Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover’s Jabari Moore prepares to make a tackle last season against Thompson. Moore is one of the Bucs’ senior leaders in the secondary.
Jabari Moore just wants to be known as the guy who can practice what he preaches.
When asked about how he wants to be remembered once his days as a Hoover High School football player are done, he said, “The guy who did everything right, could do it all. Just a leader who put it all into the program.”
The senior cornerback for the Bucs learned the ropes as a special teams ringer during his sophomore year and emerged as a full-time starter on the defense last year. Last year, he looked up to fellow secondary mates like Chase Brown to increase his understanding of the game.
Now, Moore’s ready for the challenge in 2018. He feels he can be more aggressive with a full year of experience under his belt.
“I’ve learned releases and the receivers’ route trees and have learned when they’re going to break,” Moore said. “I can improve on predicting where they’re going.”
Moore has made a significant impression on Hoover assistant coach Zac Glaze, who is in his first year at Hoover, calling Moore “as good of a leader as I’ve ever been around” on and off the field.
“I try to lead by example,” Moore said. “I just try to do my job and make sure people see me doing my job.”
The Bucs face several elite quarterbacks this season, with Auburn commit Bo Nix at Pinson Valley and a pair of Alabama commits in Paul Tyson (Hewitt-Trussville) and Taulia Tagovailoa (Thompson) all on the schedule in the first four weeks. “It’s a challenge week in and week out,” Moore said.
That presents significant challenges, but Moore gets to face off against a different Auburn commit, wide receiver George Pickens, in practice every day. It’s an “iron sharpens iron” situation.
“They make each other better,” Glaze said. “George frustrates Jabari, but man, he’s made Jabari better.”
Tough September
Thompson won Class 7A, Region 3 last year, so Hoover and Spain Park will attempt to bring the region title back to the city in 2018. That starts with region play, which begins for both teams Sept. 7.
After opening the season against defending 6A champion Pinson Valley on Aug. 25, Hoover will face another stern test against St. John’s College High School from Washington, D.C., on Aug. 31.
The following week is when the Bucs start their trek through Region 3, and they begin immediately with a matchup against the only team that beat them last fall, Thompson. The Warriors knocked off Hoover, 32-25, in a late regular season contest last year, but the Bucs exacted some revenge in the 7A semifinals, running away with a 31-12 victory.
Hoover then travels to face Hewitt-Trussville, the only new team in Region 3 but one that has gone undefeated in each of the past two regular seasons. The Bucs put the Huskies out in the second round of the playoffs last season. On Sept. 21, Hoover plays at Oak Mountain before wrapping up the month with its bye week.
The Jags began their season on Aug. 24 against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and travel to Bessemer City on Aug. 31. Following those first two games, they will start play in Region 3 with a home game against Vestavia Hills on Sept. 7. Spain Park has won each of the last four matchups with the Rebels, including a 33-14 victory last fall.
The Jags travel to Mountain Brook on Sept. 14 in a rematch of what was one of the area’s most entertaining games in 2017. Last year, the Spartans outlasted Spain Park, 51-50, in triple overtime. Spain Park then takes on Hewitt-Trussville on Sept. 21. The Huskies ended the Jags’ season last fall in the first round of the playoffs. The Jags conclude the month with their bye week.
