Photo by Barry Stephenson.
Scott Elgin, who started several games last season, is expected to be one of Hoover’s top starting pitchers this year after a solid 2017 campaign.
There are many types of glue, from the classic Elmer’s school glue to the kinds found in sticks and guns.
But the kind of glue the Hoover High School baseball team had last year couldn’t be found on a store shelf. It was a collective intangible that allowed the Bucs to excel and win the program’s first state championship since 2008.
“We had so much glue with that team last year,” said Hoover coach Adam Moseley, entering his fourth season with the Bucs. “They were so tight, had such great senior leadership.”
A 13-man senior class that continually sacrificed and came up big embodied that glue. Star pitcher Brock Guffey willingly closed Game 3 of the Class 7A championship series despite exhaustion. He did so knowing that he might slip from the top spot in the Hoover record books for earned run average in a season.
Moseley called Brock’s twin brother Drew Guffey the “unsung hero” from last season’s team, due to his ability to come through in key moments and leadership skills. This year, he will be a team captain at Snead State Community College as just a freshman.
“It’s guys who play for each other and really care about the people who they’re playing with,” Moseley said. “I don’t think you have glue or great chemistry when you have guys who are worried about who they see in the mirror. Most of those guys didn’t have a mirror in their life. They just worried about the other people on the team.”
This season, the Bucs will have 14 seniors, and Moseley hopes his team can replicate the qualities that last year’s group had. There is enough talent on the roster and enough returning experience to give him hope.
“There are a lot of guys who played supporting roles last year who need to play lead roles this year,” he said.
On the mound, Brock Guffey will be tough to replace after his dominant senior campaign. Scott Elgin started several games for Hoover last spring and returns. Other players the Bucs will count on to provide rotation depth include Griffin Lape, Sonny DiChiara, Connor Campbell and Daniel Swatek.
Three position players who started in the state championship series against Auburn are back. DiChiara, Peyton Wilson and Max Garvey will be counted upon to step up and become leaders of the team. Evan Veal, Nolan Hammonds and Nick Davis are also known commodities for the Bucs who will need to have productive seasons. Transfer Preston Moore is one of several others expected to contribute.
“There’s a lot of guys who we all think could be good,” Moseley said.
To lead the charge toward building another successful unit this year, Moseley pegged seniors Will Pratt and Garvey as key pieces, along with the rest of this year’s group of 14 seniors.
Moseley said there is no “magic ingredient” to building a championship team, but there are some common denominators in each team that demonstrates the ability to win big.
“You’ve got to have everyone pulling on the same rope,” he said. “Great communication and trust. Then, you’ve got to have great leadership from the players.”
The Bucs begin the season Feb. 19 at Helena, and that’s as far as Moseley will look with his team. There will be no talk of hopefully winning another title – just getting better each day.
And finding that glue again.
