Football Recap: IMG Academy Starts Season with Victory on the Road + How To Watch

IMG Academy had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They were the clear victors by a 34-13 margin over the Hoover Buccaneers on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Ascenders in their matchups with the Buccaneers: they've now won four in a row.

Le'Khy Thompkins had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 164 yards and three scores while picking up 9.6 yards per carry.

Ascenders

Rushing Yards

08/22/25 @ Hoover	259
11/08/24 vs St. Thomas More	188
11/01/24 @ St. Frances Academy	67
10/25/24 @ East St. Louis	133
10/04/24 @ Venice	93
+ 3 more games

They were just one part of a punishing run game: IMG Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 259 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.

On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to IMG Academy's defense and their six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Jake Kreul and Zyron Forstall, who racked up four sacks between them. AJ Marks got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Several Buccaneers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jonah Winston, who picked up 79 receiving yards and one TD.

IMG Academy has already played their next contest, a 35-14 win against Winslow Township on the 28th. As for Hoover, they are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will square off against Spain Park at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.