Football Recap: Hoover Comes Up Short in High-Profile Game with Hillcrest + How To Watch

Hoover faced Hillcrest in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Buccaneers fell 34-26 to the Patriots. The Buccaneers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Patriots apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in September of 2024.

Kaleb Freeman threw for 209 yards on 15 of 32 attempts. Jeremiah Tabb was his top target, picking up 84 receiving yards. On the ground, Keilan Jefferson rushed for 49 yards and one score.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hillcrest to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jacobi Harris, who rushed for 114 yards and a pair of TDs. Austin Cherry helped out on the ground, rushing for 99 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Hoover now has a losing record of 1-2. As for Hillcrest, the victory (which was their fifth in a row dating back to last season) raised their record to 3-0.

We've got plenty of inter-region action coming up soon. Hoover is set to square off against their familiar foe Hewitt-Trussville at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 913 yards in their previous games. Meanwhile, Hillcrest will challenge rival Vestavia Hills at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.