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Hoover wide receiver Jordon Ward (5) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover fans during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover fans during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover band perform during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover band perform during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover game captains Jordan Williams (2), Anderson Clark (10), DJ Waluyn (1), and Jovon Pulliam (7) walk arm-in-arm to midfield prior to a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety Anquan Allen (3) breaks up a pass during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety Anquan Allen (3) and Hoover defensive back Hunter Wetherholt (22) bring down a Prattville ball carrier during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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A Prattville receiver makes a catch and is wrapped up by a Hoover defender during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Paxton Weatherly (0) carrues tge ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordon Ward (5) runs the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordon Ward (5) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover players celebrate a touchdown during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover fans light up the stadium with their cell phones during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back Hunter Wetherholt (22) just misses blocking a kick during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordon Ward (5) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Jordan Williams (2) runs the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover cornerback Jordan Williams (2) runs for a touchdown during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Brooke Clark and Nigel Thomas were crowned Homecoming Queen and King during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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The Senior Homecoming Court during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety DJ Waluyn (1) returns an interception for a touchdown during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordon Ward (5) scores during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Prattville High School band perform during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Jordan Williams (2) evades a tackler during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover Police and Fire Departments line up for the Hoover run-through prior to a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover band perform during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover Cheerleaders during a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover quarterback Kaleb Freeman (7) warms up prior to a game between Hoover High School and Prattville High School on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
HOOVER -- The Hoover High School football team had to change its game plan on Friday night.
The Bucs (2-2, 0-2 in Class 6A, Region 3) nearly pulled off an improbable comeback on homecoming night after losing quarterback Kaleb Freeman for the second half, but Prattville (4-0, 2-0) rallied for a 30-29 victory on a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining to remain unbeaten.
“We didn’t quit,” Hoover head coach Chip English said. “We’ve been in battles. We knew we were going to find a way to get back into the game, just came up a little short at the end.”
The Bucs struggled to find consistency offensively during the first half and entered halftime trailing 17-7.
Jordan Williams intercepted a Prattville pass midway through the first quarter to halt the Lions' second drive, but Hoover's ensuing possession stalled on fourth-and-1.
Prattville took a 3-0 lead on Bryson Francis' 25-yard field goal before adding a 71-yard kickoff return by Christian Alexander early in the second quarter. The Lions later extended their advantage to 17-0 on a fourth-down touchdown pass to CJ Brown.
Hoover finally answered with one of its strangest drives of the night.
It was the Bucs first possession without Freeman, after taking a hard hit during a scramble on the previous drive. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third down extended the drive, and Jordon Ward then broke loose for a 43-yard run. Williams, who had already made an impact defensively with his interception, finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run after carrying the ball five times on the possession.
The Bucs went into halftime with some momentum, but also needed to answer how they were going to operate on offense without their senior signal caller.
The solution was the Wildcat.
Hoover leaned heavily on Ward and Williams out of the formation. The Bucs finished with 169 rushing yards but just 23 passing yards, with Ward and Williams providing much of the offense.
After Francis hit his second field goal of the night, a 29-yarder, Hoover's defense made a stand. Then, after a poor Prattville punt, Ward broke a 23-yard run to bring the Bucs within 20-14 with 3:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Two snaps later, a Prattville pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and DJ Waluyn came down with the interception. The senior defensive back shed several tacklers and raced 46 yards for a touchdown, suddenly putting Hoover ahead 21-20.
Prattville answered with an 11-play drive that ended with Francis' third field goal of the game, a 28-yarder, to put the Lions back ahead 23-21 with 9:37 remaining.
Facing fourth-and-2 from its own 41-yard line on the next possession, the Bucs turned to Williams in the Wildcat. Williams took the snap, found a crease and broke free for a 59-yard touchdown run.
Ward then flipped the ball to Ja'Myreion Dickerson for the two-point conversion, giving Hoover a 29-23 lead with 7:27 remaining.
But Prattville had one more answer.
