By Blake Ells Mountain Brook’s cross-country teams will travel to Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 30 to compete in the Nike Portland XC Invite. A trip to a far-away meet has become a tradition over the past two decades, with the team rotating years flying and bussing. This time they’ll be in a field of about 60 teams at one of the premier events in the country. “Mountain Brook … [Read more...]
Victim of His Own Success: Bucs’ Chase Brown Looking for More Action
By Rubin E. Grant Senior cornerback Chase Brown hasn’t been missing in action for the Hoover Bucs this season. It’s just that little action has come his way. That’s what happens when you gain a reputation for being a topnotch pass defender. “Now I know exactly how Will Singleton felt,” Brown said, referring to his former secondary mate. “That’s the life of a lock-down … [Read more...]
‘This Is A New Team’: Young, Inexperienced Hoover Volleyball Team Renews Title Quest
By Rubin E. Grant The Hoover volleyball team is not in the habit of making excuses, but the Bucs are still wondering whether they would have been 2016 Class 7A champions if they had gone into the state tournament completely healthy. The Bucs lost starting setter Jamie Gregg to a knee injury before the season began and, just before the start of the Elite Eight state … [Read more...]
Cross-Country Routes: Hoover Runners Heading to First All-Star North-South Race
By Tyler Waldrep Sydney Steely has been a mainstay finisher in the cross-country top eight since she joined Hoover’s varsity team as an seventh-grader five years ago. Her success likely wouldn’t have been possible without her mother, Sonia Steely, who runs two or three miles almost daily before heading to work as a CrossFit trainer. At some point, Sydney Steely began joining … [Read more...]
Spain Reign: Hawkins, Widra, Tedder Lead All-OTM Team
By Lee Davis Spain Park may have fallen short of its goal to win the Class 7A softball championship, but in every other way, 2017 was the year of the Jaguars. Coach C.J. Hawkins’ team compiled a 48-9 record, won its region and spent much of the season in the top three of Class 7A ranking. Spain Park also earned recognition as one of the nation’s best high school … [Read more...]