Class 7A Boys semifinals: Hoover whips Central-Phenix City, eyes perfect season

The Hoover Bucs are one win away from completing one of the greatest seasons in Alabama high school basketball history.

The Bucs ran their record to 34-0 with a 94-67 win over Central-Phenix City in the Class 7A state semifinals Thursday at Legacy Arena.

Hoover has won 44 straight games dating back to last season. With a win over Florence in Saturday’s state championship game, the Bucs would be the state’s first undefeated boys’ team since Valley High School in 2023.

“Somebody said to me that Hoover is a basketball school now,” said Hoover coach Scott Ware. “But we’re an everything school. When you have Hoover on your chest, you’re a marked man or woman. We embrace that.”

The Bucs certainly accepted the challenge early against a talented team from Central-Phenix City (28-4).

Hoover 6-foot-9 center DeWayne Brown scored the first time he touched the ball 15 seconds into the game. It was a sign of things to come. The Tennessee signee finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. Most impressively he made 13-of-14 field goal attempts and his only free throw.

A lob dunk from UAB signee Salim London to Brown followed by a London fast-break layup staked Hoover to a 21-2 lead six minutes into the game.

Central pulled within 11 points with one minute left in the first half on a layup by Jacksonville State signee Jacoby Hill. But Hoover quickly re-established a large lead.

The Bucs opened the second half on a 19-6 run to lead 59-33. The lead was never less than 18 points the rest of the way and ballooned to as much as 29 points in the last minute.

Star of the game: It’s hard to pick anyone other than Brown or London (22 points), but it might have actually been all of the Hoover shooters. The Bucs were perfect on 13 free throws and shot 65.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent on 3-pointers.

Stat sheet: Central guard Jayddence Ford was spectacular in the last game of his junior season. Ford sank eight 3-pointers on his way to 28 points. Hill scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to complete the high school career for a player coach Charles Burkett called, “a generational talent.”

They said it: “We had a great start and probably took them out of some of things they wanted to do.” – Hoover coach Scott Ware

“This is a hard pill to swallow. But this one game definitely won’t define these players.” – Central-Phenix City coach Charles Burkett

Did you know? Hoover has dominated Class 7A basketball, winning the last two boys state championships and the last four girls titles. The Bucs will go for the sweep again Saturday.

Did you know 2? Vigor, R.C. Hatch, Decatur Heritage, Plainview, Central-Phenix City and Hoover sent both their boys’ and girls’ teams to the Final Four, but only Hoover had both teams advance to the state championship game.