By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Wade Waldrop spent eight seasons as head coach at James Clemens in Madison. Often, his Jets’ flightpath through the Class 7A playoffs was blocked by a team from Region 3.
Now, as the first-year coach at Hoover, he leads one of those teams and he understands the difference.
“It’s a playoff game every week, and if you don’t approach it that way, you won’t be in the playoffs.” Waldrop said after his Bucs defeated Hewitt-Trussville 28-11 last Friday at the Hoover Met to advance to the Class 7A semifinals.
“Our kids have done a good job of that. To a new coach and a new coaching staff, I’m tickled to be here. They’ve accepted me. It’s feeling more and more like home every week. We’re more like family every week. Again, I’m just glad to play again.”
Hoover beat Hewitt for the second time this season and has won 11 consecutive games since a season-opening 17-14 loss to Auburn in the AHSAA Challenge at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl. The Bucs (11-1) will host Thompson (9-3) Friday at the Hoover Met. It’s the sixth consecutive season the Bucs and Warriors will square off in the semifinals.
The Warriors, the three-time defending Class 7A champions, reached the semifinals with a 21-12 victory over Vestavia Hills.
Before that outcome was known, Waldrop didn’t care if his team would face the arch-rival Rebels or their new nemesis in the Warriors. Hoover defeated Thompson 9-0 on Oct. 21 to claim the region title, but the Warriors have won their past four semifinal matchups.
“It’ll be a repeat game next week and it’ll be a war,” Waldrop said. “We’re glad it’ll be here. Whoever it is is who it is. They’re going to come, we’re going to come and everybody’s going to get their money’s worth.”
Some undisciplined play and a late touchdown notwithstanding, Waldrop could have hardly been more pleased with his team’s performance against Hewitt. That was in stark contrast to his assessment a week earlier when Hoover opened the playoffs with a 45-19 win over Bob Jones.
“I thought they were focused,” Waldrop said of his team. “Wasn’t focused last week. We were focused on what we had to do tonight and we did a good job.
“It was the best four quarters we’ve played this year. I think it’s the best we’ve played at home too. It was a good win.”
Hoover was up three touchdowns before the Huskies’ offense got on track. Lamarion McCammon sandwiched a 2-yard touchdown run between two freshman quarterback Noah Schuback touchdown passes, a first-quarter 2-yarder to Jack Lamey and a 36-yarder to Jordan Woolen in the second.
Ahead 21-3 at halftime, Hoover’s DJ Estes had visions of breaking the game open with a return of the second-half kickoff. He bobbled and dropped the ball before slipping through the advancing Huskies.
Hoover fans figured he was off to the races. And they weren’t alone. “Me too,” Estes admitted. “I got tackled by the safety.”
Estes would eventually score on a return to break open the game, picking off a Peyton Floyd pass and returning it 40 yards for a score, effectively sealing the Bucs’ victory.
“The receivers (were) lined up far out so (the quarterback) has no choice but to come back in,” Estes said, recounting the play. “I kind of baited it up. I saw him throw the slant, caught it and took it to the crib.”
Estes’ pick-6 was one of four Hoover interceptions, including two by Jay Avery and another by Keith Christein.
Estes was an eighth grader in the stands when Hoover won its last state championship, in 2017.
“We’ve got to get back there,” he said. “That’s the ultimate goal, getting back to state and winning it, taking it all. I feel like we’ll be unsatisfied if we do anything less.”
Schuback, who completed 11 of 17 passes for 177 yards, has had to learn the history of Hoover football, having moved from California last year. But being new to the program doesn’t diminish his desire for the title.
“I wanna go get it,” he said. “I want to go take home that blue map (championship trophy).”
