MOBILE, Alabama - Spanish Fort made a strong case for a title run Friday as they reeled off their fourth straight win with little resistance from the LeFlore Rattlers. Coach Mark Freeman said he hated to spoil the Rattlers’ homecoming with the lopsided 31-8 win, but he was happy to see his team continue to recover from losses at Fairhope and St. Pauls earlier in the season.

“We make some mistakes mentally, and you’re never going to be perfect, but when we put that near perfect game together like we did tonight, we’re a pretty good football team,” Freeman said. “I have to give LeFlore credit. We were able to capitalize on a few poor plays on their part, but it’s a big win for us as we move forward.”

The Toros started the game with a 4-minute, 60-yard drive that was punctuated with an eight-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Joel Poe. When it looked like the Toros’ defense was going to complement the offense’s opening effort with a LeFlore three-and-out, they were called for roughing the kicker on a fourth-and-29 punt. That gave Rattlers’ running back Tedrick Robinson and opportunity to run for 37 yards on the ensuing first down. The Toros’ defense was able to respond, however, and kept the Rattlers from scoring for the remainder of the first half.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Fort didn’t score again until sophomore kicker Alexander Theodore nailed a 37-yard field goal on their fourth possession – after a drive that got momentum from running back Otis Smith and wide receiver Deon Johnson. The Toros would have blanked the Rattlers in the first half if it wasn’t for a safety called after a punt was snapped over the head of Theodore with 33 seconds left in the second quarter. Theodore chased the ball down and kicked it out of the back of the end zone, resulting in the 10-2 score at the break.

If LeFlore put up much of a fight at all it was when they picked up the offensive pace in the second half. The Toros’ could do little as LeFlore quarterback Dominique Johnson took quick snaps and marched his team 63 yards in the first seven plays. Then, just as they were poised to score, Spanish Fort junior safety Kylan Cotton snatched an interception on their own 22 yard line. The Toros’ delight would be short lived, however, as Spanish Fort’s Poe made the same mistake on the next play, throwing an interception to Leflore defensive back Christopher Brown.

But Leflore was also unable to capitalize on the turnover, and in their next possession, Deon Johnson showed his speed, taking a hand-off 76 yards before running out of steam and being pushed out at the Rattler’s 3-yard line. The play callers let Johnson finish the job on the next play, as he ran it into the end zone right through the middle.

The Rattlers responded with their own touchdown by Aaron Frye on the following drive, but missed a two-point conversion. It would prove to be LeFlore’s only offensive points of the night.

Spanish Fort’s Johnson would score again with a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter, and finished with more than 100 yards on the night. The game was sealed when Cotton picked off another pass with 25 seconds remaining in the game and ran it 90 yards for a pick-six.

The Toros are 5-2 and face 5-2 Vigor next Friday at home. “We respect Vigor and know they are a great team – I know they are a big, strong, well-coached team and we’re going to have to play our best to keep our momentum next week,” Freeman said.