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Hoover quarterback Jonah Winston (14) turns upfield after a reception during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover running back Ahamari Williams (1) reaches for the goal line during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) runs the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover quarterback Noah Shubach (10) receives the snap during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover head coach Wade Waldrop eyes the action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover running back Ahamari Williams (1) is brought down after a gain during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover wide receiver Freddie Dunson (2) tries to break free during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Members of the Hoover band during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover fans during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive lineman Andrew Parrish (44) listens to the ref during the coin toss prior to a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back Jay Avery (3) causes a fumble during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back LaMarion McCammon (3) is brought down after a nice gain during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordan Woolen (6) looks for running room after a catch during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive lineman Michael Nixon (43) is in on a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover linebacker Bradley Shaw (7) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jordan Woolen (6) attempts to evade a tackler during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive lineman Chaleb Powell (9) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back DJ Estes (5) returns a punt during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover band perform during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Members of the Hoover Buccanettes perform during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jonah Winston (14) eludes a tackler during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back Keith Christein (2) blocks a punt during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Action during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover defensive back Devan Carlisle (12) makes a shoestring tackle during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover quarterback Noah Shubach (10) throws a pass to Hoover running back LaMarion McCammon (3) during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back LaMarion McCammon (3) runs the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover linebacker Bradley Shaw (7) and Hoover linebacker Kaleb Jackson (1) combine to bring down a Bob Jones ballcarrier during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver Jonah Winston (14) sprints downfield after a catch during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover wide receiver KJ Law (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover offensive lineman Grant Bonner (78) gets ready to snap the ball during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover wide receiver Freddie Dunson (2) makes a nice grab across the middle during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Julia Freeman
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Hoover quarterback Jonah Winston (14) celebrates with teammates during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover offensive lineman AJ Franklin (64) leads the blocking during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
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Hoover running back LaMarion McCammon (3) leaps over a defender during a game between Hoover High School and Bob Jones High School on Friday, Nov 4, 2022, at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Al. Photo by Barry Stephenson
HOOVER -- The score made it seem like Hoover High School had an easy time with Bob Jones in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs, as the Buccaneers rolled to a 45-19 win on Friday night at the Hoover Met.
Head coach Wade Waldrop wasn’t feeling that way, though, even though Hoover (10-1) won its 10th straight and will host Region 3 rival Hewitt-Trussville next week in the quarterfinals.
“Proud of the win, but it felt like our effort could have been better across the board,” Waldrop said. "It felt like we’d had a week off. I know our intensity has to get up before the next week.”
Hoover did have an open date last week after the Bucs beat Thompson 9-0 two weeks ago to clinch the region championship and cap off an unbeaten region record. The Bucs did some great things and it never really felt like they were threatened, but coaches and players wanted more.
"We’ve got to focus and get locked in,” said cornerback Braxton Urquhart, who had two fourth-quarter interceptions. "We’ve got to quit doing the little stuff that we’re doing that hurt us and get back to playing Hoover defense.”
Hoover did give up three defensive touchdowns, though one came on the final play of the game. This was the first game since a 26-13 win over Mountain Brook on Sept. 23 that someone had scored on the Hoover defense, which pitched shutouts in three of the last four games and gave up a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the other.
Freshman quarterback Noah Schuback had his best performance of the season in his fourth start since taking over for injured starter Brewer Smith. Schuback completed 16-of-21 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown, which was a 19-yard pass to KJ Law on the first drive. He had no turnovers.
“That’s my boy,” Urquhart said. “He's been going hard in practice. He had a rough game a few weeks ago and the crowd was saying, ‘We want the other quarterback.' I told him to keep his head up and he’s been working hard ever since.”
LaMarion McCammon’s 8-yard touchdown run put Hoover up 14-0, and the Patriots (5-6) got a 3-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter on a Tyren Washington 3-yard score. Hoover had a chance to get a third before the break, but a holding penalty wiped out a big pass play.
The Bucs came to life in the second half. McCammon scored on a 1-yard run. Keith Christein blocked a punt that Kaleb Jackson recovered at the 8, and it led to a 9-yard touchdown run from Kamal Amerson.
“Jay Avery ran around on the outside and I cut inside, put my arm out there and blocked it,” Christein said. “(The lane) was wide open.”
Washington scored on another 3-yard run to make it 28-13, and on the next drive, Schuback’s 48-yard deep pass to Jordan Woolen set up Jonah Winston’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Urquhart had interceptions on the next two drives, setting up a 33-yard field goal from Peyton Argent and a 1-yard touchdown run from Amerson. Bob Jones scored on the last play of the game on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Willingham to Brody Cooper.
Waldrop called Argent, the team’s kicker and punter, the MVP of the defense Friday. He made all six extra points, made his lone field goal attempt, kicked all eight kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, had one punt downed at the 2-yard line and could have had another downed deep, but it was caught by a Hoover special teams player at the 20.
Waldrop was much more pleased with his team’s performance in the second half, as the Bucs scored on all five offensive drives and had the two turnovers.
"I thought they played well,” Waldrop said. "We’ve got to be more disciplined. We’ve not been overly disciplined this year. Even last week in the big game, we had some critical plays that hurt us and we had a few more tonight. We’ve got to find a way to get better."
