Bucs dominate in home opener
HOOVER – Class 7A No. 3 Hoover High School had to scramble to find an opponent last week, and rose up to the challenge when the Buccaneers won at top-10 foe Central-Phenix City.
Visiting Class 6A Bessemer City provided no such challenge to the Bucs in their home opener on Friday. Quarterback Josh Lundy threw four touchdown passes and head coach Josh Niblett was able to play nearly his entire bench in a 62-0 win.
Lundy, a senior who started most of last season after then-starter and Oregon freshman Robby Ashford got hurt, has settled into his leadership role this year, finishing Friday's game 9-of-12 passing for 178 yards.
Vanderbilt commit Dylan Pauley got the Bucs (2-0) on the board on the first drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. From there, Lundy threw touchdown passes on the next four Hoover drives. He hit Isaac Lovoy for 17 yards, R.J. Hamilton on a 41-yard strike, Pauley on an 8-yard swing pass and Malik Thomas on a 36-yard bomb down the right sideline.
Niblett cited Lundy’s decision-making as something that has improved since last season.
“Our guys up front have done a great job protecting him,” Niblett said. “Our guys on the outside have been doing a good job of getting open and doing the little things right. We’ve been able to run the football but being able to give him the options and him understanding what we’re trying to do, he’s like a coach on the field.”
Hoover led 49-0 at half, and it could have been 56-0 but the Bucs ran out of time at the 4-yard line and didn’t call timeout to stop the clock. Paul Thompson’s interception return of about 30 yards down to the 10 set up Ahamari Williams’ touchdown run on the first play, and Massiah Tolen’s 33-yard punt return to the eight set up Brian Porter, who eventually scored on a 3-yard run for the final touchdown of the first half.
“I am proud of our kids, the way we came out with great energy,” Niblett said. “We came out with great intensity and executed early. We were able to play a lot of guys tonight. We have a lot of guys who practice hard and want to get better, so to have a chance to get them in, that’s what we want.”
Hoover scored twice in the second half on a 4-yard run from Jaylen Taylor and a 6-yard run from D.J. Black. Like Lundy, most of Hoover’s starters were out of the game by the end of the first half.
“The starters were out after the first quarter, basically, so we were just coaching up the younger guys and helping them get ready for next season,” Hoover linebacker Jason Riles said.
Lundy went 15-of-28 for 311 yards with three touchdowns last week, and kept up his stellar play.
“He played great,” Riles said. “He plays great every game. He played great last week. He has gotten so much better from last year, perfecting his craft. He has gotten so much better.”
Off the bench, Black was Hoover’s leading rusher with 67 yards on seven carries as Hoover’s balanced attack piled up 218 yards on the ground. Pauley finished with 57 yards on five carries. Thomas caught three balls for 61 yards and Hamilton caught two for 56.
Hoover held Bessemer City (0-2) to just 4 yards rushing and 55 in the air. Along with Thompson, Juston Taylor had an interception.
Hoover opens up Class 7A, Region 3 play next week at Vestavia Hills.
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