SPANISH FORT, Alabama - In the year 2012, Spanish Fort High School continued to dominate sports in Class 5A in the state.

The Toros won their third straight baseball state championship with a sweep over Southside--Gadsden in the spring in Montgomery and won their second football title in three years with a dominant 45-14 win over McAdory in December at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

SPANISH FORT WINS SECOND FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Spanish Fort won its second football state title in three years in impressive fashion.

The Toros dominated both sides of the ball and all phases of the game to claim the state title with a 45-14 win over the previously undefeated McAdory Yellow Jackets at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium in early December.

The Toros finished with a 14-1 record while scoring nearly 48 points per game in the 2012 season.

Spanish Fort senior quarterback and Super 6 Most Valuable Player Joel Poe threw three touchdown passes and ran one in to lead the Toros in the championship game. McAdory held Spanish Fort’s run game in check early in the championship game, and Poe was more than capable of leading Spanish Fort’s passing attack.

“We never really know what a defense is going to do to us," Poe said after the game. "Take away the run, take away the pass. So they took away the run at first but gave us the pass and we were able to make some big plays. I just went through my reads and when they took away the pass again, I saw some things between the tackles and Ed (Autry) and Sammy (Tolbert) and our offensive line did the rest.”

Spanish Fort head coach Mark Freeman led the Toros to the state championship in just his second year at the school. He previously coached Bessemer Academy to a series of AISA championships before eventually finding his way to Spanish Fort.

Freeman’s Toros had to overcome adversity to reach the championship game.

“This season has been a lesson on life for these kids,” Freeman said. “We had a lot of weird stuff early in the year. We had something happen to one of our kids, and we lost him. We had a great starting linebacker who got injured. We lost a running back. But it is all good now.

“Those kids will carry some of the lessons with them in life, about being a dad, a husband. If they lose a job or something goes bad for them, they are not going to quit. They will go to work to fix it. That’s what we’ve done this year. These kids have grown up, they’ve matured. They have some character.”

Poe was 17-of-24 in the air for 177 yards with one interception while he, Autry and Tolbert combined for 200 yards on the turf. Tolbert had half the SF rushing production with 100 yards on 12 carries.

Poe picked up 33 yards and Autry 63. Patrick had six receptions good for 53 yards, Blain Crain came down with five grabs for 48 yards, Sam Harris had three for 30 yards, Hunter had two for 15 yards and Cook two for 31.

The Toro defense made 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 53 negative yards. Defensive linemen Chris Morehouse, Marcus Walton and John Wesley Williamson led the Minus-Men with big sacks and numerous hurries on Moore. Freshman safety Tyler Johnston had six tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception (his sixth of the season) returned for 15 yards and his linebacker brother Thomas Johnston had a blitz sack for the Toros’ defense. Ronald Smith led the Toros defense with eight tackles.

TOROS THREE-PEAT AS BASEBALL CHAMPS

The Spanish Fort Toros won their third-consecutive 5A state championship in May with a two-game series sweep of Southside-Gadsden by posting a 9-0 shutout and a 6-1 win at Paterson Field and Riverwalk Stadium.

“Just so proud of these guys and thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to coach them,” said Spanish Fort head coach Tommy Walker who founded the seven-year-old program in 2005. “We just won our 200th game and 201st in (school history—28.7 wins per season) seven years and a lot of players went before to help build it and I’m proud of those older guys for their efforts and support and equally of these guys — who, a lot of folks didn’t expect to get here and some said didn’t have a chance to be here.”

Junior Blaine Crain, who missed the early playoff rounds due to the death of his father Kurt Crain, went 3-for-6 with two RBIs for the series and was named 5A’s state tournament MVP. He thanked his teammates and coaches for helping him return to doing what he knew his dad would want, play ball.

“My dad was always there for me,” he said in a bittersweet tone as his and other eyes filled. “I know he was with me today, too. But just to have the guys to fall back on—the team we have— I’d do anything for them. I love every single one of them. We all knew we were going to win. I knew it. That’s the way we play. We didn’t expect to lose. Never have. Never will.”

Walker said the other players handled it well, giving Crain some respectful space before returning to their typical clubhouse ribbing.

