By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The last time Hoover lost to a high school football team from Alabama, current Hewitt-Trussville seniors were near the end of their first semester as freshmen.
On Dec. 2, 2011, Hoover fell 35-34 to Prattville in the Class 6A state championship game. The Bucs have beaten every Alabama team they’ve faced since, going 15-0 the last two seasons and losing only to teams from Florida and Georgia this season.
This game has a lot of hoopla surrounding it. Hoover (6-2, 6-0 Class 7A, Region 3) is No. 1 in Class 7A. If Hewitt-Trussville (5-3, 3-3) wins, it upsets the best team in the state and earns a playoff spot. Oh, and it’s in the new Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, which has been under construction for 13 months. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Hewitt-Trussville senior defensive back Jarett Nelson awaits a play in a game against Vestavia Hills earlier this season.
file photo by Ron Burkett
“It’s a big game,” said Hewitt-Trussville junior linebacker Bailey McElwain. “Everybody likes to play Hoover, but like I said this summer, I believe we can match up with anybody in the state. That’s just what I believe. I think if we play good enough we can beat them.”
Beating Hoover will be a tall, tall task. The Bucs are averaging 36 points per game this season, but 51.5 in their last four. The defense is allowing just 13.25 points per game this season and has shut out Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain and Vestavia Hills.
Hewitt-Trussville is coming off its likely best defensive performance of the season against Mountain Brook, which senior defensive back Deontay Wilson said gives the team a “full head of steam.” That win “just jumbles everything up” for potential playoff spots, Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd said.
A win over Hoover gets Hewitt-Trussville into the Class 7A playoffs. If that happens and Mountain Brook beats Spain Park, the Huskies get the No. 3 seed on a tiebreaker. If Tuscaloosa County beats Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook loses, Hewitt-Trussville will be the No. 4 seed.
If Hewitt-Trussville loses to Hoover and Spain Park beats Mountain Brook, Hewitt-Trussville makes the playoffs. What could be the simplest way for Hewitt-Trussville to get in is if Tuscaloosa County beats Vestavia Hills, because then there could be a three-way tie among Hewitt-Trussville, Mountain Brook, and Spain Park, which the Huskies would win.
If Tuscaloosa County falls to Vestavia Hills, there could be a five-way tie among Hewitt-Trussville, Mountain Brook, Tuscaloosa County, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills. In that scenario, tiebreakers are likely determined by non-region wins, which Hewitt-Trussville has over Gadsden City and Gardendale. The Huskies could be the No. 3 seed in that scenario.
If the Huskies fall to Hoover, Spain Park loses to Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills beats Tuscaloosa County, the Huskies are likely out of the playoffs due to losses to Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills.
If Hewitt-Trussville loses to Hoover, the game to watch seems to be Spain Park at Mountain Brook, which the Huskies need the Jaguars to win.
Got it? Good.
Regardless of all the scenarios, there will be much excitement surrounding the game against Hoover. Floyd said it’s a fun week with the new stadium opening and welcoming the top Class 7A team.
“At the end of the day there’s going to be a game Friday at 7 p.m.,” Floyd said. “We’ve got to get ready for that.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
