MOBILE, Ala. – Blake Dees' early interception set up the first of six Toro touchdowns and helped set the tone for the rest of the night at Ram Field Friday as Spanish Fort overwhelmed Faith Academy 39-7 in 5A region play.

Defensive dominance was the mission all along said SFHS coach Bryant Vincent. "Defensively I thought we played great all night. I was proud of our effort and intensity. This was a must-win game for us as far as the playoffs were concerned."

The Toro D held the Rams to 88 yards rushing and 103 passing. The added time of possession allowed the SF offense to put up a 19-0 halftime lead and a shutout until midway into the fourth quarter. The Toros recorded 347 total yards with 228 on the ground.

"Offensively I thought we came out and executed well at times. We had a couple of silly penalties but that is just part of growing," Vincent said. "We've made a lot of progress and now we have the big game with LeFlore, who right now is the best team in the region. It is a monumental task for us to stay with them."

Senior SF running back Davares Ambrose got the first TD from 21 yards out after the Dees pick off at the Faith 42. Quarterback Ameriol Finley then rushed for a 1-yard TD and tossed a 22-yard TD pass to Billy Harris. In the second half, Finley capped a 59-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run eight minutes in. Sophomore QB Joel Poe threw a pair of TD passes in the fourth, a 25 yarder to Adam Adcock and a 20 yarder to Ed Autry. Poe also connected to Conner Mitchell for key first downs in those second-half drives.

Jonathan Cook intercepted a pass in the third quarter that set up the 80-yard drive capped by the Poe-to-Adcock TD 37 seconds into the fourth.

Robert Creighton was 3-for-4 on extra point kicks and the Toros failed on two 2-point-conversion tries.

Faith's Charles Drinkard scored on a 22 yard run in the third.

The early and substantial lead gave the younger Toro players a chance to get some stains on their uniforms and Vincent was pleased with their play.

"I was really proud of our second string," Vincent said. "They bust their tails on the scout team every week and help us get ready for Friday night. I was proud how they came in and executed. There is just no substitute for getting real playing time in a real game."

Friday the Toros (5-1 overall, 2-1 region) will play host to region foe LeFlore. The Rattlers come to the Hill with a 5-1 overall. The Rams (2-4, 0-3) will host Vigor.

Finley ran for 79 yards on 16 carries and was 3-of-9 for 47 yards passing. Poe was 6-of-8 for 115 yards with the two TD passes. Ambrose added 89 yards on 10 carries and Autrey rushed five times for 45 yards.