By Josh Bean
Hoover won its fourth straight Class 7A girls basketball championship by beating Hewitt-Trussville 58-56 in the championship game last Saturday at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.
But coach Krystle Johnson said this title – the Bucs’ fifth in the past six seasons – holds a special place in her heart because the Bucs spent much of the season playing the role of underdog, a label rarely placed on a program that has won nine state titles since 2010.
“Let’s keep it real, when we lost Reniya Kelly, people wrote us off,” said Johnson, referring to last year’s Miss Basketball who signed with North Carolina. “I have a friend who said, ‘Who do you play the first game? Bob Jones. You’re going to start the season with a loss.’”
Hoover senior Kamryn Lee put it just as bluntly: “Since the beginning of the school year, we’ve been told we were going to lose.”
When the Bucs opened the season with a loss to Bob Jones and suffered another early-season loss to North Little Rock, the team’s underdog status seemed confirmed.
The Bucs began to find their rhythm around the holidays and hit their stride as the calendar turned to 2024, beating eventual state semifinalist Prattville Christian by 30 and beating rival Vestavia Hills twice after falling to the Rebels in the team’s first meeting.
The Bucs rallied past No. 1-ranked Bob Jones in the Northeast Regional final, which avenged the season-opening loss to the Patriots, and dominated both games at the state tournament at the BJCC.
First, Hoover (28-7) rolled past Auburn 71-56 in the state semifinals and then held on for the 58-56 victory over Hewitt-Trussville (28-6) in the championship game.
“Hoover is still Hoover,” said Johnson, noting the Bucs were never ranked No. 1 in the statewide sports writers rankings this season. “We’re still doing what we’ve always done since I got here, and it produces championships.”
Johnson said she was most proud of her players for fighting through when others doubted them.
“Now they can get the respect they deserve, the respect they’ve earned,” Johnson said. “Just know we are the Class 7A state champs for four years in a row. … This is the best way to go out and get that respect.”
Hoover sophomore Khloe Ford was named the state tournament MVP after finishing with 28 points and 15 rebounds in the victory over Auburn and adding 17 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game.
Kaitlyn Gipson added 12 points in the championship game, Layla Cannon had eight points and Ariana Peagler added seven points, four assists and two steals.
In the semifinal victory over Auburn, Lee filled the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, and senior Ariana Peagler scored 11 points. Gipson added seven points and five assists.
In the championship game, Hoover jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter before leading 28-20 at halftime. With a 43-33 lead after three quarters, the Bucs appeared in control.
Hewitt-Trussville made one final push, as senior Jordan Hunter kept the Huskies within striking distance on the way to 24 points. Freshmen Lauryn Holley and Ryleigh Martin made 3-pointers to spark the Huskies in the fourth quarter, and Ashlyn Howard’s layup with 3:30 to go cut the Hoover lead to 51-50.
Hoover didn’t flinch, as Ford scored a three-point play to make it 54-50 with 2:41 to go, and the Bucs’ defense held in the final minutes for a fourth straight state championship.
“It gets better and better every year,” said Peagler, who is part of the first senior class in Hoover program history to win four straight titles. “It’s just so much sweeter because so many people doubted us. We’re still Hoover.”
