Bucs dominate Enterprise to win 2nd straight title
BIRMINGHAM – Certain words and phrases were not allowed inside the walls of Hoover High School this season.
Back-to-back. Repeat. Run it back.
Hoover boys basketball coach Scott Ware would hear none of it, at least until Saturday evening, when the Bucs won their second straight Class 7A state championship with a dominant 59-34 win over Enterprise.
“Our message was the same as it’s been all year; take care of Hoover,” Ware said of the game plan. “Most nights if we take care of Hoover, it’s going to give us a fighting chance. Tonight, the guys did a great job of following through with the game plan.”
DeWayne Brown was one of the centerpieces of that dominant performance, as the towering forward posted a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds and was named the state tournament MVP. He heard the message from Ware loud and clear.
“One thing coach told us back in April, was that we weren’t going to say we were repeating. We were chasing a new one. The team took that to heart and we were always dedicated to getting another [title],” Brown said.
The Bucs dominated the state championship game from the outset, opening up a 17-9 lead after a quarter of play and taking a 32-19 advantage into the break. Hoover held Enterprise to just 15 total points in the second half to put the game out of reach.
“Winners win and these guys win,” Ware said. “They’re used to winning. They’re a little too loosey-goosey for me and the staff sometimes, and they know that. But it goes back to winners win. They have so much confidence in themselves.”
Salim London was the high scorer in the game, pouring in 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He also dished out five assists and pulled down seven rebounds.
Jarett Fairley also finished with 12 points and four assists in a solid performance.
Brown, London and Fairley have been a dominant trio over the last three years, but Ware has always emphasized the importance of everyone. Following the game, he highlighted the contributions of guard Seneca Robinson, Austin Dudley, Elijah Thomas and Jackson Sheffield.
“The other guys have all played their roles,” Ware said. “All these guys like each other. They pull for each other. Not only on the basketball floor, but in life. It’s just a blessing.”
That team chemistry was perhaps best characterized by the reaction of London to Brown being named the MVP. The giddiness from London and the rest of his teammates give credence to the idea that the Bucs have a tight-knit group.
“We’re all friends. We love each other,” London said.
Once Hoover gets back in the gym and begins preparing for the 2024-25 season, a new phrase will probably be added to the banned list.
Three-peat.
Hoover will certainly miss the contributions of Thomas and Trace Cunningham and will be looking to continue the momentum that allowed the Bucs’ boys and girls programs to sweep the 7A titles for the second straight year.
Hoover’s girls won their fourth straight title with a win over Hewitt-Trussville earlier Saturday, and the boys won the program’s third ever.
When asked if Hoover was now a basketball school, Ware stole a line from Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl.
“We’re an everything school,” Ware said.