Congratulations to Spanish Fort High School and its football team.
Photo by Army National Guard
Whoever says that lightening doesn't strike twice has not been to Spanish Fort High School. For the second year in a row, the MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the National Guard honored the Toros of
Spanish Fort (Ala.). Last year, MaxPreps and the Alabama Army National Guard visited the school to recognize its accomplishment of finishing ranked as the 124th best team in the nation; but unlike last year, the Toros finished this season ranked 59th in the nation by MaxPreps.
Head coach Mark Freeman could only say that he along with his team felt extremely blessed to not only receive the honor once, but twice. It truly is a testament to hard work and always striving to be better. Some teams might have been content with finishing in the top one percent the previous year, but not the Toros. They want to be the best team in the nation, and for a young program some might think that those goals are lofty. But Spanish Fort is proving that it doesn't matter how young the program is - it's the work that goes into it that matters.
I always like to ask the coaches how will they bridge the gap to next season. Last year, coach Freeman said their season starts immediately by putting the work in the weight room and then bringing it to training camp and finally with the season. A lot also has to do with the players themselves. A former coach of mine used to tell us a single word, "Represent." This meant represent your team, your school, your family and finally the players that wore that jersey before you. Without being told, the players seem to have taken that saying to heart. They want to be a part of the growing legacy and of course outdo the senior class that came before them.
Sergeant First Class Jarrell of the Alabama Army National Guard came out to present coach Freeman and the Toros the Army National Guard national ranking trophy in front of the entire school. Before handing the trophy over, he spoke to the student body, teachers and parents in attendance about great people that the world has seen and what these individuals did that made them so great. SFC Jarrell then explained how the Toros exhibit some of those same qualities. To be "great" doesn't take a whole lot; it was the little things that helped propel those people to the status they achieved. And for the Toros, it was the little things that helped to propel them.
Spanish Fort High School is quickly becoming not only an Alabama football powerhouse but a national powerhouse. They put in the work, understand what needed to be done and had the willingness to go out and get it done. For all intents and purposes, the boys on the football team are just going out there and doing what they love to do. They understand what has been done before them and what they need to do: Represent.
This was likely not the last time that the Tour of Champions will be visiting coach Freeman and the Spanish Fort Toros.
