High school sports recap: Bucs sweep state indoor titles – HooverSun.com

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Sparkman’s Janae Hilliard, Foley’s Destiny Roper, Hoover’s Gabrielle Washington, Hewitt-Trussville’s Brianna Beckham, and Hoover’s Jebreiya Chapman compete in the finals of the girls 60-meter dash during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

2 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

The Hoover girls indoor track and field team claims the Class 7A state championship trophy at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

3 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

The Hoover boys indoor track and field team claims the Class 7A state championship trophy at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

4 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

The Hoover girls indoor track and field team claims the Class 7A state championship trophy at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

5 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

The Hoover boys indoor track and field team claims the Class 7A state championship trophy at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

6 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Khaalid Ruffin, center, competes in the boys 60-meter dash during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

7 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Laurin Mack competes in the girls long jump during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

8 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Dasya Harold competes in the girls triple jump during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

9 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Spain Park competes in the boys 4×800-meter relay during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

10 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover competes in the girls 4×200-meter relay during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

11 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover competes in the girls 4×200-meter relay during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

12 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Nyel Settles competes in the girls high jump event during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

13 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Oak Mountain’s Julia Bucche, Chelsea’s Lily Rigor and Hoover’s Amyah Ellington compete in the girls 60-meter hurdles during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

14 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hewitt-Trussville’s Manny Cazeau, Hoover’s RJ Torbor and Hoover’s Denver Cash compete in the boys 60-meter hurdles during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

15 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Connor White competes in the boys pole vault event during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

16 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Collin Pate competes in the boys pole vault event during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

17 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Spain Park’s Keith Warner reacts as he crosses the finish line boys 1,600-meter run during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

18 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Spain Park’s Delaney Vickers competes in the girls 1,600-meter run during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

19 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Dallas Beck competes in the boys 400-meter dash during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

20 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s RJ Torbor competes in the boys triple jump during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

21 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover’s Jay Avery competes in the boys triple jump during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

22 of 22

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Spain Park’s Delaney Vickers competes in the girls 1,600-meter run during the Class 7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Here’s a look back at the last week in Hoover and Spain Park high school sports.

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

The Hoover indoor track and field team completed the clean sweep for the second year in a row, winning the Class 7A boys and girls state championships last Saturday at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Hoover dominated both meets. The boys team scored 134 points, more than double runner-up Vestavia Hills’ 61 points. Huntsville finished third and Hewitt-Trussville was fourth.

The girls team scored 111.5 points to beat Chelsea by over 30 points. Hewitt-Trussville was third and Foley placed fourth.

The Bucs medaled in nearly event, winning several of them along the way. On the boys side, Jay Avery won the 60-meter dash in 6.96 seconds and also won the triple jump by reaching 47 feet, 0.75 inches. Dallas Beck took home the top prize in the 400-meter run, posting a time of 49.09 seconds. The boys also won the 4×400-meter relay, as the team of Beck, Zachary King, Collin Pate and Charles Crowder ran the race in 3 minutes, 23 seconds.

Gabrielle Washington finished off an incredible indoor season, winning the girls 400 in 55.87 seconds. Nyel Settles won the high jump, clearing 5-4. D’Asya Harold won the triple jump, reaching 37-0.25. The girls dominated the relay events as well. The 4×200 team of Taylor Canada, Daisy Luna, Jebreiya Chapman and Washington set a state record with a 1:39.05. The 4×400 team of McKenzie Blakcledge, Luna, Canada and Washington won in 3:53 as well.

Also medaling for the boys were Khaalid Ruffin (second in 60), Denver Cash (second in 60-meter hurdles), RJ Torbor (third in 60-meter hurdles), DeMarion Gardner (second in 400), Avery (second in long jump), Collin Pate (second in pole vault), Connor White (third in pole vault) and Bradley Shaw (third in shot put). The 4×200 team of Jordan Woolen, Beck, King and Gardner was second.

Plenty of girls reached the podium as well. Washington was second in the 60, Amyah Ellington was thrd in the 60 hurdles, Luna was second in the 400, Blackledge was second in the 800, Laurin Mack was second in long jump, and the 4×800 relay of Blackledge, Catherine Wallace, Langley Jung and Sarah Hertz finished third.

