Hoover is once again the top team in Alabama heading into the 2014 season. This year the Buccaneers may even be the best in the country when all's said and done.
Photo by Randy Sartin
Hoover's reign over the Alabama high school football scene is as dramatic as it is sustainable.
It has a rich football history, is one of the state's largest schools, has a top-notch coach and brims with talent. Alabama has very good high school football. Hoover just has a stranglehold on the landscape right now.
Frighteningly, the 2014 squad could be better than all that have come before it.
Head coach Josh Niblett has plenty of weapons on defense, which will be one of the nation's premier units.
The front seven is as solid as it gets. Defensive end
Christian Bell, an Alabama commit rated the nation's No. 14 weakside defensive end
by 247Sports, has drawn comparisons to Derrick Thomas. He may be the best player on a defense that has no shortage of talent.
Defensive coordinator Robert Evans will also work in
Jaysen Cook-Calhoun, who emerged last season when Bell missed time due to injury last season. He has a knack for making big plays.
Malcolm Cox is also back on the line, but his versatility means he could line up at several different positions.
Behind the defensive line lurks
Darrell Williams, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker who has committed to Gus Malzahn and Auburn. He has great speed and will be an outstanding outside linebacker at the next level. This fall, however, look for Williams to spend some time lining up inside. He registered 61 tackles last fall.
As a sophomore,
Jeremiah Moon opened eyes with his size (6-4, 200) and ability. He's already ranked the No. 4 linebacker in the nation for the class of 2016 in the
247Composite. He lacks experience, but as he matures he will be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.
There's no replacing Marlon Humphrey in the secondary, but junior
P.J. Hall has the makings of a Division I recruit.
Micah Bagley is back at safety. He had a huge game in last year's Class 6A final against Auburn, blocking a punt and recovering it in the end zone. Entering last season, the team needed to rely on new faces in the secondary and had little issue. The same should be true for 2014.
Jack Hutcheson returns to run the point on offense. He developed immensely last season and will be one of the state's most efficient signal-callers in 2014.
He has plenty of playmakers to help him out, including returning running back
Bradrick Shaw, who was a touchdown machine last year. He has several SEC offers, including the in-state Crimson Tide.
When Hutcheson drops back, he'll be looking for tall target
Justin Johnson, a 6-4 receiver who hauled in a half-dozen touchdown passes in the fall.
Leonard Wood, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the 6A semifinals against Vestavia Hills, also returns.
Hoover inked an interesting early-season matchup with Florida juggernaut Miami Central. Both teams feature robust defenses. Hoover will need a complete effort to avoid getting knocked off early. It's never easy when a team's toughest opponent arrives in week one.
"How strong is Hoover? The backups at quarterback and running back appeared talented enough in spring drills to spark a championship run on any other Hoover team this century.
This could be the best team Hoover has ever had. That's saying something given the fact the program has played for the state title in Alabama's largest classification every year this century save for the 2007 season."
- Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News (@JeffSentell_)
