The Reset: Bucs survive, cross-country finishes
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 football team survived last Friday night, edging Oak Mountain 24-21 in the Class 7A quarterfinals. Click here for the recap of that game.
This Friday, Hoover heads to Thompson, as the two teams meet in the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The Hoover cross-country teams competed in the AHSAA State Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Oakville Indian Mounds Park near Moulton. The Hoover girls finished second in Class 7A, while the boys placed fifth.
Abigail Batchelor was the girls’ top runner, as she placed ninth. Also scoring points were Ashley Girouard (14th), Reagan Hendricks (27th), Lauren Wallace (33rd) and Anna Caroline Knight (36th). The top boys were Kyle Epperson (15th), Elijah Joseph (31st), Matthew Harden (32nd), Sam Kilgore (38th) and Owen Marquardt (40th).
Spain Park’s boys finished eighth, led by Keith Warner’s 17th-place finish. Spain Park’s girls were 11th, with Mackenzie Culpepper finishing eighth overall.
Check back later in the week for full coverage of the state meet.
BASKETBALL
The Hoover boys basketball team began play last week on Tuesday and earned a 77-53 win over Tallassee. Brodin Grady led the Bucs in scoring, as he totaled 16 points and five rebounds on the night. Christian Bryant and Colby Carter each added 14 points in strong performances, while Chip Culpepper finished with 12 points. DJ Fairley added nine points and seven rebounds as well.
Hoover hosted Huffman on Thursday evening, with the Lady Bucs opening their season with a dominant 77-19 win. Reniya Kelly was one of four Hoover double-digit scorers, as she led the way with 14 points. Lina Kouchis scored 13 points, while Kristen McMillan added 11 and Aniya Hubbard scored 10 points.
The Hoover boys held off Huffman, the defending Class 6A champion, 58-57. Fairley led the way with 22 points, five rebounds and three steals. Culpepper finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Parker Williams also added six assists.
Spain Park’s boys opened their season last Tuesday, earning a 57-41 win over McAdory. Cam Crawford finished with 19 points, including a highlight dunk, and Colin Turner had 15 points in the victory.
Spain Park’s teams earned a sweep on Thursday, beating Calera. The Lady Jags blew out the Lady Eagles 68-19, behind 13 points from Katie Flannery and 11 points by Alanah Pooler. The boys earned a 61-56 win as well. Josh Harrington was one of four Jags in double figures, as he scored 12 points to lead the way. JR Lambert had 11 points, while Dawson DeFalco and Turner each tallied 10.
Hoover and Spain Park’s girls played in Mortimer Jordan’s Tip-Off Challenge on Saturday. The Lady Jags fell to Austin 58-40, while Hoover dominated Athens 71-30. Hubbard led the way with 17 points. She was joined in double figures by Jada Knight with 10 points.
This week, Hoover travels to Anniston on Tuesday and hosts Ramsay on Thursday. On Saturday, the boys begin play in Mountain Brook’s Spartan Turkey Jam tournament. Spain Park hosts Mountain Brook this Tuesday and Oak Mountain on Friday. The boys host the Jag Classic, beginning Saturday.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.