Hoover hasn't had much luck against Morse recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Cardinals will challenge the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Hoover is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They snuck past Canyon Hills with a 10-6 win. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since October 11, 2019, but that streak is no more.
Hoover found their leader in sophomore JShaun Trent, who made 12 total tackles (6.0 for loss).
Special teams was responsible for all of the team's points. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Phyrom Ivory, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Morse). They claimed a resounding 50-12 victory over Monte Vista. That's two games straight that the Tigers have won by exactly 38 points.
Morse's win came from a few key players Hoover will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was De'Vell Green, who picked up 129 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. He didn't just play on offense: he also made six total tackles and defended one pass. Alex Smith was in the mix too, providing Morse with two scores.
Morse didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Superior Garror. He also punched in three rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Morse is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 0-4 otherwise.
Morse's win bumped their record up to 8-4. As for Hoover, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Hoover has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 165.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Morse struggles in that department as they've been averaging 166.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hoover was dealt a bruising 48-6 loss at the hands of Morse when the teams last played back in September of 2017. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
