Kyle Parmley
The Spain Park High School girls bowling team qualified for the state tournament on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2021.
Over the course of the year, the Hoover Sun will keep you up to date on the various Hoover and Spain Park high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
BASKETBALL
The Hoover girls basketball team began play last week on Monday by hosting the BallN Prep MLK Holiday Classic. In their game, the Lady Bucs cruised past Lee-Huntsville 74-38. Jada Knight and Reniya Kelly each led the way with 21 points for Hoover, with Aniya Hubbard scoring 18 points as well.
Spain Park’s boys were also in action on Monday, falling to Lee-Huntsville 62-45. Blake Hay was the lone Jags player in double figures, as he led the way with 11 points. Colin Turner and Blake Floyd each chipped in nine points and Cam Crawford added eight.
Hoover was back in Class 7A, Area 5 action on Tuesday, with the Bucs coming away with an impressive sweep of Tuscaloosa County. The Lady Bucs coasted to a 78-22 victory, with four players reaching double figures. Knight led the way with 18 points, with Kelly adding 14, Hubbard going for 12 and Layla Etchison scoring 10 points. The boys put together a stifling defensive effort in their 52-26 win. DJ Fairley had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, with Chip Culpepper contributing 10 points and seven boards of his own.
Spain Park’s girls were also in action Tuesday evening, with the Lady Jags earning a 51-27 victory over Madison Academy. Jordy Griggs and Camille Chase each scored 14 points in the contest.
Both teams were back in area play on Friday night. The Hoover girls locked up the area championship with a 76-27 victory over Oak Mountain. Hubbard led the team with 17 points in the easy win, while Kelly scored 11 and Knight adding 10 points. Hoover’s boys fell 50-35, led by Fairley’s 10 points and Culpepper’s seven. The loss put all four boys teams in the area with a 2-2 mark in area play.
Spain Park’s girls earned a 44-36 win over Gadsden City as well, buoyed by Chase’s 15 points. The boys also won, beating the Titans 87-62 in a high-scoring affair. Crawford was the star of the show, going off for 38 points and achieving his 1,000th career point in the process. Josh Harrington and Turner each scored 12 points and Floyd added 11 of his own.
Hoover’s girls suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling 65-45 to Hazel Green, the top-ranked team in Class 6A. Kelly led the way with 21 points and Hubbard added 10 in the loss.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Hoover indoor track and field team competed in the Martin Luther King Indoor Track Classic last Monday at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Kayla Jemison won the triple jump, finishing at 35 feet, 10.75 inches. The Bucs’ 4x200-meter girls relay team took home top honors as well.
Hoover had plenty of podum finishers as well, with Jebreiya Chapman (second in 60), McKenzie Blackledge (second in 400 and 800), Lauren Wallace (second in 1,600), Jemison (second in high jump), Kirsten Leonard (second in pole vault), Alex Inglis (third in pole vault), Ainsley Staie (second in shot put), Sam Kilgore (second in 800), Elijah Joseph (second in 1,600), Kyle Epperson (third in 3,200), Joshua Whitt (second in high jump), Jay Avery (third in high jump and second in long jump), Owen Jung (third in triple jump) and Connor White (third in pole vault) all finishing strong. The boys 4x200 team was second as well.
BOWLING
The Spain Park bowling teams competed in the Class 6A-7A North Regional tournament at Vestavia Bowl last Thursday. The boys team suffered a first round defeat, ending its season, while the girls team won to seal a state tournament berth this week.
Spain Park’s girls made it closer than they were comfortable with, but they edged out Hartselle 1,077-1,047 in the opening round of the regionals. They held a 681-647 lead after the traditional game, but gave up ground in each of the first two Baker games, scoring 121 and 139 to Hartselle’s 131 and 148. But Spain Park rallied in the final Baker game, piling up 136 pins to 121 for Hartselle to take the match.
The Jags lost in the semifinals to Sparkman, 1,348-1,232. Sparkman held an 874-767 advantage after the traditional game, and Baker games of 146, 217 and 102 were not enough for the Jags to match Sparkman’s 152, 166 and 156. Sparkman went on to defeat Southside-Gadsden in the regional final.
The Spain Park girls will be back in action at Oak Mountain Lanes on Friday in the state tournament.
Spain Park’s boys fell to Hewitt-Trussville 1,386-1,245 in the opening round at regionals, ending the Jags’ season.
Hoover’s boys were in the South Regional tournament in Spanish Fort, with the Bucs taking home the top honors on Thursday. The Bucs posted three victories on the day to win the regional. In the opening round, Hoover knocked off Daphne 1,443-1,345. Daphne outscored Hoover in the first two Baker games, but the Bucs had built up enough of a lead to win the match after outscoring Daphne 211-167 in the final Baker game.
Hoover edged out Mary G. Montgomery 1,581-1,559 in the semifinals. Hoover bowled an impressive 1,001 in the traditional round before Baker scores of 201, 183 and 196. MGM only outscored Hoover in the final Baker round with a 219.
The Bucs beat Thompson in the final 1,614-1,466. The Bucs rolled another outstanding traditional game with 1,020, compared to Thompson’s 894. Hoover posted 193, 205 and 196 in the Baker rounds, while Thompson scored 145, 247 and 180.
WRESTLING
Hoover High School hosted the first ever AHSAA Girls State Championship last Saturday, with Lex Araujo competing for Hoover. She went 3-2 over her five matches and earned seven points for Hoover.
Spain Park’s Yasmine Oliveria also wrestled in the event. She placed second in the 140-pound weight class, beating Meagan Benton of W.S. Neal in the quarterfinals and Estrella Islas of Thompson in the semifinals. Lena Johannson from Weaver defeated Oliveria in the final.
Spain Park’s boys team won a couple matches last Thursday, beating Florence 63-10 and James Clemens 52-24.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
