Spain Park outlasts Homewood with third-quarter rally
Published 2:17 pm Friday, November 14, 2025
- Spain Park came out strong to start the second half to keep Homewood at bay during an 18-point night from Josh Wilkerson. (File)
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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor
HOOVER – The Spain Park Jaguars dropped a tight battle with the Mountain Brook Spartans on Monday, Nov. 10, but the first home game of the season brought a return to winning ways after another tough test.
Spain Park defeated the Homewood Patriots 56-49 on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Jag Arena, pulling away in the second half after a close first 16 minutes.
Both teams started well on the offensive end. Tommy Morrison kicked off the game with 16 points for the Jags while Sam Fox added five points off a 3-pointer and two points of a possible and-1.
Cooper Gann, Owen Leonard and Andy McQueeney helped outpace a solid start from deep by the Patriots, and Spain Park led 18-15 after the first quarter ended.
Neither team found as much scoring success in the second quarter, but the Jags found a bright spot in the form of Josh Wilkerson. He scored seven of Spain Park’s nine points in the second quarter as the two teams remained close.
The Jags defense kept up though and helped them outscore Homewood in the second, extending the lead ever so slightly to 27-23 at the halftime break.
The Spain Park defense kept up the momentum in the third quarter, but the offense got a boost this time. Morrison added five points to get him into double figures alongside Wilkerson, who hit a crucial 3-pointer.
What’s more though, Gann and Fox hit all four of their combined free throws. That helped the Jags capitalize on the defense allowing just eight points for the second-straight quarter and lead 41-31 after the third quarter.
The third quarter run proved crucial as Homewood flipped a switch from deep in the final eight minutes. The Patriots made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including three from Drew Susce, who made just one shot prior to the fourth.
Spain Park kept pace with eight more points from Wilkerson off two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws. Fox also added a deep shot to limit the damage from the Patriots.
In the end, Homewood cut the deficit by just three when the final horn sounded, and the Jags finished off a 7-point win.
Wilkerson led the Jags with 18 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Morrison finished with 13 points, and Fox joined them in double figures with 12 points. Gann earned five points and Maddox Phillips finished with four points in the victory.
Spain Park will take its 2-1 record into a Saturday, Nov. 15 matchup with the Pinson Valley Indians. The game is set to start at 4:30 p.m. as part of the Caleb White Tip-off Classic showcase.