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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Noah Rosser (93) sacks the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cornerback RJ Brackett(22) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Dylan Betts-Pauley(5) runs the ball during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover running back Jaylen Taylor (2) breaks free from a tackle during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Kicker Constantine Hontzas (38) watches a successful PAT during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive End Corey Warren(16) sacks the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover High School Band members perform during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover High School Band members perform during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover High School Band members perform during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver Cotton Peters (12) returns a punt during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Ahamari Williams(13) runs over a TCHS defender during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton(80) reaches for a pass during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Jason Riles Jr.(9) nakes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Jason Riles Jr.(9) pursues a TCHS running back during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Outside Linebacker Juston Taylor(25) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Cornerback Massiah Tolen(2) makes a tackle during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Jaylen Taylor(2) breaks through the line for a nice gain during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Jaylen Taylor(2) hurdles a defender during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Jaylen Taylor(2a) evades a defender during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover cheerleaders during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Noah Rosser (93) sacks the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Ashton Taylor(40) is brought down after recovering a fumble during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Ahamari Williams(13) looks for running room during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton(80) tacks on yards after a completion during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Running Back Jaylen Taylor(2) is brought down after a big gain during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Inside Linebacker Ashton Taylor(40) and Outside lLinebacker Juston Taylor (25) team up to make a tackled during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Wide Receiver RJ Hamilton(80) turns upfield after a reception during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Action during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
TCHS defensive back Zamar Ellis(35) breaks up a pass intended for Hoover Wide Receiver Malik Thomas (1) during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Quarterback Josh Lundy(18) looks downfield during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
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Photo by Barry Stephenson
2020 Hoover Football
Hoover Defensive Lineman Noah Rosser (93) sacks the quarterback during a game between Hoover and Tuscaloosa County on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, at the Hoover Met.
HOOVER – The Class 7A No. 2 Hoover High School football team certainly wasn’t looking ahead to next week’s big matchup against No. 1 Thompson for the Region 3 championship, but the Buccaneers were in a halftime fight with a two-win Tuscaloosa County team already out of playoff contention.
Thankfully for the Bucs, the ground game was dominant en route to a 48-21 win.
Jaylen Taylor, a 210-pound junior, rushed for 117 yards on seven carries, scoring two touchdowns to lead an attack that produced 245 yards on the ground. It opened things up for senior quarterback Josh Lundy, who threw for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
Hoover improved to 9-0, 6-0 in region play and will play at Thompson next Friday. TCHS dropped to 2-6, 1-5.
“He’s a powerful kid, now,” Hoover head coach Josh Niblett said of Taylor. “He’s a plus-500 squatter. He loves the power game, but he gets behind his pads and he runs with his knees up. When you are able to do that, you can give yourself an opportunity to get yards after contact.”
Hoover also got run game production from Dylan Pauley, Ahamari Williams, Brian Porter and DJ Black. Porter scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter and Black had 57 yards rushing late in the game, including a 4-yard run.
Taylor scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter to put his team up 21-7. This came after a 24-yard gain where he spun off defenders and nearly fell to the ground, but propped himself up. He added a 24-yard touchdown run in the third.
Lundy threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Buffett on the first drive, and threw touchdown passes of 4 and 15 yards to RJ Hamilton. Hamilton, a sophomore who has committed to Vanderbilt to play baseball, had six catches for 105 yards.
“It started off a little bit slow, but we had to pick it up,” Hamilton said. “The offensive line did a great job and Lundy put the ball in the playmakers’ hands, getting it to us and letting us make a play.”
TCHS cut the halftime lead to 21-14 on two touchdown passes from Brax Garrison, and Lundy threw a late second-quarter interception, but it was all Bucs in the second half as they scored four straight touchdowns.
“You watch them on tape and they’re big and they’re strong,” Niblett said. “They just kind of shot themselves in the foot during the year. They had some opportunities in games.
“They were due to play a really, really good game and in the first half, hats off to them and the plan they had, but a lot of hats off goes to our kids too for not flinching at the half and now we’ve got to get ready for a big game next week.”
Niblett said he would enjoy Friday’s win, valuing any Class 7A, Region 3 win. He would wake up Saturday morning, watch some College GameDay, go for a run and start honing in on Thompson, also unbeaten, later in the day.
“We’ll give our kids a plan and an opportunity and, I promise you, they’ll be ready to play,” Niblett said.
Click here to view and purchase photos from the game.
