The Reset: Seasons heat up for football, volleyball and cross-country
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. Here is the seventh installment. If you missed last week's edition, click here.
FOOTBALL
The Hoover High School football team picked up a 17-7 win over rival Vestavia Hills on Friday night, thanks in large part to Jacquez Allen’s kickoff return to begin the second half. Click here for a full recap of the game.
Spain Park received a challenge from Tuscaloosa County, but D’Arie Johnson’s monster night led the Jags to a 24-19 victory. Click here for a full recap of the game.
Both teams wrap up Class 7A, Region 3 play this week. Hoover hosts Thompson in a clash for the region title, while Spain Park hosts Oak Mountain.
VOLLEYBALL
The Hoover High School volleyball team concluded regular season play with a pair of wins last week. The Bucs defeated Tuscaloosa County, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-15) on Tuesday, and beat James Clemens, 3-2 (25-17, 15-25, 25-20, 21-25, 20-18) on Thursday.
This week, the Bucs host the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament. As the top seed, they will host Tuscaloosa County in the opening round, needing a win to secure their spot in regionals.
Spain Park pulled off an upset of Oak Mountain on Tuesday to make Area 6 interesting. The Jags pulled off a 3-1 victory (25-13, 25-19, 15-25, 25-23) to force a three-way tie with the Jags, Oak Mountain and Mountain Brook. The Spartans were the benefactor in the tiebreak and will host the area tournament on Tuesday, setting up a rematch between Spain Park and Oak Mountain in the opening round. One team will advance to regionals with a win, and the other will see its season end prematurely.
In that match last Tuesday, Spain Park scored the first eight points and started on a 10-1 run before cruising to a 25-13 victory in the set. The second set was tight throughout, until a run toward the end sent the Jags to a 25-19 win.
Oak Mountain dominated the third set to coast to a 25-15 win. Big kills from Sha’Kevia Hogan and Marlee Johnson allowed Spain Park to take a 19-15 lead in the fourth, but the Eagles rallied to take a 22-21 lead again. Spain Park scored four of the final five points to take the set and the match.
Spain Park knocked off Vestavia Hills on Thursday in five sets, 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 12-25, 25-21, 15-10).
CROSS-COUNTRY
The Hoover High cross-country teams capped a busy week of competition by sweeping the team titles on Saturday at the 26th Annual Husky Challenge in Trussville.
The Hoover girls and boys both held off Oak Mountain to seal their first-place finishes.
Senior Ava Hayes Weems paced a pack of eight Buccaneers who placed among the top 13 in the girls 5K race. She finished second in 19:55. Sydney Steely (fourth, 20:04), Caroline Sall (sixth, 20:06), Lauren Wallace (eighth, 20:14), Emma Langley (ninth, 20:15) and Haley Stallworth (10th, 20:18) all joined her in the top 10.
The Hoover boys made their presence similarly felt, as six Buccaneers notched top 15 finishes. Will Couch set the pace with by placing fourth in 16:56.
David Ash (sixth, 17:05), Alex Leary (seventh, 17:05) and Drew Kilgore (10th, 17:14) trailed closely behind.
The Husky Challenge was Hoover’s second competition of the week. On Thursday, the Bucs hosted their home meet at Veterans Park, where the girls placed second and the boys placed fourth.
Spain Park also raced at the Hoover Invite. Jacob Warner's seventh-place finish in the varsity boys race highlighted the day's performances. He ran 17:04. Holland Lidikay took 14th (21:00) in the varsity girls race to lead her Jags.
The Hoover and Spain Park cross-country teams will both return to action at the Class 7A, Section 3 meet, which will be held Nov. 2 at Veterans Park.
-- What did we miss? What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.