By: Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | The Birmingham Times (Special to NNPA)

For the first time in the storied history of Arthur Harold Parker High School, the Thundering Herd football program is now known by a new title – state champions.

Forty-four years after losing by two points in a championship at Legion Field, Parker downed perennial power Saraland 28-17 in the Class 6A championship game at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.

Parker (14-1) led 21-17 late in the fourth quarter. The Herd had fourth down and 9 from the Spartan 16. Rather than kicking a field goal, coach Frank Warren erased all doubt by going for the first down, which Timothy Merritt picked up to extend a drive that ended with Na’eem Offord’s game-clinching 2-yard touchdown run.

There was no way Warren was going to give Saraland (13-1) the ball back with a chance to tie or win.

“I knew they were gonna have to stop us,” the coach said. “The play we (called) we put in on Tuesday with two of the best athletes on the team. I knew people were going to go to Na’eem with the fake and another athlete Tim with the ball.

“I knew that play was going to work,” Warren continued. “We scored on the first drive with that play. I knew it was going to work again.”

Parker, which won the Black high school national championship in the 1963-64 school year, held a 14-0 lead after one quarter on Merritt’s TD runs of 14 and 6 yards.

“That was big (because) Saraland has a high-powered offense,” Warren said. “At halftime, I told them they had to play Parker football at the finish. This is the last 24 (minutes) of some of your careers. You’re always going to be remembered as a champion. They played their hearts out in the second half.”

Offord led the Thundering Herd offense with 98 yards and two TDs on 16 carries. Quarterback Dylan Reese completed 6 of 11 passes for 74 yards.

Defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford earned game MVP honors with six total sacks, five unassisted, with three sacks and 4½ tackles for loss.

“It’s really for my team,” Crawford said of his honor. “If it wasn’t for my team, I wouldn’t even have it right now. They covered all night. We rushed the passer all night. It was just meant to be.”

Offord, the state’s No. 1 senior prospect, flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Oregon on signing day Wednesday. But that decision didn’t distract him from the task at hand.

“I knew I had a big game ahead of me so I knew I had to focus,” he said. “I can’t let that one thing just lock me out. I had to help my team do what I had to do (and) block it out.”

Warren, his assistant coaches and a few players returned to the playing field after their postgame press conference to record the moment in pictures. The coach was still damp from having a water cooler emptied on him as time ran down.

It was the best shower he’s ever had.

“It felt great. It cleansed a lot of stuff for me, what I did in my life, what I’ve done, how hard I worked,” Warren said. “This is one of the best feelings you can ever have. I want to appreciate my coaches, my team, administrators, the fans and especially my wife and kids that sacrifice a lot for me to do what I need to be successful.”

Saraland coach Jeff Kelly gave all credit to the team in purple and white.

“Give credit to Parker,” he said. “They have an incredibly talented team. They made the plays necessary to win. They’re an outstanding team and they made it tough. On both sides of the ball, they were a physical team. They earned the win tonight.”

Parker’s elite defense held a Saraland team that averages 42.9 points to just 17. University of Texas signee KJ Lacey completed 11 of 24 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns while being picked once. Santae McWilliams added 11 carries for 29 yards.

Saraland has now finished as runner-up in the Class 6A title for the last two seasons.