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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, tight end Sky Niblett (06) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover, Cheerleaders during a game on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, Cheerleaders during a game on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, Marching Band halftime performance on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, Marching Band halftime performance on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover, Wide Receiver Jordan Woolen (81) celebrating a kick return on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
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Hoover, Band on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
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Hoover, Marching Band halftime performance on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, tight end Sky Niblett (06) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
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Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover running back Kamal Amerson (26) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover, Running Back Ahamari Williams (01) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover, Wide Receiver Cai Mayowa (05) on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08) and Kamal Amerson (26) after a score on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton (08)on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Photo by Jonathan Norris
Hoover Football
Hoover, Cheerleaders during a game on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
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Hoover Football
Hoover, Hoover band on on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Hoover defeated the Tuscaloosa County 49-07. Photo by Jonathan M. Norris.
NORTHPORT -- The preliminary rounds are done.
The stage has been set for Hoover High School and Thompson to face off next Friday in the regular season finale, which will feature a pair of 9-0 teams and decide the Class 7A, Region 3 title.
Hoover went on the road and crushed Tuscaloosa County 49-7 on Friday night in a region contest, acing the final test before the Thompson matchup.
Quarterback Bennett Meredith paced the Bucs offense all night, throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for another. The Hoover defense was suffocating as well, holding Tuscaloosa County to just 135 total yards.
Hoover (9-0, 6-0 in region) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, as Meredith and running Ahamari Williams scored on 7-yard runs.
In the second quarter, Hoover went up 21-0 on Meredith's 15-yard pass to RJ Hamilton, the standout wide receiver who missed the season's first eight games with a lingering injury.
Tuscaloosa County got on the board with Brax Garrison's 40-yard pass to Charles McGee, but Hoover responded with three touchdowns in the final five minutes to put the game out of reach at halftime. Meredith threw scoring passes to Cotton Peters (20 yards), Hamilton (36) and Sky Niblett (6).
Jordan Woolen returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown to make it 49-7.
Meredith finished the night a dazzling 16-of-19 passing for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Williams gained 50 rushing yards, while Kamal Anderson racked up 49 yards on the ground.
Hamilton had 67 yards on three catches, while Niblett went for 45 yards on his three grabs. Cai Mayowa caught three balls for 44 yards.
For Hoover's defense, Jacob Finley led the way with five unofficial tackles. Markus Clark finished with four tackles, while Ashton Taylor and Paul Thompson each tallied three.
Next Friday, Hoover hosts Thompson in a winner-take-all matchup. Tuscaloosa County heads to Spain Park.
