Bucs flatten Tuscaloosa County
HOOVER -- Homecoming was made particularly memorable on Friday night, as Hoover marched to an easy 63-0 victory over Tuscaloosa County High School at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The Bucs (4-1, 3-0 Class 7A, Region 3) had seven first half possessions and found the end zone on all seven occasions. They didn’t punt until the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter. This one wasn’t about the No. 2 Bucs' football prowess, however, as the game and resulting victory sat deeper within the players’ hearts for a solemn reason.
Former Buc Ben Abercrombie, now a freshman at Harvard, sustained a severe injury in a game last Saturday. Hoover honored him with an “ABS” helmet sticker and strived to play for the former captain with their game preparation throughout the week.
“Everybody has a heavy heart and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family right now as we pray for his improvement,” Hoover coach Josh Niblett said. “In times that are tough, it takes tough people, and I don’t know of a tougher person than Ben. He’s like a child to me, so it has been a tough week for everybody. We wanted to come out tonight and play the game the way he played it, and I thought our guys exemplified that tonight.”
Hoover played a nearly flawless first half, as senior quarterback Jalen Parker completed eight of his 10 passing attempts for 208 yards and three touchdowns. His scoring tosses covered 16, 62 and 34 yards to receivers Shedrick Jackson, George Pickens and Shaw Niblett, respectively. He also added an 11-yard scoring run.
The Bucs' three-headed monster in the backfield – Larry McCammon, Vonte’ Brackett and Jacquez Allen – all had big contributions, with Brackett and Allen each finding pay dirt twice, while McCammon ripped off the night’s first touchdown just 1:33 into the game, courtesy of a 12-yard scamper off right tackle.
There were few bright spots for the visitors from Northport, as freshman running back Damien Taylor picked up 58 yards on the ground to lead the way offensively. The Wildcats (1-4, 0-3) fumbled on their first three possessions and provided Hoover with an average starting first half field position at the Tuscaloosa County 28-yard line.
On the flip side, the Bucs, with the rarity in high school football of possessing two kickers each holding FBS offers (senior Barret Pickering and junior Will Reichard), kicked all 10 of their kickoffs into the end zone, forcing the Wildcats into glaring at 80 yards of desolate grass to reach the end zone.
“We weren’t very good and the mistakes we made were just amplified against a good team. You can’t make those against a bad team, much less a good one,” Wildcats first-year coach John Holladay said.
Nearly every member of the Hoover roster was able to participate in the lopsided victory, as the clock ran continuously for the majority of the second half.
Yet despite all of the glamor and positive emotions that coincide with a homecoming victory, the thoughts of “ABS” still lingered.
“He inspired all of us and played so hard when he was here, and we will just continue to pray for him,” Parker said.
Hoover gets next week off while Tuscaloosa County hosts Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in a non-region contest.