Photo by David Leong.
Hoover's Kaitlyn Gipson (12) drives to the goal dribbling past Hewitt-Trussville's Mia Ada (11) in the first half of the girls Class 7A state championship game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
The drive for five has commenced for the Hoover High School girls basketball team.
Fresh off their fourth consecutive state championship, the Hoover girls are not looking to stop any time soon.
Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson does not shy away from what the Lady Bucs are trying to do, but she said it is not a topic regularly discussed inside the locker room.
“This is a new team and they have to establish their own identity,” Johnson said. “We just talk about playing to a standard every day, and that’s a championship standard.
“Our goal is to win state, but our goal isn’t necessarily to win state for the fifth time,” she added.
Hoover did lose a couple of starters from last year’s team, but the reloading process is in full swing.
Kaitlyn Gipson was the team’s starting point guard and Layla Cannon started at power forward, as the seniors return with plenty of experience. Nia Brown is another senior who played some last year, while senior Kylie Hale is a transfer from Sylacauga.
Johnson called Gipson and junior Aaliyah Blanchard the two leaders of the team.
The player who has garnered many of the headlines is Khloe Ford, a post player who enters her junior year. She is recovering from an injury and Johnson expects her to hit her stride around the turn of the calendar.
Chasity Johnson, Kayla Maxwell and Akeera Sparks are also juniors. Jaliyah Manuel is the only sophomore on the varsity team, while Tatum English is the only freshman. Eighth graders Kristen Winston and Londyn Cook are expected to play pivotal roles this year as well.
Johnson called Winston a “superstar in the making.”
“She has a lot more stuff in her bag this year than she did last year. Kristen will shock some people this year,” Johnson said.
Johnson said this year’s team is a close-knit group, one that holds each of its members accountable and hangs out together off the court.
“We’ve got a lot of people that are versatile,” Johnson said. “There’s not a person that fits into one box.”
There could hardly be any argument that Class 7A, Area 6 will be the toughest girls basketball area anywhere in the state this year. Hoover will be joined by Hewitt-Trussville, Vestavia Hills and Oak Mountain.
In Hoover’s previous four state title wins, the Lady Bucs have beaten Hewitt-Trussville twice and Vestavia Hills another time in the final in that span.
After opening up the season in November playing Huffman, Chelsea and five out-of-state teams, the Lady Bucs enter an eventful December.
Over the month of December, the Lady Bucs take on Spain Park, Clay-Chalkville and Hazel Green. They also play games in Mississippi and Georgia, along with hosting the Big Orange Classic the week before Christmas. They wrap up the month by hosting a national showcase.
In January, Hoover will play its six important area games, in addition to games against Spain Park, Clay-Chalkville and a few other non-region foes.
“Our schedule is always hard, but I tried to make it a little bit harder, so they don’t ever have a night off,” Johnson said.
