By Rubin E. Grant By Hoover football standards in the 21st century, it seems like an eternity since the Buccaneers won a state championship. In actuality, it’s only been since 2017, when the Bucs last captured the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 7A title. But Hoover didn’t advance to the championship game the past two seasons, the first time in 20 years the … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Homewood football coach Ben Berguson is pretty straightforward and not given to nuances. But when talking about the Patriots’ prospects for the 2020 season, Berguson gave a nuanced response. “Last year we were inexperienced, but this year we’re very young with only 16 seniors,” Berguson said. “We do have six starters returning on defense, which is good, and … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Homewood athletic director Doug Gann spent much of the second week of August in meetings with administrators in the Homewood school system and the people who manage Waldrop Stadium. They were trying to craft a plan for fans to safely attend the Patriots’ home football games during the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing is for certain, going to games during the … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Since taking over as John Carroll Catholic’s head football coach in June, Will Mara said it’s been like “trying to drink water from a fire hydrant.” “There’s been a lot coming at me,” Mara said. “But this is my dream job. I’m 100% blessed to be in this position. It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m the head coach. I’m super excited and the kids have been working … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Matthew Forester’s first season as Briarwood’s head football coach got off to a rocky start in 2019. The Lions lost their first two games, then reeled off 11 consecutive victories to reach the Class 5A semifinals. Their reward is a move up in classification and into the challenging Class 6A, Region 5 that also includes Mountain Brook, which dropped from 7A, … [Read more...]