Spartans fall to Hoover
MOUNTAIN BROOK — Hoover High School running back Anthony Hayes showed why his nickname is “freight train."
After corralling a pass from quarterback Josh Lundy, Hayes plowed through a would-be tackler en route to the end zone.
The 32-yard touchdown gave the Bucs an 18-point lead in the third quarter and all but sealed their 34-10 victory over Class 7A, Region 3 foe Mountain Brook on Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
“It was a great day, man,” Hayes said.
The score was Hayes’ second of the second half. His first came on an 8-yard run that capped a three-play, 30-yard drive at the beginning of the third quarter.
Hoover inherited favorable starting field position after Mountain Brook fumbled the second-half kickoff.
The pair of touchdowns enabled the Bucs to turn a 14-10 halftime lead into a margin far more insurmountable.
“We just continue to be relentless, man,” Hoover head coach Josh Niblett said. “You know, these kids never waver and they never flinch, and they show up every day ready to work."
While Hoover’s offense came to life after intermission, its defense took care of business in the first two quarters.
Kory Chapman intercepted Mountain Brook quarterback Strother Gibbs on the Spartans’ opening possession and returned it 27 yards for a score.
Late in the second quarter, Aarren Smith stripped Gibbs as he scrambled out of the pocket. Smith nearly fell in the process of scooping up the loose football but managed to keep his balance and return it 24 yards to the end zone.
"We just had to bow our backs and make plays,” Smith said. “It was very important because we knew we were going to have to play sound on defense."
Despite the early miscues, Mountain Brook stayed in the game in the first half.
Sam Higgins powered in for a 6-yard score to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, and Atkins Roberts converted a 28-yard field goal in the second.
The Spartans took advantage of short fields on both scoring drives. In the second half, they didn’t enjoy that luxury.
Their four possessions after the break resulted in three punts and a turnover on downs.
"We're better than this right here,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “We are a better football team than what we played tonight."
Mountain Brook gained only 35 total yards on the ground. Yeager said his team’s three turnovers surpassed its season total.
“The team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins,” he said.
Hoover fumbled once in the first half but played cleanly in the second.
Lundy appeared to find a rhythm and had two touchdowns passes: the 32-yarder to Hayes and a 17-yarder to RJ Hamilton. Lundy completed 13-of-23 passes for 164 yards on the night. Hayes had 15 carries for 73 yards.
Their efforts helped Hoover (8-1, 6-1 in region) secure the No. 2 playoff seed from Region 3. As a result, the Bucs will host a first-round playoff game Nov. 8. Mountain Brook, meanwhile, has the No. 3 seed and will hit the road.
The Spartans (7-2, 5-2) wrap up the regular season next Friday at Gardendale. Hoover concludes its slate at home against IMG Academy (Florida).
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