By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

HUNTSVILLE — Spain Park High School girls’ soccer coach Robert Starr had several tricks to keep his players motivated during a run to the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A championship in 2009.

Starr found out the ideas he used to keep the Jaguars at the top of their game that season didn’t work quite as well as he coached them to a repeat in 2009.

The 2010 season offered another challenge, with Starr being tasked with making sure Spain Park players didn’t become complacent after two back-to-back titles.

It’s a good thing Starr is creative. He had plenty of devices in his bag to keep his players sharp as they approached the pinnacle moment of their season in the AHSAA Class 6A championship match May 14 at John Hunt Park against Daphne.

The Jaguars showed no signs of a contented feeling as they pounded the Trojans 5-0 on their way to capturing a third consecutive AHSAA Class 6A title.

“There were lots of challenges,” Starr said. “We’ve tried just about everything under the sun to keep them motivated.”

Simone Charley, who recently became the third Spain Park player to capture Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the past three seasons, led the Jaguars with two goals in two assists in the championship match. Charley was named the Class 6A tournament’s most valuable player.

Charley said she felt pressure to live up to the standards teammate Annalika Steyn set a year ago as Player of the Year.

“Annalika was very deserving of the award,” Charley said. “I felt like I needed to prove why I won it this year.”

Madeline Hughes also scored two goals and recorded one assist in the championship match. Marie Blunt accounted for the Jaguars’ only other goal.

Hughes gave Spain Park a 1-0 lead with her unassisted goal with less than two minutes remaining in the opening half.

Blunt scored her goal in the first two minutes of the second half to push the Jaguars’ lead to 2-0. Charley scored back-to-back goals less than four minutes apart midway through the second half to give Spain Park a 4-0 lead.

Hughes capped the scoring for the Jaguars with her goal, which was assisted by Charley, in the 66th minute of the contest.

Some of the challenges Starr faced this season included Charley competing in the AHSAA Class 6A girls’ triple jump championship and senior Lakin Eddy playing on the girls’ golf team.

Some coaches wish for their players to play only one sport, but Starr said the double duty Charley and Eddy performed is what make high school athletics special.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Starr said. “It’s what high school athletics is all about.”

Eddy, who said it was difficult at time juggling her golf and soccer schedules, said she felt honored to be a part of three girls’ soccer championships at Spain Park.

“Most of the time a player is lucky to win one (championship),” said Eddy, an Auburn University women’s golf signee. “To win three championships is something special.”

Spain Park defeated rival Hoover 4-0 in the semifinals May 13.

Eddy and Charley scored two goals each in the semifinal victory.

Spain Park goalkeeper Schyler Arnold set a new school record for number of shutouts in the postseason as she blanked both foes in the Final Four.

Arnold, who finished with 18 shutouts during her junior season, surpassed the school record 16 shutouts set by her older sister, Lauren, during last season’s run to the state championship.

Arnold deflected credit she received during the streak.

“It wasn’t just me,” Arnold said, “it was my whole back line.”