Cannon Peters (fourth in 800), Woolen (fourth in high jump), Owen Jung (fourth in high jump), Toshi Yamamoto (fifth in shot put), Torbor (fourth in triple jump), and the 4×800 team of Zachary Cooper, Zander Dakis, Elijah Joseph and Matthew Harden (fourth) all gained points for the boys team.

Gaining additional points for the girls team were Chapman (fourth in 60), Paige Momern (sixth in 60 hurdles), Wallace (eighth in 800), Isabella Maple (fifth in pole vault), Becca Guerard (seventh in pole vault) and Nicolette Lewis (sixth in shot put).

Lila Hunter, Ava Sparks, Sarah Hertz and Kendyl Mitchell also competed for the Bucs.

Spain Park was also represented at the state meet. Keith Warner was one of several runners to set a state record in the 1,600, as he finished fourth in 4:16.83. 

The girls 4×400 (Delaney Vickers, Remy Richards, Sydney Baker and Chloe Finocchiaro) and 4×800 (Vickers, Finocchiaro, Richards and Mackenzie Colbaugh) teams each finished fifth. Baker (eighth in 400) and Vickers (fifth in 800 and eighth in 1,600) earned points for the girls individually as well.

The boys 4×800 team of Warner, Kenneth Bishop, Garrett Bishop and Zane McPeters placed sixth as well. Christian Johnson, LaCoria Nelson, Stopher Walls, Zavier Long, Isaac Battles, Alex Smith and Wesley Vice also competed for the Jags.

The Hoover boys and Spain Park girls basketball teams began the final week of the regular season last Monday with road games on Monday.

Hoover’s boys went on the road to Homewood and won 65-40. The Bucs started fast and never let up. Jarett Fairley led the way with 15 points in the game. DeWayne Brown added 14 points and 8 rebounds, Jonathan Caicedo posted 9 points and 5 rebounds, Cam Torbor added 6 points and 8 rebounds, and Salim London finished with 5 points and 5 assists. 

Spain Park’s girls fell to Thompson 62-13.

Hoover and Spain Park’s girls were back in action on Tuesday evening. Spain Park fell to Mountain Brook 65-19. 

Hoover’s girls notched a big win, knocking off Hazel Green 52-38, as the Lady Bucs ended Hazel Green’s 87-game winning streak, the longest in state history. Reniya Kelly had 24 points to lead the way, with Layla Etchison joining her in double figures with 10 points. 

Spain Park traveled to McAdory on Thursday evening. Spain Park’s girls fell to McAdory 44-29, but the boys picked up a 56-49 win. Zach Gray scored 18 points, Sam Wright had 13 points and Chase James notched 10 points in the win. 

Hoover’s boys knocked off Spain Park 55-43 on Friday night in a rivalry contest. For the Bucs, London paced the team with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Brown nearly posted a double-double with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks. Fairley also contributed 9 points and 4 assists. For the Jags, Wright had 17 points to top the team. James finished with 9 points and Gray had 7 points.

The postseason begins this week, with Hoover and Spain Park playing in area tournaments. 

Hoover’s boys will play in the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament at Vestavia Hills. The Bucs will face Tuscaloosa County on Wednesday at 7 p.m. If they win, they will play in the final Friday at 6 p.m.

The Lady Bucs host the Area 5 tournament, facing Tuscaloosa County at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. They would then play in the final Thursday at 6 p.m.

Spain Park plays in Area 6, with the boys heading to Oak Mountain for the tournament. The Jags will take on Hewitt-Trussville in the opening round on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The final is set for Friday at 7 p.m.

The Lady Jags will head to Hewitt-Trussville and face the Lady Huskies on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The final is set for Thursday at 6 p.m.

The Hoover wrestling team took down Moody 55-18 last Tuesday. Malcolm Smith (106 pounds), Kenneth Means (113), Ty Sisson (126), Vincent Aspito (132), Broc Metcalf (145), Ian Addison (160), Keith Christein (170), Jack Lamey Jr. (182), Alex Burch (195) and Chaleb Powell (285) all won for the Bucs in the match.

The Hoover and Spain Park boys soccer teams opened the season last weekend at the Lakeshore Shootout. 

Hoover’s boys fell to Hewitt-Trussville 1-0 on Friday and earned a 1-1 draw with Huntsville on Saturday.

Spain Park suffered a 7-1 loss to Huntsville, before rallying to post a 3-0 win over Montgomery Academy.

Want to see something else mentioned? Feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.