By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

HOOVER – As the summer months continue to drag on, a number of local schools have been preparing for the fall by playing 7-on-7 football tournaments. Spain Park and Thompson took part in the USA 7-on-7 National Football Championships at Hoover High School from July 14-16 and both fared well. The Warriors finished pool play with a 3-3 record while Spain Park finished with a 2-3-1 record before both fared respectfully in bracket play.

Spain Park, playing in Pool C, started the tournament with a 27-27 tie against Centennial (Ga.). The Jags then lost to Lassiter (Ga.) by two points to finish the first day of the tournament in an 0-1-1 holes. On Saturday, the Jags beat Bob Jones 21-20 before falling to Thomas Jefferson (Pa.) 31-12 and Warren Easton (La.) 39-30. In between the games against Thomas Jefferson and Warren Easton, Spain Park shelled Hamilton 23-4, and went into bracket play with a 2-3-1 record.

In bracket play the Jaguars won one game in the winners bracket before getting knocked to the losers bracket via a 28-21 loss to the top team in the competition, Warren Central (In.). The Jaguars then beat Lassiter for the second time in the tournament and beat Shannon (Miss.) 31-26 before their tournament came to an end at the hands of Warren Easton, via a 32-23 loss.

Thompson also fared well, as the Warriors beat Gadsden City, Carver-Montgomery and South Forsyth (Ga.) in pool play to finish with a 3-3 record. The Warriors went into bracket play as the No. 27 seed overall, and after winning two games in the winners’ bracket against Lassiter (Ga.) and Tuscaloosa County, Thompson was knocked down to the losers’ bracket with a 24-15 loss to Colquitt County (Ga.). In the losers’ bracket Thompson beat Piece County (Ga.) 39-20, South Forsyth for the second time in the tournament 35-14 and Baldwin County 22-19 before running back into Warren Easton and falling 27-4.

Spain Park finished the tournament 5-5-1 while Thompson ended up 8-5.