“I think the biggest thing they all did for Blaine was after a couple of weeks, they started ripping him again,” Walker said with a smile.

Crain agreed it was probably good medicine. “The last thing I’d want to do is to be treated differently,” he said.

Spanish Fort senior left-hander Heith Brown (8-2) assumed control in the opener and went the distance with strong command of his pitches, scattered four hits, struck out three and walked three in his final high-school work on the mound. For Brown, who is a spot, control and movement specialist without a lot of heat, getting his mechanics back to normal since a knee injury sidelined him mid-season, was a big priority.

“I would say I feel like I’m about 95 percent back to where I was,” he said after the shutout. “I clearly don’t have a lot of juice, so I work hard on hitting my spots and keeping it down.”

Saturday, after playing first base and having a good day at the plate he said it felt good to swing the bat again after the injury sidelined him from that as well (he was hitting over .400 with 38 at-bats before the injury). But ending his career with a shutout and a good day at the plate in a third-straight title sweep before moving on to play for the Faulkner State Sun Chiefs was a great exit. “What more could you ask for,” he added. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I thought I’d throw well. I just didn’t know it would go that well.”

Sophomore Jesse McCord followed on the mound Saturday with a superb three-hit effort. The right-hander improved to 12-1 with four strike outs and no walks in the complete-game final 6-1 victory over the Panthers.

At the plate, both pitchers got the support they needed. In game two, Tate Godwin sparked a second-inning rally with a double and Will Luft later followed with a base-clearing triple. Matt Hall, Joel Poe, and Crain were all in on moving the runners as SF built an early lead. Crain and Brown finished the game with two hits each. Andrew Ferrell reached and scored three times.

In the opener, Crain, had two hits, two RBIs, 12 putouts at first base, and scored. Senior catcher Shane English had three hits and two RBIs, Godwin a sacrifice and an RBI, Luft had four RBIs and two hits for the game.

“Our pitching and defense played lights out,” Walker said. “But if anybody deserves this (experience and MVP award) it’s this guy (Crain). He’s had a tough spring and has gone through so much he shouldn’t have had to. We all love him. All our kids were just awesome.”

Spanish Fort finished 37-8, the Panthers (27-16). In June, Walker announced his decision to take over the baseball program at 6A Vestavia Hills. SF assistant coach and former Alabama standout Brent Boyd was soon named to run the Toros varsity.

Spanish Fort principal Marty McRae said Boyd was an all-around top pick and a favorite with the players and community.

“Coach Boyd has built a relationship with our players. His knowledge of the game and devotion to the team and our community as a whole made him the perfect choice for Spanish Fort High School. We are very confident he will continue to lead our baseball program in a positive direction.”

Boyd said the thrill of getting the job was emotional and overpowering, but the best part was the feelings of acceptance from what he called the Spanish Fort family.

“It just means so much to me, my wife, our family,” he said. “We love Spanish Fort so much and I just appreciate Mr. McRae and coach (Mark) Freeman and coach Walker so much for their support and the whole community. It's really, really, humbling. It's like getting to know and be accepted by a big loving family and we’re so happy to get to stay and be — well keep being — part of it, the Spanish Fort community. But also I know Spanish Fort takes its baseball to heart and so do I.

“It’s an honor to be trusted with so much. So, I know I have a lot of work to do. Standards are high at Spanish Fort and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But we’re blessed with great kids and athletes and we’re all just excited.”

Walker supported Boyd. “Great choice. I know the program is in good hands with Brent,” he said. “He has all the baseball knowledge needed and more. Knows the game and knows how to teach it. But what I'm most happy about is how he connects with the players. The kids respond to him so well on all levels. He and (pitching coach) Carlton (Paris) both are great with the kids and work well together. I think great things are in store for Spanish Fort and the team.”

Boyd, 32, and his wife Whitney have three young children, Audrey, Colton and Townsend. The Fort Worth, Texas native was a four-year starter at the University of Alabama from 1999-2002. He also worked two years as a graduate assistant under Crimson Tide head coach Jim Wells.

The Fairhope Pirates also made it the final 6A game of 2012, but took home the state runner-up trophy after falling to a powerful Oxford club.