"Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue."
The day may have started out with a downpour, but when it came time for the Toros of Spanish Fort High School to be honored by MaxPreps and the Army National Guard, the sun decided to come out.
The 8th Annual MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard was in Spanish Fort, Ala. to recognize the
Spanish Fort football team for not only winning the Alabama 5A state championship but also finishing ranked as the 124th best team in the nation according to the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings.
Even before the festivities got started, the student body and the faculty were in a fun and lively mood. With both sides of the bleachers packed to capacity (to the point that students were forced to sit on the gymnasium floor and teachers had to be spread out on the back wall, even on the second level), one teacher decided that it was time to begin the wave.
Running back and forth between the two stands she was able to successfully engage the students in a wave, which looked quite impressive.
Principal Marty McRae kicked off the ceremony with words that got the entire school community excited and chanting. As MaxPreps continued the ceremony you could see the satisfaction and pride in the football team, which was sitting center court as its accomplishments were ticked off. Soon after, it was time for the moment that everyone was waiting for — the "Minuteman" trophy presentation.
Sergeant First Class James Miller and Staff Sergeant David Scott of the Alabama Army National Guard together presented the Army National Guard national ranking trophy to head coach Mark Freeman who in turn presented the trophy to Principal McRae and then finally handed it off the team. The players gladly accepted the trophy as they all rushed out of their seats to hoist it over their heads, proud of what they had accomplished and hungry to continue their journey as one of the top teams in the nation.
It was a special moment for SFC Miller and SSG Scott as well, as both have children enrolled in the Spanish Fort school system. SSG Scott has two children who attend the high school, one a freshman and his oldest a senior. There was even a special moment at the conclusion of the presentation where his daughter came up to greet him.
Once everything was said and done, it was time to grab some lunch and MaxPreps was privileged to have some of the best seafood that the gulf and Alabama have to offer. Joined by SFC Miller and SSG Scott at the local favorite and hidden gem, Market by the Bay, we ate seafood, talked about cars, beaches, and of course one of the toughest decisions an Alabamian has to make, Auburn Tigers or Alabama Crimson Tide … if we had to choose, it would be the Spanish Fort Toros every time.
