Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover QB Jalen Parker (13) attempts a pass during a game between Hoover and Mountain Brook on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, at Spartan Stadium in Mountain Brook.
Over the course of the year, the Hoover Sun will keep you up to date on the various Hoover and Spain Park high school athletic teams. With football season three weeks old, volleyball season two weeks old and cross-country getting underway last Saturday, the fall sports season is in full swing.
FOOTBALL
The Hoover and Spain Park football teams pulled off Class 7A, Region 3 wins last Friday. The Bucs paid a trip to Mountain Brook and came away with a 31-21 victory, while the Jags went to Vestavia Hills and won convincingly, 33-14.
Click here for a recap of the Hoover game. Click here for the rundown on Spain Park’s victory.
Hoover and Spain Park renew their rivalry this Friday at Jaguar Stadium.
Kyle Parmley
Hoover vs. Spain Park Volleyball
Spain Park's Marlee Johnson (8) during a match between Hoover and Spain Park on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at Spain Park High School in Hoover.
VOLLEYBALL
The Hoover volleyball team is off to a 4-2 start on the season, but has dropped each of its last two matches. The Bucs hosted the Juanita Boddie Tournament on Sept. 1-2 and ran through pool play with four straight wins, over Tennessee High, St. Agnes Academy (Tenn.), Fairhope and Huntsville. But in bracket play, they dropped their first match to Mountain Brook.
Hoover traveled to Spain Park last Thursday, with the Jags emerging victorious, 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21).
Spain Park has just a 3-6 record to begin the season, but its most recent win over Hoover was the Jags’ first in coach Kellye Bowen’s four seasons at the helm. Click here for a full recap of the win over the Jags’ crosstown rival.
The Jags also played in the Boddie Tournament, beating Sparkman and falling to Brentwood (Tenn.), Helena and Dunbar (Ky.) to finish 1-3 in pool play. In silver bracket play, Spain Park defeated Mosley (Fla.) before losing to Bayside Academy. Spain Park also dropped both sides of a tri-match with Bob Jones and James Clemens last Tuesday.
The weather has wreaked havoc on both teams’ schedules for this week. Hoover originally had three events scheduled, but all have been canceled. Spain Park will play at Homewood on Wednesday and play in Hartselle’s Tournament on Saturday.
Sam Chandler
Hoover Cross Country
Hoover High School senior Ava Weems leads Mountain Brook junior Anna Balzli around a curve during the final mile of the girls large school race at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational, held Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in Oakville, Alabama. Weems finished 10th in a 5K time of 19:21. Balzli placed ninth in 19:20.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The Hoover girls cross-country team was supposed to open its 2017 season on Saturday in Florida, but Hurricane Irma nixed those plans.
Instead, the Bucs traveled to Oakville to compete at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational. The decision paid off.
Hoover placed four runners in the top 20 of the large school girls race on its way to the team title. It bested runner-up Mountain Brook, 77-96.
“I’m real happy with where we are,” Hoover head coach Devon Hind said. “As long as we keep improving, we’re going to be in good shape. Now, it looks like the target may be on our back.”
John McCrackin led the Hoover boys to a 10th-place team finish. He clocked a 5K time of 16 minutes, 3 seconds to cross the line in sixth place.
Jacob Warner notched a 15th-place finish and paced the Spain Park boys to a seventh-place team showing at Chickasaw Trails.
“I expected big things from Jacob,” Jags head coach Michael Zelwak said. “He’s been putting in a lot of work."
Click here to read a full meet recap.
Spain Park will host its namesake invitational on Saturday at Veterans Park. The Jags and Bucs are both scheduled to compete.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Former Hoover linebacker Kholbe Coleman-Abrams is in his debut season at Bowling Green, and he has recorded a tackle in each of his team’s first two games.
Spain Park alumnus Perry Young is beginning what may be a breakout season for the former Jag. Young registered 10 tackles and a forced fumble in Cincinnati’s season-opening win over Austin Peay. He also made a highlight on Saturday, breaking up a pass against Michigan.
Former Hoover and University of Alabama standout Marlon Humphrey made his NFL debut for the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, in the Ravens’ 20-0 win over the Bengals.
Tyler Sumpter, the Jags’ punter in their 2015 state championship run, is the starting punter for Troy now. He’s punted nine times in Troy’s first two games, with a long of 60 yards.
Caroline Sanford, Anna Claire Johnson and Ali Lowe of Hoover, along with Morgan Scott of Spain Park, each play volleyball at UAH. The Chargers are off to an 8-1 start on the season.
Tommy McDonough began his Auburn cross-country career on Saturday at the Bulldog SEC Preview in Athens, Ga. The Hoover alum ran 26:58 in his 8K debut to place 36th overall.
John Paul Rumore also kicked off his college cross-country career this past weekend. The University of South Alabama freshman and Hoover alum finished 19th at the Azalea City Classic in Mobile. He traversed the 6K course in 19:31.
Hoover alum Bradrick Shaw, a sophomore running back at Wisconsin, has totaled 84 yards on 18 carries through two games. He scored on a 3-yard run in his team’s season opener against Utah State on Sept. 1.
Spain Park alum Simone Charley leads the Vanderbilt women's soccer team with five points on the season. She has scored two goals and tallied one assist through eight matches, as the Commodores are off to a 5-3 start.
-- Who did we miss? What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
