region 1 after a 7-3 regular season and a 5-2 record in region play. Their two region losses came against the area’s top two teams. Spanish Fort was held to 10 total yards in a 36-0 loss to Gulf Shores on Oct. 16, the night the Dolphins clinched the region title, and a week later fell 56-14 to Saraland as Jamison Roberts accounted for six touchdowns.

Spanish Fort answered by closing the regular season with a 35-14 win at St. Paul’s on Oct. 30. In that game, Thibodeaux threw three touchdown passes to junior receiver Devin McKenzie and ran for two more scores. Smith said then that the second half was “something we can definitely build on going into the playoffs.”

Friday’s win showed a different way to win. Instead of explosive passing, the Toros leaned on their defense, special teams and a pair of well-timed calls.

Helena’s season ends

Helena, the runner-up in Class 5A, Region 4, exceeded expectations this fall, according to Busby, who is also the head coach of the Alabama team for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic on Dec. 12 in Mobile.

“I am so proud of our kids. We weren’t supposed to finish second in the region or win 7 games, but we did,” Busby said. “Our kids did everything that we asked them to do. Right now, it is tough because I think we had a chance.”

Up next: Benjamin Russell

Spanish Fort’s second-round opponent advanced with a 20-10 win over Central-Tuscaloosa on Friday at Martin-Savarese Stadium in Alexander City. Benjamin Russell is led by Alabama quarterback commitment Kingston Preyear, who threw a touchdown pass and ran for another touchdown in the win. Running back Josh Harriell carried 24 times for 161 yards, and Gabriel Lauderdale caught a touchdown pass.

The Wildcats’ defense was a big part of their first-round win. Kendarious Byrd had eight tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery, Briston Hardy added eight tackles and a fumble recovery, and Kaleb Spivey finished with eight tackles and a sack.

Benjamin Russell is familiar to Mobile-area fans. In September, Vigor traveled to Alexander City and beat the Wildcats 20-10, holding them to 25 rushing yards in a game recapped here.

Fans planning to attend should check with the school for kickoff time and ticket information, including any digital ticketing requirements.

The road to Mobile

This is the first season under the AHSAA’s new playoff format, which separates public and private schools for championship play. Every state final in football is scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus in Mobile, meaning a Spanish Fort title run would end just across the bay.

Spanish Fort is one of several Baldwin and Mobile County teams still alive in Class 5A. Gulf Shores and Saraland, the region’s top two seeds, also won their first-round games Friday.

Spanish Fort 13, Helena 3 at a glance

• Round: AHSAA Class 5A, first round
• Records: Spanish Fort 8-3; Helena 7-4 (season over)
• Turning point: A dropped interception by Helena’s Amar’e Hudson, followed on the next play by Nolan Richardson’s 28-yard double-pass touchdown to Robert Farmer
• Special teams: Hayes Thomas recovered an onside kick; Zachary Megie kicked field goals of 31 and 43 yards
• Did you know: Spanish Fort has only five seniors
• Next: Benjamin Russell at Spanish Fort, Friday, Nov. 13, Class 5A second round