Hoover is 1-7 against Crawford since August of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Cardinals will welcome the Colts at 6:30 p.m. Crawford took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Hoover, who comes in off a win.
Hoover is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Vista 42-0. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Cardinals just coasted through the last quarter.
Hoover found their leader in sophomore Hezekiah Manuel, who threw for 263 yards and three TDs while completing 80% of his passes, and also rushed for 109 yards and one score on only 11 carries. Rhani Grant Jr. was Manuel's top target, picking up 100 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Hoover's run defense was locked in: Vista could only muster 2.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Noah Contreras for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hoover didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.4.
Hoover's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Contreras. Hoover received some extra help from Christian Tuipulotu, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Crawford and Bonita Vista were almost perfectly matched up on Thursday, but Crawford suffered a 7-6 loss. The game marked the Colts' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Hoover will have to contain Khalid Ali as he made an impact in Crawford's last game. He rushed for 102 yards and one score on only 13 carries.
Crawford's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Hoover, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Hoover has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 408.6 total yards per game. It's a different story for Crawford, though, as they've been averaging only 216.8 total yards. Will Hoover be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Colts flip the script?
Hoover couldn't quite finish off Crawford in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 and fell 29-27. Thankfully for the Cardinals, Philip Huynh (who threw for 178 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 38 yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
