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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Outside Linebacker Marcus Williams (5a) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cheer Dads prepare the run-through sign before a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Fans during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Ashton Taylor(40) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive End Corey Warren(16) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Markus Clark(41) records a sack on 4th down during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Markus Clark(41) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Safety Matthew Palmer (4) lines up a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Ahamari Williams(13) spins to avoid a tackle on his way to a long touchdown run during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Ahamari Williams(13) spins to avoid a tackle on his way to a long touchdown run during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Quarterback Josh Lundy(18) throws a short pass during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back LaMarion McCammon(26) sprints for the endzone during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Outside Linebacker Shun Sheffield(24) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver Malik Thomas (1) is tackled after a reception during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver Cotton Peters (12) turns upfield after a reception during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Kicker Peyton Argent(37) kicks off during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Ashton Taylor(40) pursues the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Kicker Constantine Hontzas (38) attempts a PAT during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver Malik Thomas (1) is tackled after a reception during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Markus Clark(41) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Jaylen Taylor(2) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive End Corey Warren(16) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Dylan Betts-Pauley(5) goes high over the line during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover game captains before a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cheerleaders during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver Joseph Buffett (3) fends off the defender after a pass reception during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Linebacker DJ Estes(54) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Outside Linebacker Terrell Jones(27) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Dylan Betts-Pauley(5) breaks through the line for a nice gain during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cornerback Jamal Denson(7) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Offensive Lineman Trenton Preyer(78) protects the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Dylan Betts-Pauley(5) is brought down after a run during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive End Corey Warren(16) pressures the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Ashton Taylor(40) pursues the ballcarrier during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
A Hoover Fan during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Outside Linebacker Marcus Williams (5a) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Coach Josh Niblett during warm-ups before a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover coaches discuss strategy before a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo By Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cornerback Jamal Denson(7) before a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Dylan Betts-Pauley(5) goes high over the line during a game between Hoover and Gadsden City on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
HOOVER - The Hoover High School football team made quick work of Gadsden City with a 38-0, shutout victory on Friday night.
The Buccaneers’ aerial assault took off, as senior quarterback Josh Lundy threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, with most of those numbers coming in the first half. On the other side of the ball, the Hoover defense held the Titans to 166 yards of offense, with only 37 yards through the air.
The party started early at the Hoover Met. After the Titans failed to finish their promising first drive, which advanced into Hoover territory, the Bucs took over near midfield. Lundy connected on five of six passes on the drive, with the last one a 40-yard strike to Ahamari Williams for the game’s first touchdown.
After Titans quarterback Brady Troup threw an interception on Gadsden City’s next drive, LaMarion McCammon took the ball 17 yards into the end zone on the next play to put Hoover up 14-0 in the first quarter.
Following a Constantine Hontzas field goal to make it 17-0, Lundy found Joseph Buffett for a 47-yard pass inside the Gadsden City 5-yard line and running back Dylan Pauley capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. A touchdown pass from Lundy to Thomas made it 31-0 Hoover at halftime.
The game’s last score came in the fourth quarter, as Hoover running back DJ Black ran 17 yards into the endzone.
Hoover had carries from seven different ball carriers, and Lundy connected with eight different receivers.
Gadsden City had some success on the ground, but much of its yardage came when the outcome was already decided. CJ Miller rushed for 56 yards on 15 carries, while Ratavious Hicks rushed for 25 yards on 12 carries. Demarcus Macon, who split time at quarterback with Troup, also rushed for 45 yards on four carries.
Hoover head coach Josh Niblett said he was really proud of his team, especially on defense.
“I thought defensively we played really, really well,” Niblett said. “I thought we played fast tonight. I thought offensively, the first half, we played really, really well. But I thought in the third quarter, we lost some of our energy and some of the pep in our step.”
It means a lot to the team to put up a shutout, Niblett said, especially during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For us to have an opportunity to be 4-0 … we have to continue to work, get better at the things we got to get better at. It will only get bigger as we go,” Niblett said. “But I’m proud of our kids. We had a great week of practice, so I knew we were going to come out and play well.”
Niblett praised Lundy, especially his decision-making skills and his ability to get the most out of every play.
Hoover takes on 4-0 Oak Mountain next Friday night.
Click here to view and purchase photos from the game.
