The Reset: Bucs win Blalock Tournament

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, click here.

FOOTBALL

The Hoover and Spain Park football teams squared off in the city rivalry game last Thursday, with Hoover outlasting the Jags 47-34 in an offensive shootout. Click here for the recap of the game.

This Friday, both teams remain in region play, with Hoover hosting Tuscaloosa County and Spain Park entertaining Vestavia Hills.

VOLLEYBALL

The Hoover and Spain Park volleyball teams wrapped up the regular season last week. Hoover continued its incredible run by winning the Margaret Blalock Tournament, hosted by Homewood. 

Last Tuesday, Hoover swept Oak Mountain (25-12, 25-12, 25-14) before beating Spain Park on Thursday (18-25, 25-19, 25-14, 25-16). Over the weekend, the Bucs beat Madison Academy, Spanish Fort, Ramsay, Grissom, Thompson, Bayside, and McGill-Toolen to win the tournament. Here are some stats from the tournament:

• Rya McKinnon: 65 kills, 11 aces, 37 digs.
• Gabrielle Essix: 44 kills, .520 hitting percentage, seven blocks.
• Sydney Melton: 33 kills, 38 digs.
• Aly Durban: 163 assists.
• Kayla Jemison: eight blocks.
• Melodie Jones: eight blocks.
• Kendal Youngblood: 39 digs.
• Eva Guenster: 31 digs.

Hoover is now 42-1 on the season and hosts the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament on Wednesday. 

Spain Park beat Vestavia Hills and lost to Hoover in regular season play before having a solid weekend at the Blalock tournament. The Jags defeated Alexandria, Thompson, Austin and Spanish Fort before falling to McGill-Toolen. Here are some stats from the week:

• Audrey Rothman: 81 kills, 70 assists, 25 digs, 12 aces, 11 blocks.
• Emily Breazeale: 51 kills. 
• Lilly Johnson: 88 assists, 21 digs, seven aces. 
• Bella Halyard: 30 kills, seven blocks. 
• Katelyn Walsh: 59 digs, six assists, four aces. 
• Brooklyn Allison: 39 digs, three assists. 
• Paige Ingersoll: 24 digs, four aces.

Spain Park will host the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament this Wednesday. The Jags will open up with Gadsden City.

CROSS-COUNTRY

The Hoover and Spain Park cross-country teams competed in the Helena Invitational last Saturday. In the boys race, Hoover won the event and Spain Park finished third. The Hoover girls finished fifth and Spain Park was sixth. Kyle Epperson (second), Elijah Joseph (sixth), Owen Marquardt (seventh) and Sam Kilgore (10th) from Hoover and Keith Warner (fifth) and Kenneth Bishop (ninth) from Spain Park all posted top 10 marks. Spain Park’s Mackenzie Culpepper finished 10th in the girls race.

— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.