Thompson trounces Bucs in rematch
HOOVER – Things started poorly and never got better for the Hoover High School football team on Friday, as the Buccaneers fell to visiting Thompson 35-10 in the Class 7A semifinals at the Hoover Met.
Thompson (12-1) took the momentum in the opening quarter, marching 80 yards and scoring on Conner Harrell’s 13-yard screen pass to Justin Pegues right after Hoover got into the red zone and missed a field goal.
The Warriors never looked back.
Harrell, who is still working his way back to full strength after suffering an injury in the regular season meeting between the two teams, was nearly flawless all night. In the second quarter, he and Ryan Peppins connected for the first two of their three touchdowns in the game, on passes of 19 and 42 yards to open up a 21-0 lead.
Peyton Argent booted a 26-yard field goal to put the Bucs on the board heading into halftime.
“Hats off to them, they played well and we didn’t play very well early,” Hoover head coach Josh Niblett said following the game. “When you play in games like this and you get opportunities, you’ve got to make the most of them. They made the most of theirs and we didn’t.”
Thompson was wary of allowing Hoover a comeback like the last time these two teams met. On Oct. 22, the Bucs overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit and knocked off the Warriors 24-21. This time, Thompson scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half to effectively put the game away.
Harrell hit Peppins for a 29-yard score on the third play of the third quarter. On Hoover’s ensuing possession, the Bucs drove past midfield, but a deflected pass landed in the arms of University of Alabama signee Jeremiah Alexander, who bolted 60 yards untouched to make it 35-3.
Harrell completed his evening 10-of-11 for 141 yards, with 121 of them going to Peppins on six catches.
This marked the fifth straight year Hoover and Thompson have met in the state semifinals. After the Bucs took the first meeting in 2017, the Warriors have prevailed in this round each of the last four years.
“They wanted to win a state championship and I wanted these seniors to go out of here with a win and something they’ll always remember,” Niblett said. “I feel awful for that and it’ll keep me up at night. We’re tired of getting to this point and not finishing it.”
Hoover actually outgained Thompson 359-261 in the game, but the Warriors’ big plays were more than enough. Hoover senior quarterback Bennett Meredith went out with apparent injury in the second quarter, forcing Evan Reeder into action. Reeder played well, going 17-of-30 passing for 235 yards and a late touchdown pass to Cotton Peters for 29 yards.
“Evan has been working his tail off and made the most of his opportunity when he went in there,” Niblett said.
Peters led the Bucs in receiving, catching five passes for 68 yards. RJ Hamilton hauled in four passes for 67 yards. Cai Mayowa and Fred Dunson each finished with 30 receiving yards and Jabari Gaines had 26 yards on four catches.
Ahamari Williams gained 51 rushing yards on nine carries, while Lamarion McCammon had eight carries for 33 yards.
Niblett called this year’s team an “unbelievable group of young men.” The Bucs rattled off 12 straight wins before Friday’s result and won the Region 3 title for the first time since 2018.
The loss ends Hoover’s season and sends Thompson to the state championship game for the fourth consecutive season. The Warriors will take on Central-Phenix City on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.