The Reset: Basketball teams win area openers
Over the course of the year, the Hoover Sun will keep you up to date on the various Hoover and Spain Park high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, go here.
BASKETBALL
The Hoover and Spain Park boys basketball teams returned to action last Tuesday evening. Hoover was unable to beat Mountain Brook for the second time, with the Spartans topping the Buccaneers 67-60. Christian Bryant led the Bucs in scoring with 12 points. Brandon Foster finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds, Jaylen Carrington went for 9 points and 3 assists and Brodin Grady posted 8 points and 6 rebounds.
Spain Park’s boys outlasted McAdory 67-65. Two Jaguars eclipsed 20 points in the game, with Colin Turner scoring 23 points and Zach Gray going for 21 points. Chase James and Josh Harrington each added 6 points.
Spain Park earned a home sweep over Pelham on Tuesday evening. The Lady Jags started hot and held on, winning 55-45. They took leads of 12-1 and 21-5 before Pelham mounted a rally in the second half. Camille Chase led the way with 16 points and Paxton Gillispie notched 10 points.
The Jags boys held off Pelham 44-40. They got a balanced scoring effort, led by Turner’s 10 points. Harrington, Hunter Herritt and Sam Wright each scored 8 points.
Hoover and Spain Park began Class 7A area play Friday evening. Hoover hosted Thompson, with both teams earning wins to open Area 5 play. The Lady Bucs notched a 68-30 victory behind 17 points from Aniya Hubbard. Layla Etchison scored 11 points as well.
The Hoover boys earned a 66-59 win. Salim London was the top Bucs player, going for 21 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Carrington scored 13 points (knocking down 7-of-8 free throws in the fourth quarter) and added 5 assists. DeWayne Brown finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds, Grady notched 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, and Foster added 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
Spain Park got a sweep in Area 6 play over Gadsden City as well. Chase drained the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Lady Jags to a 32-31 win. Alex Baskin scored 12 points and Kerri Barnes tallied 11. Spain Park’s boys dominated, winning 52-24. Turner scored 15 points to lead the way. Wright joined him in double figures with 10 points and Harrington added 5.
On Saturday, the Spain Park girls competed in the Girls Rock Shootout in Meridian, Mississippi, falling to Meridian 40-19.
The Heritage Christian Academy varsity basketball teams started 2022 with back-to-back wins against Banks Academy and North River Christian Academy.
The boys defeated Banks Academy 61-44. Greyson Sanford led the Eagles with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Tobias Stoutermire contributed 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kaden McKinney chipped in 9 points and 2 steals.
The Lady Eagles defeated the Lady Jets 33-13. Katie Hart led the Lady Eagles with 24 points, 14 steals and 8 rebounds. Emily Calhoun chipped in 4 points and 5 rebounds. Lani Carre contributed 4 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
Both teams continued the win streak the following evening, defeating North River in area play. The boys won 62-29. Top scorers for the Eagles were Sanford with 22 points, Michael Hart with 13 points and Stoutermire with 10 points.
The Lady Eagles were victorious 37-19. Top scorers for the Eagles were Katie Hart with 13 points, Carre with 11 points and Leah Pace with 8 points.
WRESTLING
The Spain Park wrestling team earned a hard-fought 39-32 region win over Oak Mountain last Monday. Rayshod Burts (285 pounds), Josh Milazzo (106), Bradley Williams (126), Emilio Obregon (138), Gabe Maddox (145), Thomas Hardy (160), Jackson Mitchell (170) and William Conlon (182) won matches for the Jags.
Spain Park suffered a 49-23 loss to Hewitt-Trussville last Tuesday. Winning matches for the Jaguars were Williams (126 pounds), John Robert Thompson (132), Hardy (160), Conlon (182) and Burts (285).
Hoover won both ends of a tri-match Tuesday, beating Prattville 66-6 and Pike Road 52-9.
Spain Park fell to Vestavia Hills 37-25 on Thursday evening. Winning for the Jags were Burts, Milazzo, Nathaniel Philman (113), Williams, Thompson, and Mitchell.
Hoover split a tri-match Thursday, beating Auburn 51-27 but falling to Smiths Station 36-28.
Over the weekend, Hoover hosted the Scott Rohrer Invitational and finished 10th. Broc Metcalf (140 pounds) and Liam Harrell (154) each finished second in their respective weight classes.
Spain Park traveled to Tennessee to compete in the Fandetti-Richardson Brawl. Yasmine Oliveira (145-pound girls division) was the top performer, winning all five of her matches, a tournament championship and the Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Philman (third), Williams (second), Thompson (fourth) and Mitchell (third) all medaled as well.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The Hoover and Spain Park indoor track and field teams competed at the Ice Breaker Invitational last Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Several Hoover performers had standout days. Jebreiya Chapman won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.84 seconds, McKenzie Blackledge won the 400 in 58.48 seconds, Bradley Shaw won the shot put with a throw of 50 feet, 1.5 inches and four relay teams took home top honors.
Taylor Canada (second in 60), Gabrielle Washington (third in 400), Blackledge (third in 800), DJ Black (second in 60), Zachary King (third in 400), Elijah Joseph (second in 800), RJ Torbor (third in 60 hurdles and third in triple jump), Jordan Woolen (second in high jump), and Carter Ellis (second in pole vault) all had podium finishes as well.
For Spain Park, Mackenzie Culpepper won the 800 with a time of 2:14. Culpepper was second in the 1,600, with Delaney Vickers placing third. The top boys performer was John Landers, who was third in the pole vault.
BOWLING
The Spain Park girls bowling team earned a win over Homewood last Wednesday, knocking off the Patriots 4-1.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.