Kamp Fender
Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) dribbles the ball past a defender during a basketball game between Hoover and Oak Mountain at Oak Mountain High School Gymnasium on Tuesday, January 8, 2018. (Kamp Fender)
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
Hoover
The Hoover basketball teams kept their seasons alive on Thursday, as both picked up convincing victories in the opening round of the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament. The Lady Bucs began the day by posting a 91-37 win over Thompson, as Hoover began the game on a 19-0 run and never looked back. Skyla Knight led the charge with 20 points and was joined in double figures by Aniya Hubbard (19), Joiya Maddox (15) and Miya Kimber (11).
The Hoover boys knocked off Tuscaloosa County 64-31 behind 23 points from Ahman Ellington. Tuscaloosa County held the ball for much of the first quarter and had a 5-4 lead after a period, but Hoover managed to speed the game up by starting the second quarter on a 12-0 burst and cruised from there. CJ Melton added nine points.
Both teams picked up wins in the final on Saturday, with the Lady Bucs dominating Tuscaloosa County 80-22 and the boys beating Thompson 68-54. Knight was named tournament MVP after scoring 21 points in the girls’ victory. Maddox scored 16 points, Kimber added 12, and Hubbard scored 10 points. For the boys, Ellington led the charge with 26 points. Melton posted a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, while Jeremiah Harris, DJ Fairley and Devin Wilson each added nine points. Shun Sheffield pulled down eight rebounds.
Hoover will be in action at the Class 7A Northeast Regional on Thursday, with the girls playing Grissom at 9 a.m. and the boys following at 10:30 a.m. The games will be played at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Spain Park
The defending Class 7A state champion Spain Park girls basketball team secured its spot in the Northwest Regional next week with a 59-34 win over Mountain Brook on Wednesday evening in the opening round of the 7A, Area 6 tournament. The Lady Jags connected on several 3-pointers early and cruised to the victory. Sarah Ashlee Barker led all scorers with 16 points, while Ahrielle Parks and Avery Masdon each scored 14. Barker, Parks, Bailey Bowers and Camille Chase were named to the all-area team.
Spain Park picked up a 55-48 win over Hewitt-Trussville in the final on Friday night, as Barker led the way with 20 points. Parks added 12 points in the victory. The Lady Jags are now 26-6 on the season and will play James Clemens in the Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal on Thursday at 9 a.m. at Wallace State Community College.
The Spain Park boys basketball team saw its season come to a close on Thursday night in a 72-56 loss to Vestavia Hills. The game was tied 29-29 at halftime and was only a four-point contest heading into the final period, when Vestavia Hills pulled away. The Jags finished the season with a record of 7-23 but won two of their final five games on the year under first-year coach Chris Laatsch.
TENNIS
The Hoover tennis teams began the 2019 season last Monday against a perennially strong Mountain Brook program. The girls team fell 8-1, with No. 5 player Chinonye Mbanugo emerging with an 8-4 victory. The boys team pulled out an exciting 5-4 victory. Hoover’s top two doubles teams won, with the top tandem of Sam Tolbert and Josh Oakman picking up an 8-6 win. Zac Tucker and Isaac Hwangpo won at No. 2 doubles in a 7-2 tiebreaker. Tolbert, Oakman and Tucker also won their singles matches.
The Bucs were back in action on Wednesday and picked up 9-0 victories over Helena on the boys and girls sides. The girls No. 3 doubles team of Arya Tamhane and Sowmya Suresh was especially strong, closing the match with an 8-0 win. Tamhane, playing at No. 6 singles, also won her singles match 8-0. Sarah Lopez substituted into the No. 5 slot and picked up an 8-1 win. Kennedy Ward, Angie Morales, Segen Lister and Emma Burch also won in singles.
On the boys side, Tolbert, Tucker, Oakman, Hwangpo, Andrew Pierson and Krishin Yerabolu all won their singles matches.
WRESTLING
The Hoover wrestling team competed in the Class 7A South Super Section over the weekend, with the team finishing second overall with 191 points. Nick Smith (113 pounds), Riley Huff (126), Connor Dubble (138), Evan Warren (145), Carson Frank (152), Josh Reynolds (160), JT Foster (170), Dawson Rye (182), Jack White (195), Bryce Carnes (220) and Ellis Adams (285) all placed well enough to qualify for state this weekend.
Spain Park finished sixth in the North Super Section with 81.5 points. John Robert Thompson (106), Jack Rivers (132) and Jaxon Bast (285) advanced to state for the Jags.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
