Friday night at Heardmont Park in Birmingham, Alabama, the Hoover Buccaneers displayed a textbook offensive balance, amassing 602 total yards and a decisive 59-13 win over the Oak Mountain Eagles in Class 6A, Region 3 play. The Buccaneers’ ability to run and throw the ball effectively was the key factor, according to head coach Chip English.
Offensive Explosion
Hoover opened the game with two quick scores: a 2‑yard touchdown run by freshman running back Paxton Weatherly and a 6‑yard rush from senior Malik Boggan, giving the Buccaneers a 14‑0 lead after the first quarter. Oak Mountain answered with a 77‑yard touchdown run by Kentrell Tolbert, narrowing the margin to 14‑7, but Hoover responded with a flurry of scores before halftime.
Senior quarterback Kaleb Freeman connected on a 93‑yard touchdown pass to Jordon Ward, followed by a 22‑yard rushing touchdown by Boggan. Freeman then found senior wide receiver Ja'myreon Dickerson for a 21‑yard score, pushing the lead to 35‑7 at the half.
Defensive Highlights
The Buccaneers’ defense stepped up in the second half, converting crucial third‑down situations and delivering a pick‑six when defensive back DJ Waluyn returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. Steele Witschy added a 31‑yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 45‑7.
Oak Mountain managed a late surge with Tolbert’s second touchdown, a 63‑yard run that cut the deficit to 45‑13, but Hoover sealed the game with touchdown runs from senior running backs King Sims and Trent Felder.
Statistical Leaders
Freeman finished 18 of 28 passing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Boggan led the ground attack with two rushing touchdowns, while Sims contributed 100 rushing yards on 12 carries. Tolbert was the standout for Oak Mountain, racking up 196 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
English praised his defense for controlling the line of scrimmage against a talented Oak Mountain offense. “They have a few guys that are really, really talented, and so we knew we had to keep them under wraps,” he said. “We found ourselves converting on third down and then defensively getting off the field on third down, and that’s something we hadn’t done in a while.”
Looking Ahead
With the win, Hoover improves to 3‑2 overall and 1‑2 in Region 3. The Buccaneers will host Knoxville Catholic of Tennessee next week, while Oak Mountain falls to 1‑4 overall and 0‑3 in the region. Both programs have an open date before their next scheduled matchups.
Original reporting: Hoover Sun — read the source article.
