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Hoover quarterback Kaleb Freeman (7) rolls out during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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The next generation of Hoover Cheerleaders lead a cheer during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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A sea of pom-poms as little Hoover Cheerleaders cheer during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover Cheerleaders during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover game captains are escorted onto the field for the coin toss by a member of the Marine Corp during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Malik Boggan (1) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover quarterback Kaleb Freeman (7) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Blake Clark (3) sprints down the sideline after a catch during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Malik Boggan (1) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover tight end Anderson Clark (10) forces a Thompson player out of bounds during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover cornerback Jordan Williams (2) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 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 Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 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 Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety DJ Waluyn (1) and Hoover linebacker Khonor Latham (25) bring down a Thompson ball carrier during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 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 Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety DJ Waluyn (1) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover cornerback Jordan Williams (2) brings down a Thompson ball carrier during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety DJ Waluyn (1) and Hoover linebacker Khonor Latham (25) combine on a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 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 Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Ja Myreion Dickerson (6) makes a catch during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back King Sims (33) runs the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Malik Boggan (1) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover linebacker Jayden Evans (52) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back Hunter Wetherholt (22) blocks a field goal attempt during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover safety Anquan Allen (3) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Noah Crawford (14) catches a pass during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Jordan Williams (2) carries the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover Cheerleaders during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Blake Clark (3) receives The Great American Rivalry Scholar Athlete Award during a game between Hoover High School and Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 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 Thompson High School on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Hoover Met. Photo by Barry Stephenson
HOOVER -- The Hoover High School football team faced an uphill battle Friday night against an unbeaten Thompson team.
The Warriors (6-0, 4-0 in Class 6A, Region 3) built an early lead and held off the Buccaneers (3-4, 1-3) for a 31-14 victory at Hoover. Thompson's win extended their current winning streak to 11 games, its last loss against Hoover a year ago.
Thompson opened the scoring on Hoover's first offensive possession when linebacker Trent McCorvey stepped in front of a third-down pass near the sticks and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 10:15 left in the first quarter.
The Bucs nearly answered on their next possession, but a pass that would have put them in position to tie the game was ruled incomplete. Two plays later, a high snap preceded a blocked field-goal attempt.
Hoover's defense responded by blocking a Thompson field goal on the Warriors' ensuing possession, keeping the game within one score.
Thompson extended its lead late in the first quarter when former Hoover and Spain Park running back CJ Cowley broke through the defense and raced 37 yards for a touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Hoover then put together a 15-play drive that lasted more than eight minutes, but three negative plays near the end of the possession forced the Bucs to punt. The Warriors took a 14-0 lead into halftime after the two teams traded long, scoreless possessions.
“We couldn’t get out of our own way early,” said Hoover head coach Chip English. “You give them seven early, and then don’t score in the red zone twice. It felt like we were still in it at halftime and that it should have been 7-7, but it just was not enough in the second half.”
Thompson added to its lead early in the third quarter when Ethan Maxwell drilled a 40-yard field goal with 8:54 remaining.
Hoover answered 17 seconds later in dramatic fashion.
Andrew Renfroe, who was not one of Hoover's primary deep kick returners, fielded the squib kick at the 11-yard line and worked his way through the Thompson coverage for an 89-yard touchdown. The return cut the deficit to 17-7.
The Warriors answered again, with Cowley crossing the goal line for the second time with 5:58 left in the third quarter.
Thompson nearly added another special-teams touchdown when RJ Addison returned a punt to the end zone, but the play was called back because of an illegal block in the back.
The Warriors put the game away early in the fourth quarter. After an illegal substitution against Hoover gave Thompson an opportunity to go for it on fourth-and-7, Seaborn found Mosley along the sideline for a first down. Two plays later, Seaborn connected with Cowley for a 9-yard touchdown, giving Cowley three touchdowns on the night and Thompson a 31-7 lead.
Hoover finally reached the end zone on offense with 1:55 remaining when Uriah Crawford scored on a 7-yard run.
“We have to start making big plays of our own,” said English. “Everything is still in front of us, we just have to go play ball.”
Each side will hit the road next week, as Hoover travels to Vestavia Hills next Friday, while Thompson visits Hewitt-Trussville on Thursday night.
Prattville 35, Spain Park 28
Spain Park traded big plays with Prattville deep into the fourth quarter before falling 35-28 on Friday night in Class 6A, Region 3 play.
Tristan Hill's 98-yard interception return for a touchdown tied the game at 7 in the first quarter, erasing an early Prattville score.
Prattville answered with a field goal to retake the lead at 10-7, then added a 9-yard touchdown run to go up 17-7 in the second quarter. Nash Davis cut it to 17-14 on a quarterback sneak just before halftime. Prattville pushed the lead back to 24-14 on a short touchdown run in the third quarter, but Davis found Barrett Price for a 39-yard touchdown to make it 24-21.
Prattville answered with a field goal to make it 27-21 with four seconds left in the third, then added a pick-six on the final play of the third quarter to push the lead to 33-21.
CJ Davis cut the deficit to 33-28 on a 9-yard touchdown run, but Prattville closed the game out with a safety to make it 35-28 and ran out the clock from there.
Spain Park fell to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in Region 3, and hosts Tuscaloosa County next week.
Thank you to Southlake Orthopaedics for sponsoring our coverage of Hoover football this season.
XO Stats contributed to this report.
