Photo by Ted Melton
Spain Park's Jalen Henderson (23) carries the ball during a game between Minor and Spain Park on Thursday night, Nov.3, 2017, at Jaguar Stadium in Hoover.
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. Here is the ninth installment. If you missed last week's edition, click here.
FOOTBALL
The Hoover High School football team played host to the second-ranked team in the nation on Friday night and fell to IMG Academy (Florida), 32-21. Click here for a full recap of the game.
Spain Park made quick work of Minor on Thursday, dominating in a 49-14 win. Click here for the recap.
Both teams begin their runs in the Class 7A state playoffs this week. Hoover hosts Sparkman, and Spain Park travels to Hewitt-Trussville on Friday night.
VOLLEYBALL
The Hoover High School volleyball team advanced to the state tournament on Wednesday and fell to McGill-Toolen in its semifinal match. Click here for coverage from the state tournament.
CROSS-COUNTRY
The Hoover High School girls and boys cross-country teams qualified for state as a result of their strong showings at Thursday’s Class 7A, Section 3 meet. Click here for a full recap.
The Buccaneers, along with a quartet of Spain Park runners, will look to finish their seasons on a high note at Saturday’s state meet in Oakville.
BASKETBALL
The Hoover and Spain Park high school basketball teams begin their seasons this week. On Tuesday Hoover's girls host Mae Jemison, while Spain Park's boys entertain Cornerstone. Thursday, the Spain Park girls welcome Oakman to town, while the Hoover boys host Gadsden City.
The Spain Park boys face Hewitt-Trussville in the Ramsay Showcase on Saturday.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Tyler Sumpter, a Spain Park alum, has taken over place-kicking duties for the Troy football team. The redshirt freshman began the season as the team’s primary punter —- and he still is — but he also started kicking field goals a few weeks ago. In his first game against Georgia State on Oct. 21, he went 2-for-2, with a long of 28 yards. Sumpter has made his lone attempt in each of the last two games: a 28-yarder against Georgia Southern on Oct. 28 and a 40-yarder against Idaho on Thursday. He also is averaging more than 41 yards per punt.
-- What did we miss? What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
