Hoover (Ala.) at Opelika (Ala.)
Hoover and Opelika met for the 6A state title last season.
File photo by Joe Boyd
This Thursday night special is a rematch of last season's Class 6A state championship. Hoover won that game big (31-0) to claim its seventh crown since the turn of the century. Led by a defense that is giving up less than a touchdown per game, the No. 13 Bucs (9-0) have outscored opponents by an average of 33 points. Opelika began the season with six straight wins, but has dropped two of its last three, including a 21-14 loss last week against archrival Auburn.
Just the facts: A win gives Hoover a third undefeated regular season in four years. The Bucs are 122-11 against Alabama opponents and 130-14 overall since 2004. … Before finishing runner-up in the state playoffs last season, Opelika had failed to qualify for the postseason the three previous years.
Mitch Stephens: Hoover 35, Opelika 28
Kevin Askeland: Hoover 30, Opelika 24
Jamie DeMoney: Hoover 25, Opelika 13
Stephen Spiewak: Hoover 31, Opelika 17
Leland Gordon: Hoover 41, Opelika 28
Colin Ward-Henninger: Hoover 42, Opelika 21
