Bucs to receive national championship trophy during USA Football Bowl

After two seasons of complete dominance over the ranks of Alabama high school football, the 2013 Hoover High Buccaneers have been recognized with the country’s top honors.

On. Jan. 7, the Metropolitan New York Football Writers Association named the Hoover Bucs as the USA High School Football, Inc. Public School National Champions.

Hoover Head Football Coach Josh Niblett and his squad will be presented with the USA Football Network Trophy by Alabama Rep. Jack Williams at the halftime ceremonies of the 20th USA Football Bowl, the nation's third oldest college senior all-star game on Monday, Jan. 20 at the Hoover Met.

“It is a true blessing and honor to be recognized as National Champions by USA Football," Niblett said in a release. "We are humbled and very thankful for the opportunities and accolades we have received this year. Our players, coaches, trainers, cheerleaders, band, dance line, administration, BTC, support staff and all faculty and staff are dedicated and committed to greatness, and this just validates everything we try to do each and every day to become champions within this school and community. At Hoover, we are all about family and we celebrate this honor with every member of the Buc Nation. To God be the Glory.”

In November, Dennis Wilson, president of USA Football Network, Inc. and Metropolitan New York Football Writers Association, announced that Hoover Metropolitan Stadium will be the site of the  2014 USA Football Bowl Festival. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the bowl, and Wilson said he hopes to make Hoover the festival's permanent home.

"I hope we keep it here forever," Wilson said. "I have not met a person here I didn't like. We want to continue to do things for this community."

The event will begin on Sunday, Jan. 19 with a traditional USA College Football Awards Banquet where college division national awards are presented. On Monday, Jan. 20, the senior all-star game will kickoff at 1 p.m. at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, NFL, CFL and AFL coaches and scouts will conduct a USA Professional Football Leagues Testing Combine.

Wilson said he hopes the festival will attract interest from younger football players.

"We'd love to bring a high school all-star game here at some point," Wilson said.

Each team has a roster of 66 players, and Wilson said the SEC will be well represented with students already selected from schools such as Mississippi State, Auburn and Arkansas. The five-day event will make Alabama the home of two of the three primary college football all-star events that are recognized by national media.

For more information on the festival, visit usafootballbowl.com.

The 2013 Hoover Buccaneers secured their second consecutive 6A AHSAA title with a win over Auburn High in December. The championship trophy will be presented Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. at Hoover High School.

For more, visit usahighschoolfootball.com.

Hoover’s record-breaking 2013 season by the numbers

30 - School record for consecutive victories by the Hoover Bucs.

1 - The AHSAA State Championship win over Auburn marked the first time in the history of Hoover football that the Bucs have achieved back-to-back, undefeated title seasons.

6 - Hoover Coach Josh Niblett has advanced his Bucs to the state championship game in all six of his years at Hoover. Niblett has carried home three state championship trophies from those games.

60 - The number of points given up by Hoover during its undefeated regular season. For the entire season and playoffs, the Bucs outscored their opponents 529 to 133.

15 - The number of offensive players who scored touchdowns for Hoover this season.

2 - The wins over archrival Vestavia Hills this season.

8 - The number of ranked teams defeated by Hoover this year.

2 - The number of Bucs regular season games televised nationally by ESPN networks.

1 - When Vestavia Hills blocked a punt in the first quarter of the state semifinal game, that play became the one and only blocked Hoover punt during the six-year coaching tenure of Josh Niblett.

4 - The number of defensive touchdowns scored against Bessemer City in a 48-7 win.

1 - The Bucs defense gave up less than one yard per carry in their first win over Vestavia HIlls.

9 - Bucs kicker Hunter Schmith nailed no fewer than nine extra points in the game against Jackson Olin.

3 - The Bucs, led by their third-string quarterback, defeated Hillcrest of Tuscaloosa 28-6.

15 - The number of seconds it took for Hoover to quiet the Bessemer City team. That’s how long it took the opening kickoff to sail into the October night air, land in the hands of Bucs All-American Marlon Humphrey and be returned 87 yards for a touchdown.

12,000 - The estimated attendance at the season opener, as Hoover faced off against Colquitt County (Georgia).

2 - The suspenseful fourth-down conversions on the game-winning drive gave the Bucs a 22-21 epic win over Florence High School in the quarterfinal round of the Class 6A playoffs.

18 - The Bucs faced an 18-point deficit in the second half of the semifinals against Vestavia Hills. The offense, led by quarterback Jack Hutcheson, scored three second-half touchdowns to seize the victory.

5 - The number of juniors on the team who already have SEC scholarship offers in football.

1 - Guess which team is expected to begin the 2014 season as the state’s No. 1 ranked team?