Hoover is 4-0 against Boardman since January of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hoover Vikings will look to defend their home court against the Boardman Spartans at 6:45 p.m. Hopefully Hoover is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Boardman in Ohio (Hoover is ranked 79th, while Boardman is ranked 494th).
Last Tuesday, in a tight game that could have gone either way, Hoover made off with a 51-50 victory over Alliance. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Hoover.
Zac Braucher was his usual excellent self, scoring 13 points along with six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Crew Cain, who scored six points along with four steals.
Meanwhile, Boardman's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their 14th straight defeat. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 34-33 to Howland. Boardman has struggled against Howland recently, as their match on Friday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Grayson Eicher, who scored seven points along with eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Terrell Mcdowell, who scored nine points.
Hoover's win bumped their record up to 11-6. As for Boardman, their defeat was their seventh straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-14.
Friday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Hoover have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 45.4% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Boardman struggles in that department as they've made 38.5% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Hoover against Boardman in their previous matchup back in February of 2023 as the team secured a 61-30 victory. Does Hoover have another victory up their sleeve, or will Boardman turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
