By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

HOOVER – The Spain Park coaching staff knew how their team responded after suffering a loss in the first game of the season, but were a bit nervous heading into an Oct. 9 matchup with Vestavia Hills a week removed from a monumental win over Hoover.

They had no reason to fret.

“This game worried me a little bit just because of what happened last week,” Spain Park head coach Shawn Raney said after his Jaguars blanked the Vestavia Rebels 21-0, setting a school record with their fourth shutout victory this season. “I told the kids ‘You know, we’ve proven we can come back after a loss, and I want to see if you can come back after a big win.’ They did that, so I’m real proud of them.”

Since the No. 2-ranked Jags (6-1, 5-0) lost to Austin in triple-overtime in the first game of the season, they have outscored their competition 139-42, and have now recorded shutouts over Hueytown, Tuscaloosa County, Hoover and Vestavia.

“This group is a special group. They just continue to do what we ask them to do,” Raney said.

Vestavia (5-2, 3-2) came into the Oct. 9 matchup with plenty of momentum, having reeled off three consecutive victories after losing to Hewitt-Trussville on Sept. 18, but a strong defensive effort by the Jags held the Rebels when it mattered most. The Rebels were zero-for-2 on fourth-down conversions, and were four of 12 on third-down conversions.

Vestavia drove into the Jaguars’ red zone on their first possession, but the Spain Park defense held the visiting team out of the end zone. When Vestavia placekicker Curry Howard lined up to try for a 26-yard field goal, the Jags blocked the attempt and defensive back Chris Young scooped up the ball and ran it 85 yards for a touchdown. Crosby Gray’s PAT put the Jags up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

The Jags then capped off an eight-play, 44-yard drive to start the second quarter when quarterback Joey Beatty jumped over a pile of defenders to break the goal line plane. Crosby split the uprights, and the Jags were up by a pair of touchdowns with 8:22 remaining in the first half.

On Spain Park’s next possession, Beatty launched a 36-yard touchdown pass to Bridge Suber to put the Jags up 21-0 late in the second quarter.

The Jags will travel to Oak Mountain on Oct. 16 for its penultimate region game of the season.