Sparkman moves closer to No. 2 seed

HUNTSVILLE – Sparkman rebounded from a loss to James Clemens in a marquee Class 6A, Region 4 clash in solid fashion, moving one game closer to a second seed and a first-round bye with a solid victory over Grissom.

The Senators shook wind and a slight drizzle to take down the Tigers 28-7 Friday night at Milton Frank Stadium.

Sparkman improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the region. The Jets locked up the region championship and the top seed with a 49-7 win over Hazel Green.

James Clemens (7-1, 6-0), Sparkman, Buckhorn (5-3, 4-2), Gadsden City (5-4, 3-3), Bob Jones (4-4, 3-3) and Huntsville (4-4, 3-3) have all secured playoff berths with seeds 2-6 to be determined.

Grissom (1-7, 0-6) and Hazel Green (0-8, 0-6) have been eliminated.

“(The region championship) was really just a short-term goal for us this year,’’ Senators senior quarterback/ receiver Joshua Naylon said. “The main goal was getting in the playoffs and hopefully going on a run, you know, make some history. That (loss to the Jets) was just a minor setback, but we’ve made a major step forward for this team, this program.’’

Sparkman will make its second straight playoff appearance this season. However, the Senators haven’t won a postseason game since 2006 and have a dismal overall playoff record of 1-12, something that’s not lost on the team’s collective mind.

“That’s something we will accomplish, and we will break that streak of not winning playoff games,’’ Nylon said. “This is a different team, different program, you know, different mindset. We’re just gonna have to show everybody in the playoffs.’’

Sparkman hosts Buckhorn Friday. A win by the Senators would clinch the region’s second seed and also put them in a unique position. The team is idle the last week of