Pinson Valley claims the 2020 6A state title with 23-13 come from behind victory over Spanish Fort
Tuscaloosa, AL – The Pinson Valley Indians knocked off the Spanish Fort Toros 23-13 Friday evening in the finale of the 2020 AHSAA Super 7 state football championship at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The heavyweight bout pitted the champions from arguably the toughest 6A regions in the AHSAA.
Spanish Fort’s dreams of taking a blue map back to the Eastern Shore was dashed in the state title game for the second year in a row. The Toros fell to Oxford 14-13 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2019. The seventh ranked Toro’s season ends with at 11-4.
The victory gives the No. 3 ranked Indians their third 6A state title in the last four seasons. Pinson Valley closes out Sam Shade’s first season in Jefferson County at 12-2.
Hear from Coach Sam Shade of @Pinson_Football following tonight’s victory in the 6A State Championship game pic.twitter.com/kJNglHMzZd
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) December 5, 2020
Alabama commit Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry finished the game with 89 yards receiving, hauling in 5 grabs and a score in route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Jaquel Fells Jr. added four receptions for 52 yards and a score through the air while running for 34 yards on 4 attempts. Junior running back Michael Sharp Jr. carried the ball 13 times for 60 yards and a touchdown, senior Kenji Christian chipped in 35 yards on eight carries. Indians quarterback Zach Pyron claimed his third state title as a starting quarterback (he captured the first two at class 2A Fyffe before transferring to Pinson prior to the 2020 season). The junior completed 13-of-21 passes for 166 yards and a pair of scores through the air while adding 50 yards rushing on 14 attempts.
Spanish Fort sophomore signal caller Brendon Byrd complete 11-of-24 throws for 131 yards. Johnny Morris III lead the Toro rushing attack with 111 yards on 14 carries while adding a pair of receptions for 22 yards. Jacob Godfrey was Byrd’s favorite target pulling down four catches for 23 yards, Mario Montgomery made two catches for 16 yards.
9:04 1st // Pinson Valley 7 – Spanish Fort 0Michael Sharp Jr. puts Pinson Valley on the board with a 26 yard touchdown run. Extra point good.
Touchdown Pinson Valley! The run by #4 goes 26 yards for a TD. The extra point makes it 7-0 Pinson Valley with 9:04 left in the 1st quarter pic.twitter.com/guly46aDff
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) December 5, 2020
4:27 1st // Pinson Vally 10 – Spanish Fort 0Pinson Valley pays off a 9 play 51 yard drive with a Zaylen McCray 26 yard field goal to extend the Indian lead to 10.
The Pinson Valley FG is good! Pinson Valley takes a 10-0 lead with 4:27 left in the 1st quarter pic.twitter.com/mH8r5yck1B
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) December 5, 2020
5:30 2nd // Pinson Valley 10 – Spanish Fort 7Spanish Fort gets on the board as quarterback Brendon Byrd caps a 7 play 82 yard drive with a three yard score. Lucas Breaux’s PAT splits the uprights.
3:49 2nd // Spanish Fort 13 – Pinson Valley 10Byrd gives the Toros the lead on a 1 yard run. PAT fails.
9:15 4th // Pinson Valley 17 – Spanish Fort 13Kool Aid McKinstry puts the Indians back on top grabbing a Zach Pyron pass and streaking 52 yards in to the endzone. McCray PAT Good.
2:44 4th // Pinson Valley 23 – Spanish Fort 13Jaquel Fells Jr. pulls down a Pyron pass for an 11 yard TD grab. Indians lead by 2 scores with 2:44 to play. PAT Fails.