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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Khonor Latham (25) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's sideline during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Paxton Weatherly (0) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Paxton Weatherly (0) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's sideline during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's defense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Paxton Weatherly (0) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Dominic Anderson (58) and Houston Fulton (74) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's defense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Kali Boatman (18) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's pre-game banner during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Ja Myreion Dickerson (12) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Noah Crawford (14) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's defense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Paxton Weatherly (0) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Jordan Williams (2) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's offense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's defense during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Malik Boggan (1) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
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Photo by Emma Speed
Hoover vs. Opelika Football
Hoover's Noah Crawford (14) during a game between Hoover and Opelika on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at Bulldog Stadium. Photo by Emma Speed.
Hoover High School's football team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 21-7 win over Opelika in a non-region game on Thursday night.
Kaleb Freeman scored both of Hoover's first-half touchdowns and added the clinching score in the fourth quarter, playing a hand in all three touchdowns the Bucs scored.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, as both teams had their share of miscues. Opelika missed a 36-yard field goal, and Khonor Latham came up with a defensive stop on third down to help force a punt.
Hoover's only turnover of the game came on a fumble, recovered by Opelika's Elijah Oden. Opelika blocked a Hoover punt on the final play of the quarter to set up good field position, but Hoover's defense held again, with Hunter Wetherholt blocking a 38-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter to keep the game scoreless.
Hoover took over at its own 20-yard line and drove for the game's first score, Freeman's 2-yard touchdown run, to make it 7-0 with 5:59 left in the half. After another defensive stop, Freeman connected with Jordon Ward on a 58-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 14-0 with 4:07 remaining. Opelika answered on the final play of the half, quarterback Austan Cristiaan scrambling right before finding Matthew Pritchett in the corner of the end zone to cut it to 14-7 at the break.
The second half was a defensive standoff. Wetherholt added an interception, Hoover missed a field goal off the crossbar and Opelika was stood up on fourth-and-inches inside the 10, where Latham helped stop the drive. Both teams traded punts through most of the third and fourth quarters before Hoover took over with 5:50 remaining and nearly ran out the clock. Freeman capped the final drive with a short touchdown run to make it 21-7.
"I told them at halftime, we've got to find something in us to allow us to finish a game," Hoover head coach Chip English said following the game. "They did that all night. Can't say enough about it. Really proud of their effort."
Opelika actually outgained Hoover, 246 yards to 234, and held a lopsided edge in time of possession, 28:24 to 19:36, but Hoover's defense forced a fumble and blocked a kick.
English said his offense is still searching for consistency.
"The big thing right there is, we've got to find our identity a little bit offensively," English said. "I think we did that at times, but we've just got to be more consistent."
Freeman finished 12 of 17 passing for 162 yards and a touchdown to go with his two rushing scores. Ward caught six passes for 78 yards, and Malik Boggan and Jordan Williams each carried the ball, combining for 62 rushing yards.
Hoover next plays at Hewitt-Trussville next Friday to open Class 6A, Region 3 play.
"It don't get any easier. We know that," English said. "We got to go and rest a little bit, but then also just turn right back into our preparation for next week."
The game was Opelika's first of the season and the Bulldogs open region play against Enterprise next week.
Thank you to Southlake Orthopaedics for sponsoring our coverage of Hoover football this season.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park TE Connor Greb (3) scores a touchdown during a game between Bessemer City and Spain Park on August 28, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park defender Jaylen Mosley (2) returns an interception during a game between Bessemer City and Spain Park on August 28, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park defenders Micah Hale (14) and Kaiden Stevenson (12) combine to make a tackle during a game between Bessemer City and Spain Park on August 28, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park running back CJ Davis (11) runs for a touchdown during a game between Bessemer City and Spain Park on August 28, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park defender Jaylen Mosley (2) intercepts a pass during a game between Bessemer City and Spain Park on August 28, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
Jags run away with shutout win
Spain Park's defense made sure its offense had plenty of time to find a rhythm on Friday night.
The No. 9-ranked Jaguars overcame a sloppy first half and erupted after halftime to defeat Bessemer City 35-0 at home, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Spain Park's defense kept the Purple Tigers off the scoreboard while limiting them to 10-of-33 passing and 170 total yards of offense and forcing two turnovers.
"Hats off to the defense," Spain Park head coach Tim Vakakes said. "That's two weeks in a row they have played really good football."
The Jaguars struggled to generate much offensively, managing just one first down on their first three drives before being further hampered by a muffed punt.
Spain Park's best drive of the first half ended with a fumble inside the red zone with 8:44 remaining in the second quarter, as Vakakes later described the offense as needing to "stop shooting itself in the foot."
Dwight Beckford then intercepted a pass later in the quarter, giving the Jaguars the ball near midfield with a chance to extend their lead before halftime. Spain Park went three-and-out, but the defense continued to give the offense opportunities.
Micah Hale got a piece of a Bessemer City punt with 45.8 seconds remaining, setting Spain Park up at the Purple Tigers' 28-yard line. The Jaguars needed just one play to finally find the end zone.
Nash Davis connected with Barrett Price on a 28-yard touchdown pass, with Price taking the skinny post near the 10-yard line and racing through defenders to give Spain Park a 7-0 lead with 37.4 seconds left in the half.
The Jaguars entered halftime with just 108 yards of total offense, but the defense had limited Bessemer City to 74 yards and kept the Purple Tigers scoreless despite Spain Park's mistakes.
The second half was a different story for the home offense.
Spain Park scored on the first play of a possession following another defensive turnover when Jaylen Mosley intercepted a pass that was thrown behind a receiver. Mosley took the ball off the receiver's back and returned it 20 yards, setting up CJ Davis' 15-yard touchdown run with 9:14 remaining in the third quarter.
On third-and-26 of the next possession, Nash Davis scrambled away from pressure before finding Connor Greb near the original line of scrimmage. Greb did the rest, sprinting away for a 51-yard score to make it 21-0 with 5:43 left in the third.
Hudson Hibbard added another touchdown later in the quarter, completing a stretch in which Spain Park scored four times and needed just 11 plays to do it.
Greb capped the scoring with a spectacular touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Davis lofted a pass downfield, and Greb tracked it down for a touchdown, giving the Jaguars five consecutive scoring possessions and a 35-0 advantage with 10:45 remaining.
Next week, Spain Park hosts Oak Mountain to begin region play.
"We have to be clicking out of the gate as we get into region play," Vakakes said of his offense needing to find its tempo earlier. "We're going to keep pushing them and holding them to a high standard, but we have to get there."
