By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

HOOVER – Class 7A boys soccer No. 8 Spain Park, Area 6 runner-up, had its season end on April 28 at the hands of fourth-ranked, Area 5 champions Hoover in the first round of the 7A playoffs.

The Jaguars defeated Mountain Brook on April 14 in the waning moments of the game to claim the second seed and the second playoff berth in Area 6, behind second-ranked area winner Vestavia.

April 28 marked the fourth time the Jaguars had met the Bucs this season, with Hoover winning all three of the first meetings by a combined score of 4-0. All three games were close, however Spain Park never was able to muster any offense in any of the games, which was a trend for the Jaguars throughout the season, as they scored over three goals in a game just three times all season and were held to one goal or fewer 15 times.

The fourth game followed the same trend as every game before it this season. Hoover scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the game to take a 2-0 lead before Spain Park had even settled in. Another first half goal in the 37^th minute gave the Bucs a 3-0 lead, which was more than enough to hold off the offensive-deficient Jaguars.

The Jaguars ended their season with an 8-13-2 record in one of the toughest regions in the state.