By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Call it selective amnesia.
Yes, the Hoover boys basketball team won the Class 7A championship in 2023. But this year’s squad wouldn’t think of defending that championship.
They set their sights on starting anew and winning another one.
“One thing coach told us back when we first started was that we (weren’t) going to say that we were repeating,” junior forward DeWayne Brown said. “We would always be chasing a new one because they wouldn’t come back and get the state championship trophy from last year.
“I feel like we continued to take that to heart and we were dedicated to getting another one.”
Saturday night at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena, the Bucs accomplished that mission, beating Enterprise 59-34 to earn their second straight state crown.
Hoover coach Scott Ware knew he had to fend off the potential of overconfidence with a talented cast returning from the 2023 title run.
“The words ‘repeat’ and ‘back-to-back,’ that was not allowed in our gym,” Ware said. “(It was a) brand new team. We wanted to try to do this as ‘this’ team. Those words weren’t allowed but the thing about this group is … these guys were winners. They’re used to winning and they’re probably a little bit loosey goosey sometimes for me and the coaching staff. But it goes back to ‘winners win.’ They have so much confidence in themselves and we trust them totally.”
In the title game, Hoover (30-3) led 17-9 after one quarter to set a pace that the Wildcats (26-5) couldn’t match.
“We just felt like we couldn’t do much right at times,” Enterprise coach Rhett Harrelson said. “They had an answer for everything we did. We just ran into a really, really good team. They forced us to play poorly and turn the ball over and not shoot it real well.”
In the meantime, Hoover guard Salim London, the MVP of last year’s championship run, set the tone and set the table for his teammates, most notably Brown, this year’s MVP.
“I talked to my dad last night and one thing he tried to tell me was, ‘Don’t settle,’” London said. “I just didn’t settle and picked my spots. When I picked my spots, they helped and left other players open.”
London, who joined Brown on the all-tournament team, led the way with 20 points, sinking 8 of 13 shots overall and 2 of 3 from beyond the 3-point arc. He added seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Brown benefitted from London’s playmaking with 15 points, adding 11 rebounds and blocking three shots. Jarett Fairley chipped in 12 points.
The Bucs reached the championship game by outlasting Central-Phenix City 57-49 in the semifinals. Brown had 28 points and eight rebounds in that game and London had 11 points and nine boards. Hoover beat Central 84-66 in the 2023 championship game.
“The main thing about this team is all these guys like each other,” Ware said. “You talk to other coaches and you don’t always have that. All these guys, they pull for each other. They want to see each other do good things not only on the basketball floor but in life. It’s just such a blessing to be a part of it.”
