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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover girls varsity baskebtall team accepts the regional trophy after the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Seneca Robinson (4) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Salim London (5) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jackson Sheffield (35) shoots a free throw during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Austin Dudley (15) looks for a pass during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's DeWayne Brown (55) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's DeWayne Brown (55) shoots a free throw during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jarett Fairley (1) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jarett Fairley (1) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Austin Dudley (15)shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jarett Fairley (1) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Seneca Robinson (4) goes after the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Salim London (5) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's DeWayne Brown (55) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jarett Fairley (1) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball HC Scott Ware calls a play during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jarett Fairley (1) defends the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's fan section cheers during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Seneca Robinson (4) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's DeWayne Brown (55) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Seneca Robinson (4) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's DeWayne Brown (55) shoots a free throw during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Austin Dudley (15) celebrates the team's win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's fan section cheers during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's fan section cheers during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Salim London (5), DeWayne Brown (55) andd Seneca Robinson (4) are awarded all-tournament team awards after the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Brown (55) was also given the MVP award. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball HC Scott Ware accepts the trophy after winning the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover men's varsity basketball team celebrates their win during the Hoover vs. Huntsville game at the 7A Regional Championship at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Aaliyah Blanchard (13) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Kaitlyn Gipson (12) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Jaliyah Manuel (23) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Tatum English (22) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Tatum English (22) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Tatum English (22) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Kristin Winston (1) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Aaliyah Blanchard (13) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Aaliyah Blanchard (13) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Kaitlyn Gipson (12) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Kristen Winston (1) shoots the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Hoover's Aaliyah Blanchard (13) dribbles the ball during the Hoover vs. Albertville 7A Regional Championship game at Jacksonville State on Feb. 20, 2025. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
JACKSONVILLE – The most anticipated game of the high school basketball season lived up to the hype Thursday.
The Hoover and Huntsville high school boys basketball teams set forth this season on a collision course that led to the Class 7A Northeast Regional final, and two of the top teams in the nation put forth a worthy showing.
Hoover outlasted Huntsville 63-60 at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum to advance to the state final four, as the Bucs remained unbeaten.
“Great game, great environment, and that’s what you expect this time of year,” Hoover head coach Scott Ware said following the game. “That’s a great team that we played against.”
The game was surrounded by plenty of hype and anticipation, but Ware insists his squad treated it the same as all the others.
“A lot of people tried to talk to us about it being a big game,” he said. “Every game is a big game for us. We take them one game at a time.”
Hoover largely controlled play over the game’s first three quarters. Huntsville tied the game at 22-22 in the second quarter, but never pushed back ahead until Simon Walker buried a 3-pointer with 4:49 to play in the game to put the Panthers up 52-51. Walker finished with 19 points. JD Gossett led Huntsville with 21 points.
The Bucs didn’t waver, though. Jarett Fairley knocked down a 3 to put his team back ahead 54-52 a minute later. The Panthers tied it once more, but Hoover knocked down its free throws in the final minute.
Huntsville had one final chance with 11 seconds to play, but Hoover’s Seneca Robinson’s on-ball defense prevented the Panthers from getting a clean look on the last play.
“That’s my role on this team, to be a defensive player,” Robinson said. “I like to sit down and play defense. He was driving to the goal the whole game. My goal was to not let him get to the goal.”
DeWayne Brown, Salim London and Fairley receive most of the headlines for the Bucs, and rightfully so. Brown led the way with 18 points and 14 rebounds, earning regional tournament MVP honors. Fairley had 12 points and London finished with 10 points.
But Ware made a point to praise several other players.
Robinson scored 10 points in the game, and Austin Dudley knocked down four 3s to score 12 points.
Hoover moves to 33-0 on the year and moves on to the state final four. The Bucs will take on Central-Phenix City at 1:30 p.m. next Thursday in the state semifinals. Hoover defeated Central at the state championship game two years ago.
Lady Bucs handle adversity, move on to final four
Sometimes you have to weather the storm, both literally and figuratively.
On a cold morning with ongoing snow showers outside Pete Mathews Coliseum, the Lady Bucs also had to combat the energy and confidence of Albertville on Thursday morning in the Class 7A Northeast Regional final.
They did both well, particularly the storm on the floor at Jacksonville State University.
Hoover surged in the second half to win 84-72, advancing to the state final four next week, as the Lady Bucs are on a quest for a fifth consecutive state title.
“They handled it the way they’ve handled adversity all season,” Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson said following the game. “This game was an example of our season. We started off down, went up and got in a rhythm, then shot ourselves in the foot some. But we weathered that storm and got a good win against a really good team.”
The Lady Bucs will take on Central Regional qualifier Central-Phenix City in the state semifinals next Thursday at noon. The winner of that one will advance to the state championship game Saturday.
Fresh off Albertville’s upset win over Vestavia Hills on Monday, Aggies’ supporters filled up more than half the arena and provided a spark. The Aggies played well in the first half, but Hoover matched that effort on both ends of the floor.
Albertville took hold of a 21-20 lead after a quarter, and Hoover nudged ahead 45-40 at the half on Kristen Winston’s putback at the horn. Albertville had stretched its lead to 30-24 before the Lady Bucs closed out the half on a 21-13 run.
Both teams shot 50% from the field in a frenetic half of basketball. Johnson said the noise of the crowd affected the Lady Bucs early on, but they settled in.
For much of the second half, though, Hoover was the team able to consistently keep that high level of play. The Bucs started the third quarter on a 7-0 run and led by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter.
In the game, Aaliyah Blanchard led the way, posting a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. Winston finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Kaitlyn Gipson added 17 points and Jaliyah Manuel scored 11 points.
“This is a team effort,” Gipson said.
Albertville fought back in the final few minutes, but that lead the Lady Bucs built was enough to see them through to the next round. Lani Smallwood led the way for the Aggies with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Mylie Butler, the star of the Vestavia win, finished with 16 points and seven assists.
Despite not having last year’s state tournament MVP Khloe Ford, who has missed the last couple months, the Lady Bucs continue to reach historic heights.
“This one, a lot of people didn’t think we would make it because Khloe got hurt,” Johnson said. “A lot of people wrote us off. We have talent all through our roster so it’s next man up. We’re doing stuff people said we weren’t going to be able to do.”
