Run it back: Lady Bucs repeat as state champs
BIRMINGHAM – They ran it back, just like they planned.
From the moment the euphoria of last year’s state title dispersed, the Hoover High School girls basketball team set out on a mission to repeat as Class 7A state champions for the 2021-22 season.
Hoover had won three of the last five, but each of them was separated by a year of heartache for the Lady Bucs, as they watched crosstown foe Spain Park lift the trophy.
But they successfully defended their title this time, as the Lady Bucs finished off a magical season with a 73-64 win over Vestavia Hills in the 7A final on Saturday evening at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.
Hoover (32-3) led much of the game, but Vestavia Hills (33-3) never let the Lady Bucs breathe easy.
Both teams started strong, with Vestavia taking a 10-9 early, before a Hoover 8-0 run allowed the Lady Bucs to take a 17-16 lead after a quarter of play.
Hoover went on another mini run, this one a 9-0 burst, to take control midway through the second quarter. The Lady Bucs increased that lead to 33-27 at the halftime break.
Each time Hoover attempted to pull away in the second half, Vestavia Hills had a counter, as the Lady Rebels scored five straight points late in the third quarter to make it a 55-49 game heading to the final quarter.
Hoover made few mistakes down the stretch to finish off its championship. The Lady Bucs shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range and made 19-of-24 free throws in the game.
Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson listed all the things her team had to overcome this season, a list with nearly as many items as the Lady Bucs had victories this year. She exuded immense pride at her squad being able to get past all of it to win a second straight title.
“God is good,” she said. “Not everybody knows what this team has been through and to be here in this moment made it all worth it. I cry every time we win, but this one is different.”
The game marks the final time the talented duo of Reniya Kelly and Aniya Hubbard will take the floor together as high school teammates. Hubbard is a senior and headed to Florida Atlantic, while Kelly has one more season in the orange and black.
They played like stars Saturday, with Kelly posting 26 points and 9 rebounds and Hubbard going for 25 points.
“I wanted to go out on top,” Hubbard said. “I can’t even express how good I feel right now. It’s an amazing feeling. It gets better every time.”
Hoover’s other senior, Devon Davidson, made life tough on Vestavia’s top scorer, Emma Smith, much of the game. Smith was forced to work for everything, but still managed 19 points and 7 rebounds to cap off a brilliant high school career.
Emma and twin sister Ally, along with Carley Smith, played their final games for a Vestavia program that has risen back to prominence thanks in large part to their contributions.
“It hurts me for the senior class,” Smelser said. “We’re here because of them. The last three years, we have continued to build and build and we just played for a state championship.”
Ally scored 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds for Vestavia in the game. Her and Emma have played on the varsity team since they were in eighth grade.
“It’s really been a blessing, especially for me and Emma, the last five years,” Ally Smith said. “They’re going to be back. It gives me a lot of pride knowing that we worked so hard to get where we are. Even though we came up short, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Sarah Gordon, a freshman who scored 11 points in the state final, lauded those three seniors for their contributions to the team and overall program. Fellow freshman Jill Gaylard added 9 points, while Jill Gaylard and Anna Towry each scored 7 points.
“Being a part of this team has been an amazing experience,” Gordon said. “I’m sad it had to end this way and I can’t wait for the future. We’ll be back here.”
The state title is the eighth in Hoover history. Although the Lady Bucs repeated as state champions in 2012 and 2013, this was the first time the entire coaching staff remained intact from the previous years.
“Everybody was like, ‘It’s going to be different this time. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,’” Johnson said, giving credit to assistant coaches Nehemiah Cowan, Donnie Quinn and Sidney Gunn for their preparation and determination all season.
Hoover’s only losses this season were to a pair of out-of-state teams and Hazel Green, which finished off an undefeated season with its fifth straight 6A title. Vestavia Hills fell to Hoover twice and to area foe Hewitt-Trussville.
Both teams took care of business all the way to the final throughout the regional tournament and in the state semifinals.
“That was the two best teams in 7A going toe to toe,” Vestavia Hills head coach John David Smelser said. “Our girls fought. We were down six at half and played it even through the third quarter…I’m really proud of these girls. They played as hard as they could and made plays.”
Vestavia Hills put together one of its best seasons in school history, coming up just shy of winning the second title in school history (the first was in 1987). The Lady Rebels were last at the state final four in 2006, but played like a team comfortable on the big stage.
The two teams met in the regular season. In that matchup, which Hoover also won by nine, the Lady Bucs jumped out to a big lead early, Vestavia cut it to one point in the third quarter and Hoover made plays down the stretch to win.
Much like the regular season meeting at Vestavia Hills, the Vestavia community showed up in droves and with zeal to support the Lady Rebels.
“That’s a Vestavia thing,” Smelser said. “It’s a very close-knit community that supports athletics and supports the school. I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest with you.”
Kelly was named the state tournament MVP, while the Hubbard, Ally Smith, Emma Smith and Alanah Pooler were named to the all-tournament team. Pooler transferred to Hoover from Spain Park before the season and scored 9 points in the final.
“We worked our behinds off every day to get to this point,” Kelly said. “We got here for a reason.”