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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2016 Team Previews 

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Hoover Buccaneers

Head Coach: Josh Niblett (ninth season)
Stadium: Regions Park
Career Record: 16 seasons, (171-43)
At Hoover: 8 seasons, (106-11)
2016 Enrollment:  2,143
Rank:  1st in the AHSAA, 1st in Class 7A

 History 
Overall Record:   461-163-7   (74.0%)
Last 25 years:   270-63   (81.0%)  (Rank: 2nd in the AHSAA, 1st in Class 7A)
Since 2010:   79-8  (91.0%)  (Rank: 2nd in the AHSAA, 1st in Class 7A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2015
Last Region Championship:   2014
Last Winning Season:   2015
Last Losing Season:   1998

 2015 
Class:  7A              Region:   3
Record:  10-3
Region Record:   5-2, (second)
Playoff Record:   Semi-finals loss to Spain Park by the score of 7-6.
Final ASWA Poll:   5th
Scoring:  337 (25.9)
Defense:  137 (10.5)

College Signees lost to Graduation
      Daniel Aust,   OL  [Samford]
      Christian Bell,   LB  [Alabama]
      Quincy Cox,   TE/WR  [Tuskegee]
      Nick Eldridge,   OL  [Kennesaw St.]
      P.J. Hall,   DB  [Tulane]
      Malachi Herron,   DB  [Mississippi College]
      Jeremiah Moon,   LB  [Florida]

 2016 
Class: 7A              Region:   3
Strength of Schedule: 47-43 (52%) (151st in the AHSAA, 25th in Class 7A)
Region Strength:  38-39 (49%)
Non-Region Strength:  9-4 (69%)

D1 Prospects
      Will Singleton,  5-10,  151,  CB
      CJ Sturdivant,  5-8,  198,  RB
      KJ Vault,  6-0,  197,  OLB



 2015 Results 
 8/22  @ Oakland TN    24-6   W  
 8/28  vs. Manatee FL    42-21   W  
 9/4  @ Mountain Brook  (7A)  *  21-14   W  
 9/11  @ Oak Mountain  (7A)  *  17-14   W  
 9/18  vs. Thompson  (7A)  *  31-14   W  
 9/25   OPEN 
 10/1  vs. Spain Park  (7A)  *  0-17   L  
 10/9  vs. Tuscaloosa County  (7A)  *  45-3   W  
 10/16  @ Vestavia Hills  (7A)  *  13-20   L  
 10/23  vs. Hewitt-Trussville  (7A)  *  38-0   W  
 10/29  vs. North Marion FL    38-14   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/6  vs. Buckhorn    38-7   W  
 11/13  vs. Vestavia Hills    24-0   W  
 11/20  @ Spain Park    6-7   L  


 2016 Schedule 
 8/19   Central Phenix City  (7A)       
 8/26  @ Allen TX        
 9/2  vs. Mountain Brook  (7A)  *      
 9/9  vs. Spain Park  (7A)  *      
 9/16  @ Tuscaloosa County  (7A)  *      
 9/23   OPEN 
 9/30  @ Oak Mountain  (7A)  *      
 10/7  vs. Huffman  (7A)  *      
 10/14  vs. Vestavia Hills  (7A)  *      
 10/21  @ Thompson  (7A)  *      
 10/28  vs. Grayson GA        
 11/4  vs. Bob Jones        
 11/11  vs. James Clemens        
 11/18  @ Gadsden City        
 11/30   McGill-Toolen        



Class  7A Region  3
Team 2015 Record Scoring                            
Hoover (7A) 10-3337-137
Huffman (6A) 4-7124-203
Mountain Brook (7A) 3-7134-237
Oak Mountain (7A) 5-5213-213
Spain Park (7A) 12-2302-140
Thompson (7A) 5-5279-206
Tuscaloosa County (7A) 0-1082-274
Vestavia Hills (7A) 9-3261-187


 2016 Preview 


       Hoover completed the 2015 season with a 10-3 record. With their 5-2 region record and a second place finish in Class 7A region three, the Buccaneers earned a spot in the playoffs in 2015. Hoover made a nice playoff run in 2015, reaching the semi-finals before falling to a very good Spain Park team by the score of 7-6.

       The Buccaneers lost as many games as in any season since 2007.

       The defense was very stingy last season as Hoover ranked 10th in the AHSAA. The defense allowed only 10.5 points a game.

       Over the past two seasons the Buccaneers have gone 22-5 and will be looking to continue that winning tradition. As one of the best football programs in the state since 2010, Hoover has gone a combined 79-8. Their 91.0% winning percentage ranks 1st in Class 7A over the past six seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Hoover has gone a combined 270-63. Their 81.0% winning percentage ranks 1st in Class 7A and 2nd in the AHSAA. The Buccaneers have been successful on the football field with twenty-one winning seasons during this time. Their last losing season was 1998.

       The Buccaneers are led by head coach Josh Niblett who is entering his ninth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 106-11 over the past eight seasons at Hoover. Under his direction the Buccaneers have qualified for the playoffs a total of eight times. They have won five region crowns with Coach Niblett. Coach Niblett has won four state championships at Hoover, the last coming in 2014.

       Coach Niblett's overall record as a head football coach in sixteen season stands at 171-43 (79.9%). His 171 wins rank 14th among active coaches in the AHSAA. Over the course of his career, Coach Niblett's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of fifteen times and won six region championships. He has a 44-10 record in the playoffs during his career. The playoff victories rank with the best among active coaches. Coach Niblett won a state championship at Oneonta in 2004.

       The Hoover Buccaneers will play in Class 7A region three during the 2016 season.

       While most teams rebuild during the off season, Hoover has been a consistent winner the past few years and will simply reload this season. The Buccaneers enter the season with expectations of not only a region title but reaching the state championship game. They are considered one the favorites in region three and should be a team in the thick of the hunt to represent the North in the Class 7A title game. The Buccaneers have succeeded in reaching the playoffs every year since 1999 and this year should be no exception.

      The Bucs saw several streaks end last year as they were shutout by Spain Park during the regular season and failed to reach the State Championship game for only the second time since 2000.

       The Buccaneers open the 2016 season on a neutral field against non-region opponent Central Phenix City on Friday, August 19 at Cramton Bowl. Last year the Central Phenix City Red Devils finished with an overall record of 9-4 and in first place in Class 7A region two. The Red Devils lost in the semi-finals round of the Class 7A playoffs to McGill-Toolen by a score of 26-21.

       Hoover and Central Phenix City have met a total of 4 times on the football field. The Buccaneers have a 4-0-0 record against the Red Devils. They last met in 1978 with Hoover winning by a score of 21-14.

       College prospects include: CJ Sturdivant (5-8, 198) running back, KJ Vault (6-0, 197) outside linebacker, Will Singleton (5-10, 151) cornerback,

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Morris Higginbotham coached three different teams to divisional state championships in the 1950s. He won titles at Walnut Grove in 1952, West Blocton in 1955 and Enterprise in 1960.