Photo by Jimmy Mitchell
Emma Langley is shown at last fall's state cross-country meet. Langley is one of two returning seniors for the Bucs in 2018.
Devon Hind will juggle dual roles throughout the 2018 cross-country season.
As he has for the past 15 years, Hind will be the head coach at Hoover High School, a distance running blueblood within the state of Alabama.
But unlike many previous falls, Hind enters this one facing more questions than answers. That’s the byproduct of graduating an established senior class that sent a pack of runners to the collegiate level.
Thus, Hind also will have to assume the role of detective, as he seeks to find viable replacements. Identifying and developing the talent necessary to contend in Class 7A could prove a difficult case to crack.
Already, Hind is relishing the challenge.
“It should be a fun year, a lot of mysteries to be solved,” he said. “We’ll see who fills in the blanks.”
The Hoover girls and boys both notched fourth-place team finishes at last season’s state meet. Matching, or surpassing, those marks this November will be a formidable task. But it’s not one that Hind views as daunting, especially for his girls squad.
The Bucs graduated four of their top contributors, all of whom signed with NCAA Division I programs. Sydney Steely and Ava Weemsnow run at Mississippi State University, while Caroline Sall and Caroline Franklin run atTroy University.
Yet promise still sprinkles Hoover’s current roster. Emma Langley and Haley Stallworth come back for their senior seasons. In the past, both have flashed All-State potential with sub-20-minute 5K performances.
Lauren Wallace, a sophomore, owns the fastest personal best among Hoover’s returning contingent. She ran 19:34 as a freshman and has continued to show steady signs of improvement. Over the summer, she surprised her coach by emerging as the front-runner at team camp.
“We did a little 2-mile time trial deal, and she won it, which really shocked me,” Hind said. “It shocked her, too.”
Hind wouldn’t mind a few more unexpected showings this fall from Wallace and Reagan Hendricks, another sophomore who could make a substantial impact. Their growth, coupled with the veteran presence of Langley and Stallworth, gives Hind confidence his team will bloom as the season progresses.
“I think they’ll be a top-five team in the state,” he said. “I’ve got some really good girls returning, but it’s a big question mark.”
The Hoover boys enter the season under circumstances similar to those surrounding the girls team. The Bucs lost four college-caliber contributors from last year in John McCrackin, Alex Leary, David Ash and Joe Leventry.
Their collective departure has left a void waiting to be filled.
“I’ve got a bunch of guys who have never really been counted on before for our varsity,” Hind said. “They’ve just kind of been in the background a little bit, so I’m looking for them to step up and run like champions.”
Seniors Lane Tincher and Drew Kilgore, along with junior John Michael Williamson, are all candidates for leading roles. Hind lauded the trio’s work ethic this summer, highlighting their desire to be difference makers in the season ahead.
Senior Will Couch and sophomore Kyle Epperson could also factor into the top group.
“We’ve got a lot of potential,” Hind said. “Whether it will materialize or not, time will tell.”
The Hoover cross-country teams opened their seasons in late August at the Montevallo Early Bird Twilight and will next be in action at the Sept. 8 Chickasaw Trails Invitational.
