Photo by Erin Nelson.
Hoover running back/wide receiver Lamarion McCammon (11) runs the ball as he puts an arm out to block North Gwinnett cornerback Taylor Smallwood (16) in the Buccaneers’ opening game during the Corky Kell Classic on Aug. 21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
High school football season hits its final stretch in the month of October, with Hoover and Spain Park hoping to put the final touches on successful regular seasons.
There are five Fridays this October. Hoover plays the first four and takes its open week the final week of the 11-week, 10-game regular season. Spain Park’s open date is the final week of September, so the Jaguars play their final five contests in October.
Hoover begins the month by hosting Hewitt-Trussville on Oct. 1, in a game that could have major playoff seeding implications. Last fall, the Buccaneers pulled off a 29-28 victory over Hewitt-Trussville, with that one point proving to be the difference in the region standings at the end of the season.
Hoover finished 6-1 in Class 7A, Region 3, while Hewitt finished 5-2. That victory gave the Bucs the second seed in the region, and this year’s matchup could have a similar impact on the standings.
Also on Oct. 1, Spain Park hosts Oak Mountain in a crosstown rivalry game. The Jags did not fare well against the Eagles last fall, losing 48-17. Spain Park holds a 14-5 lead in the all-time series and hopes to reassert its control in the matchup this time around.
Photo by Todd Lester.
Spain Park quarterback Evan Smallwood (7) attempts a pass during a game against Briarwood on Aug. 27 at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
Hoover heads to Spain Park on Oct. 8 for the annual city rivalry game. Despite being in the midst of what turned out to be a six-game losing streak, Spain Park showed up in this contest last year and gave Hoover a tough game. Hoover outlasted Spain Park 47-34 in a high-scoring affair that featured over 1,000 total yards of offense.
The Bucs have won five straight in the series, following Spain Park’s magical 2015 season that featured two wins over Hoover en route to the state championship game.
Hoover travels to Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 15 to take on a Wildcats team that has not been very competitive over the past several years. In the last nine meetings, Hoover’s average margin of victory against Tuscaloosa County is 40 points.
The same night, Spain Park travels to Vestavia Hills for a critical region matchup. Vestavia Hills has won the last three games in the series after a run of four wins for the Jags. Vestavia holds a 12-6 lead in the series.
Hoover concludes its regular season Oct. 22 as it hosts Thompson in a game that has decided the Region 3 title each of the last four years. After Hoover dominated the rivalry for nearly 30 years, Thompson has taken a stranglehold, winning six of the last eight meetings between the schools.
Spain Park wraps up region play at home against Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 22 and hosts Hueytown on Oct. 28 to finish the regular season. The Jags knocked off both of these teams in one-point thrillers to complete the 2020 season with consecutive wins. The Jags trailed Tuscaloosa County 20-0 at halftime last year before rallying to win 35-34. Spain Park trailed Hueytown by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter before rallying again, winning 63-62.