The Lions got the ball back with under five minutes remaining and drove into Hoover territory. A 31-yard catch-and-run and hurdle by Deshawn Hall put Prattville deep in the red zone.
Hoover's defense appeared ready to thwart Prattville. The Bucs stopped Prattville twice from inside the 1-yard line, then came up with another big defensive stand on third down.
But a holding penalty against Hoover on the ensuing third-down play extended the drive.
Prattville still faced a third-down situation, and Hall came through again.
Quarterback Will McKay went back to his big-time target, who got inside position on the defender and high-pointed the pass for the go-ahead touchdown. The extra point gave Prattville a 30-29 lead with 13 seconds remaining.
Hall was a constant problem for the Bucs, finishing with 11 catches for 152 yards and the game-winning touchdown. McKay completed 22 of 37 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Hoover had one final possession but was sacked on the last play of the game.
The final statistics painted a picture of just how improbable the Bucs' comeback had been. Prattville outgained Hoover 396-192 and ran for 97 more yards than the Bucs, while Sankey led all players with 104 rushing yards on 31 carries.
Ward finished with 16 touches for 104 total yards and a touchdown, while Williams finished with 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go along with his interception.
“We’ve been plagued by injuries this year,” added English. “It says a lot about our team that we are still playing the way we are even though we have been bitten by the injury bug. We can play with anybody, we just have to find a way to win at the end of the game.”
Hoover heads to Oak Mountain 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 DB Jakobe Gibbs (20) during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DB Anderson Walker (19) attempts to make a tackle during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DL Wyatt Baty (5) rushes the quarterback during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Davis (11) runs the football during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB Jonathan Roberto (6) makes a tackle during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DL Wyatt Baty (5) rushes the quarterbackduring a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB Jonathan Roberto (6) rushes around the end during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park runs onto the field during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park DB Dwight Beckford (8) breaks up a pass during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB James Jones (9) persues Thompson QB Trent Seaborn (12) during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Davis (11) returns a kickoff during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Nash Davis (10) attempts a pass during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Hudson Hibbard (8) runs after a catch during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Davis (11) runs the football during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Davis (11) scores a touchdown during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park cheerleaders celebrate during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB Hudson Hibbard (8) runs the football during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park WR Taylor Jones (9) makes a tackle during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB Israel Anders (32) looks to make a tackle during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park RB CJ Davis (11) runs the football during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park LB Jonathan Roberto (6) eyes the ball carrier during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Spain Park TE Sawyer Scott (6) and Spain Park DL Marquis Evans (17) combine to make a tackle during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Nash Davis (10) attempts a pass during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
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Photo by Todd Lester
Spain Park QB Nash Davis (10) attempts a pass during a game between Thompson and Spain Park on September 11, 2026, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover, AL. Photo by Todd Lester
Jags hang tough, fall short
Thompson answered every Spain Park score and then pulled away for good, closing the game with 27 unanswered points to win 48-14 on Friday night in a Class 6A, Region 3 matchup.
Trent Seaborn threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns to spark the Thompson offense. CJ Cowley opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Seaborn found Dedrick Kimbrough for a 20-yard score to make it 14-0 before Spain Park got on the board. CJ Davis capped a 57-yard drive with a touchdown run to cut it to 14-7, but Seaborn and Kimbrough connected again to push the lead back to 21-7. Spain Park answered right back when Nash Davis found Davis for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 21-14 at halftime.
That was as close as Spain Park would get. Thompson scored three times in the third quarter, with Seaborn finding Mason McClure for touchdowns of 78 and 20 yards and Kimbrough for an 11-yard score to make it 42-14. Jahari Nation's 3-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.
Seaborn completed 18 of 26 passes, spreading the ball to six different receivers. Kimbrough led the way with six catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and Mcclure added five catches for 128 yards and two scores. Thompson finished with 484 total yards and converted 5 of 9 third downs.
CJ Davis paced Spain Park with 129 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
Thompson improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 3, and hosts Tuscaloosa County next week. Spain Park fell to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the region, and is on the road again next week at Vestavia Hills.
