By JOSEPH ANTONIO / Special to the Reporter

There are a lot of people who say you only remember number one. However, time has proven to us that there are exceptions to every rule. Although they lost to McGill-Toolen 14-12 in the Class 7A state championship game, the 2015 Spain Park Jaguars incredible run will not soon be forgotten.

The Jaguars defeated the seemingly once-invincible Hoover Bucs not once but twice in one season. The Buccaneers had previously won 43 consecutive in-state games before falling 17-0 on Oct. 1 to the Jaguars.

“After beating Hoover, we believed we were a top team and really started to believe we would make it to the state championship,” said Jaguar senior quarterback Joey Beatty.

Weeks later, Spain Park did the unthinkable a second time in the playoffs by way of a 7-6 nail biter that ended Hoover’s reign of three straight consecutive state titles. The King was finally dead. Beatty believes that second win was extra special, possibly a foreshadowing of things to come in future years.

“I think Spain Park shouldn’t be looked at as little brother anymore. I think the power has shifted a little bit,” said Beatty.

However, not all endings are picturesque. Sometimes even the Hollywood ones. Rocky went the distance with Apollo, but still lost.

“It’s pretty tough to get that close. I try not to ponder it too much because I get sad thinking about it,” said Beatty.

With the amount of depth returning next year, there should only be reason to smile.