Chase Smith's Spanish Fort side hit the road for its opening matchup in the AHSAA 5A Playoffs, and the Toros (8-3, 6-2) returned home with a gutsy 13-3 victory over Helena (7-4, 5-2) to keep their season alive.

Freshman quarterback Nolan Richardson accounted for the game's lone touchdown when he linked up with sophomore Bo Farmer on a 31-yard score. The young signal-caller actually got the ball via a double-pass, with Richardson also having led the Spanish Fort freshman team to an undefeated season last year as just an eighth-grader.

Junior kicker Zach Megie added field goals from 26 and 42-yards out, although the visitors certainly could have put more points on the board. A long run by the Toros resulted in a fumble at one juncture, while a second touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty later on.

Spanish Fort will now gear up for a home battle with top-seeded Benjamin Russell (8-2, 4-0) next Friday in Round 2. The Wildcats beat Tuscaloosa-Central by a score of 20-10 on Friday.