IMG Academy overwhelms Bucs
HOOVER -- The regular season finale script was similar. Hoover High School head coach Josh Niblett hopes the overall ending is also similar.
Just like a year ago, the Bucs ended the regular season by pushing themselves against an IMG Academy team that is among the nation’s elite. And, just like a year ago, Hoover will enter the AHSAA Class 7A playoffs fresh off a loss to the powerhouse team from Florida.
This time, it was a 48-7 IMG victory on a chilly Friday night at the Hoover Met that put an end to the Bucs regular season.
“I think this only makes us better,” said Niblett, whose team responded last year by winning four consecutive games to claim the state title. “There’s no doubt it made us a different team at the end of the year. It allowed us to peak at the right time.”
Hoover (7-3) definitely won’t see a team with the overall talent that it saw on Friday night. IMG (7-1) outgained Hoover, 558-234, with 282 of the Ascenders’ yards coming on the ground and 276 through the air.
“It’s one of those kind of deals where you play these kind of games so you can figure out what you got to do to get better and get ready to play in the playoffs,” Niblett said. “They’re a great opponent, that’s why we play them. They got a lot of great talent, they do a good job with them. What we got to do is refocus on what we’re playing for.”
IMG took control early on Friday night by forcing a quick three-and-out and stringing together a 12-play, 92-yard scoring drive. The Ascenders largely stayed on the ground on the drive before UAB quarterback commit Bryson Lucero connected with Trey Sanders on a 24-yard touchdown pass.
The Ascenders scored three more times – taking a 28-7 halftime lead - with a bulk of the damage coming on big plays. IMG had 356 first-half yards with Lucero throwing for 188 yards and Sanders rushing for 102 yards.
Hoover had its opportunities in the first half. Larry McCammon rushed for 108 yards on six first-half carries, including runs of 35 and 43 yards on his first two carries. But the lone Hoover touchdown came on a 15-yard run by sophomore Dylan Pauly with 1:08 left in the first quarter.
The Bucs had another drive end when they failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 from the IMG 12-yard line. Another promising moment came when Nick Curtis intercepted an IMG pass and carried the ball 24 yards to the Ascenders 35-yard line. Two plays later, however, IMG cornerback Jayden Curry intercepted a Robby Ashford deep pass at the 1-yard line.
Ashford was 10-of-23 for 78 yards in the first half and finished 12-of-28 for 99 yards.
The Ascenders squashed any comeback hopes quickly in the second half by moving 80 yards on 11 plays with Lucero connecting with Ari Allen on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The extra point failed but IMG still led 35-7.
“We did some good things tonight and we did some things that weren’t so good,” Niblett said. “The things that we didn’t do well got exploited pretty bad. We had some kids make the same mistakes but that’s everybody – me included.”
Niblett said the Bucs’ focus is now firmly planted on next week’s \ playoff opener against visiting Bob Jones.
“It’s one of those deals, they understand what’s in front of them, they understand what we play for around here,” Niblett said. “We got to be 1-0 every week. It’s not about four weeks, it’s not about four rounds. It’s one round, getting prepared next week the best we can to put ourselves in position to be where we want to be when the game starts. And then we’ve got to execute.”