Big plays propel Bucs past Mountain Brook, into semifinals
HOOVER – Big plays told the story on Friday night.
Namely, three long-distance connections from Robby Ashford to George Pickens.
The Hoover High School football team used those three plays to lift the Bucs over Mountain Brook, 42-17, on Friday in a Class 7A second-round playoff game at the Hoover Met.
Ashford dialed up his wideout for the first time late in the opening quarter, on the Bucs’ first play following a Mountain Brook fumble. Ashford lofted a perfectly-thrown ball to Pickens’ outside shoulder and the 38-yard pass tied the game at 7-7.
After Mountain Brook (9-3) took a 10-7 lead midway through the second, Ashford once again hit Pickens on the first play of a drive. This time, Pickens beat his man one-on-one on a post route, hauling in the pass and scoring from 60 yards away.
The third connection was the most impressive, as Pickens drew a pass interference call while making a one-handed snag near the sideline and running 88 yards to put Hoover ahead 28-17 in the third quarter.
“It’s crazy. Once in a lifetime,” said Hoover safety Kory Chapman of the quarterback and wide receiver combination for the Bucs.
Even with the offensive highlights, Chapman had arguably the game’s most important play. Mountain Brook successfully faked a punt on the first drive of the third quarter, keeping the drive alive and setting up Strother Gibbs’ 6-yard touchdown run to cut the Hoover lead to 21-17. On Hoover’s next play, Mountain Brook’s Gavin Lee came out of the pile with a fumble recovery and set the Spartans up with a short field.
But on the ensuing snap, Chapman, a safety, recognized Mountain Brook’s misdirection, which resulted in a free receiver working toward the end zone.
“I saw him coming across the field and I saw there was a guy over there wide open, so I was like I have to get over there. I broke loose and made a play,” he said.
Gibbs’ pass would have gotten there, if not for Chapman’s diving interception at the 1-yard line.
“Unbelievable play,” said Hoover head coach Josh Niblett. “I just thought about that play right when the game ended. That was an unbelievable interception, and that was a huge play for us there.”
Mountain Brook tried several things throughout the evening, including direct snaps to running backs AJ Gates and Sam Higgins, to gain any advantage on the offensive side of the ball after gaining just 160 yards of offense three weeks ago in a 31-7 loss to the Bucs.
In his final high school game, Gates totaled 83 yards, rushing 18 times for 26 yards and catching two passes for 57 yards. Gibbs was 5-of-14 through the air for 116 yards. Gate’ 56-yard reception on a wheel route set up Atkins Roberts’ 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
“We had our opportunities,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “I was really proud of how the guys fought. It was just a game of so many big plays. And we took some chances. We took some chances that kept us in the game and we took some chances that basically got us out of the game too. But felt like we had to.”
Pickens ended up with five catches for 204 yards in the game, accounting for most of Ashford’s production through the air. Ashford totaled five touchdowns on the night, completing 7-of-11 passes for 290 yards and three scores and rushing for two more. Larry McCammon rushed for 85 yards on 17 carries for Hoover.
Niblett said Pickens winning his one-on-one battles was a key against the Spartans’ defense, which stacked the box to stop the run.
“You’ve got to find matchups and you’ve got to find ways to get over the top on them, and we knew that coming in. We were able to do that. Those aren’t easy balls to catch and throw,” Niblett said.
Now, Hoover and Thompson will face off for the fourth time in the last two seasons and in a rematch of the 7A semifinals a year ago. Earlier this season, Hoover defeated Thompson, 45-26. The game is set to be played at the Hoover Met next Friday, Nov. 23. The Bucs are looking to win their third consecutive state championship.
“We don’t take it for granted around here,” Niblett said.