2016 Team Previews
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Spanish Fort Toros |
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Head Coach: Ben Blackmon (second season) Stadium: The Hill Career Record: 9 seasons, (67-34) At Spanish Fort: one season, (15-0) 2016 Enrollment: 814 Rank: 59th in the AHSAA, 27th in Class 6A |
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall Record: 104-30 (78.0%) Last 25 years: 104-30 (78.0%) (Rank: 6th in the AHSAA, 1st in Class 6A) Since 2010: 78-9 (90.0%) (Rank: 4th in the AHSAA, 1st in Class 6A) Last Playoff Appearance: 2015 Last Region Championship: 2015 Last Winning Season: 2015 Last Losing Season: 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class: 6A
Region: 1
Record: 15-0 (Team record for wins in a season) Region Record: 8-0, (first) Playoff Record: Won the Class 6A State Championship by defeating Clay-Chalkville at the Alabama Super Seven 31-28 in Auburn. Final ASWA Poll: 2nd Scoring: 619 (41.3) Defense: 265 (17.7) College Signees lost to Graduation Tony Mitchell, DB [East Tennessee St.] Davoris Thomas, DB [Tuskegee] Tyler Johnston, QB [UAB] Jacob Johnson, OL [Southern Miss] Tre Threat, LB [Auburn] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class: 6A
Region: 1
Strength of Schedule: 56-52 (52%) (156th in the AHSAA, 33rd in Class 6A) Region Strength: 37-46 (45%) Non-Region Strength: 19-6 (76%) D1 Prospects Thomas Johnston, 6-2, 215, OLB Justin Thomas, 6-5, 255, DE Trae Barry, 6-6, 201, QB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016 Preview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spanish Fort completed the 2015 season with a 15-0 record. Last year Spanish Fort captured the region one title and a number one seed in the Class 6A playoffs. They finished region play with a 8-0 record. The Toros reeled off five straight playoff wins to claim the Class 6A State Championship by defeating Clay-Chalkville at the Alabama Super Seven 31-28 in Auburn. No team at Spanish Fort ever won more games in a season than the fifteen victories last year. The high-scoring Spanish Fort offense ranked 17th in the AHSAA. They averaged 41.3 points a game. Over the past two seasons the Toros have gone 27-2 and will be looking to continue that winning tradition. As one of the best football programs in the state since 2010, Spanish Fort has gone a combined 78-9. Their 90.0% winning percentage ranks 1st in Class 6A over the past six seasons. Over the past 10 seasons, Spanish Fort has gone a combined 104-30. Their 78.0% winning percentage ranks 1st in Class 6A and 6th in the AHSAA. Their last losing season was 2007. The Toros are led by head coach Ben Blackmon who is entering his second season at the helm. His team finished with a 15-0 record in his first season at Spanish Fort. The Toros saw improvement from a 12-2 record the season before coach Blackmon arrived. Under his direction the Toros have qualified for the playoffs once. They have won one region crown with Coach Blackmon. Coach Blackmon led Spanish Fort to a state championship in 2015. Coach Blackmon's overall record as a head football coach in nine season stands at 67-34 (66.3%). Over the course of his career, Coach Blackmon's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of six times and won two region championships. The Spanish Fort Toros will play in Class 6A region one during the 2016 season. The Toros enter the 2016 season riding a 15 game winning streak. They have also won 12 consecutive regular season games. Spanish Fort has won 10 consecutive region games. They have won 8 straight games on their home turf at The Hill. While most teams rebuild during the off season, Spanish Fort has been a consistent winner the past few years and will simply reload this season. The Toros enter the season with expectations of not only a region title but reaching the state championship game. They are considered one the favorites in region one and should be a team in the thick of the hunt to represent the South in the Class 6A Super Seven come December. The Toros have succeeded in reaching the playoffs every year since 2007 and this year should be no exception. The Toros have won four championships in the past six seasons and there is no reason to think the success will not continue at Spanish Fort. Region One is always competitive with the likes of Saraland, Daphne and Blount all in the hunt for a playoff spot. The defense will be led by senior linebacker Thomas Johnston who registered 147 tackles last season. Justin Thomas also returns at defensive end after collecting 11 sacks in 2015. The Toros open the 2016 season on the road against non-region opponent McGill-Toolen on Friday, August 19 at Lipscomb Park. Last year the McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets finished with an overall record of 13-1 and in first place in Class 7A region one. The Yellow Jackets won the Class 7A State Championship last season when they defeated Spain Park by a score of 14-12 in the Super Seven finals in Auburn. Spanish Fort and McGill-Toolen have met a total of 11 times on the football field. The Toros have a 4-7-0 record against the Yellow Jackets. They last met in 2007 with McGill-Toolen winning by a score of 57-7. Spanish Fort returns 6A All-State Senior defensive lineman Justin Thomas. He was named to the first team last season. The Toros also return Senior linebacker Thomas Johnston. He was named to the first team. College prospects include: Justin Thomas (6-5, 255) defensive end, Thomas Johnston (6-2, 215) outside linebacker, Trae Barry (6-6, 201) quarterback, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
The first night game played between high school teams in the state occurred on September 23, 1927 when Pike Road and Cloverdale met in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.
The first night game played between high school teams in the state occurred on September 23, 1927 when Pike Road and Cloverdale met in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.