Spartan offense sputters in rivalry loss
The Class 7A, Region 3 football opener between Hoover High and Mountain Brook ended with Buc linebacker Kholbe Coleman-Abrams and a few friends adding one final grass stain on Spartan quarterback Hamp Sisson’s uniform.
Perhaps that was the most fitting conclusion on a Friday night that featured a whole lot of Hoover defense and the field goal kicking of Barret Pickering in the Bucs’ 19-3 triumph over Mountain Brook at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
How good was the Hoover defense on a night where the Bucs improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 3?
So good that Mountain Brook’s lone scoring possession covered just eight yards on three plays and concluded with a 24-yard field goal by Mason Dillard. The only reason that the Spartans were in scoring position at that point was a bad snap on a Hoover punt that set Mountain Brook up on the Bucs’ 16-yard line.
Other than that, the Spartans (2-1 overall, 0-1 Region 3) rarely threatened. Mountain Brook managed just 102 yards on 44 offensive plays with only one of its six first downs coming in the first half. Standout running back Harold Joiner got some tough yards but was unable to break out for a gain longer than eight yards. He finished with 50 yards on 18 carries, which is an average of 2.8 yards per carry.
“We kept them behind the sticks,” said Hoover head coach Josh Niblett. “We didn’t give up any big plays. Our staff did a really good job of putting together a game plan (and) our kids trusted in it and executed it. We play fast on defense. We pride ourselves on playing good defense. In this region, you got to play good defense.”
Mountain Brook also did some good things defensively on Friday night, even though the Bucs did gain 410 yards on 72 plays. The Spartans did more bending than breaking with a few big defensive plays to keep Hoover from extending a lead it held from the Bucs' opening series. Mountain Brook linebacker Tanner Dean ended a promising drive with a fourth down tackle late in the first half and safety Zachary Carroll intercepted a pass deep in Spartan territory to stop another scoring opportunity.
But Hoover did enough offensively to win comfortably.
“The biggest thing is tonight is I saw improvements in the things we did offensively between the 20s,” Niblett said. “Now we just got to finish drives. We just got to finish drives and come away with touchdowns instead of field goals. But, at the same time, in games like this, you know it’s going to be a battle and grind once you get in the red zone.”
Actually, things went rather easily for Hoover on its opening drive. The Bucs sped 56 yards on just four plays with running back C.J. Sturdivant bursting 37 yards for the score with two minutes elapsed on the clock. The Bucs led 7-0 after Pickering’s extra point.
Hoover’s offense spent the rest of the night moving the ball well but they never found the end zone again. Penalties were a factor with Hoover being penalized 13 times for 142 yards. Pickering made sure the Bucs were still scoring points. The talented junior connected on kicks of 22, 21, 29 and 42 yards and fell short on a 46-yard attempt.
Pickering got those opportunities because Hoover quarterback Garrett Farquhar and the offense was able to get the team in scoring position. Farquhar was 15-of-26 for 139 yards through the air and rushed for 83 yards on five carries, including runs of 47 and 33 yards. Sturdivant rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries to lead a rushing attack that produced 269 yards on 45 carries.
Afterward, Niblett said it wasn’t solely what happened on Friday night that allowed his team to bounce back nicely from last week’s loss in Texas.
“Every time you lose, when it happens, you just can’t wait to get on the field,” Niblett said. “But, what you can’t do is lose your preparation. Our kids did a heckuva job preparing during the week, so I’m proud of them.”