Hewitt-Trussville Tops Hoover 40-24 in Class 6A Region 3 Opener as Floyd Notches 100th Win

TRUSSVILLE, AL – Ninth-ranked Hewitt-Trussville pulled away from No. 4 Hoover for a 40-24 win Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in the Class 6A, Region 3 opener at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium. The victory carried extra weight for coach Josh Floyd, who earned his 100th win leading the Huskies in his 13th season at the school. The Huskies leaned on a punishing ground game, piling up 423 rushing yards on 55 carries to control the line of scrimmage and knock off one of the state’s top-ranked programs.

A Fast Start and an Early Tie

Both teams felt each other out early, and the first quarter ended in a 7-7 deadlock. The Huskies set the tone on the ground, mixing power runs and quick tempo, while Hoover answered with its own explosive plays to keep pace. The stalemate did not last long once the second quarter arrived and the scoring opened up.

Huskies Surge to a 35-21 Halftime Lead

Hewitt-Trussville’s rushing attack took over in the second quarter. Quarterback Jack Floyd, the coach’s son, ran for 155 yards on 29 carries and scored on runs of 19 and 2 yards. Daniel Williams added 113 yards on 13 carries with touchdown bursts of 68 and 12 yards, giving the Huskies a second dependable threat that Hoover struggled to contain.

Hoover kept swinging. Running back Paxton Weatherly ran twice for 102 yards and two scores, including a 22-yard dash and an 80-yard sprint. But the junior pulled a hamstring as he crossed the goal line on the long touchdown and did not return, a costly blow to the Buccaneers’ backfield.

The night’s biggest swing came with Hewitt-Trussville leading 21-14. Jordon Ward took a shuffle pass from Kaleb Freeman and raced 80 yards for an apparent game-tying score, but a holding penalty wiped the touchdown off the board. Hoover could not recover from the reversal, and a Hewitt-Trussville defensive stop set up another Floyd touchdown run. The Huskies took a 35-21 lead into the break.

A Strange Third Quarter Puts the Game Away

The second half turned in Hewitt-Trussville’s favor through a bizarre stretch of plays. On Hoover’s opening possession, Samuel Starkey sacked Freeman and knocked his helmet loose, forcing backup quarterback Oliver Crowell into the game. Crowell was intercepted, and the turnover led to a 28-yard field goal by Rivers Harbison.

The oddities continued on Hoover’s next series. Starkey chased Freeman into the end zone, and when the quarterback tried to throw the ball away with no receiver nearby, officials called a safety. That pushed the Huskies’ lead to 40-21. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter beyond a late Hoover touchdown that closed the final margin to 40-24.

Two Programs Head in Different Directions

The win moved Hewitt-Trussville to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 3, a strong bounce-back after a home loss to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa the previous week and an early-season win at Auburn. Hoover fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in region play, a tough start in a competitive Region 3 race for a team that entered the night ranked among the state’s best.

Despite the loss, Hoover showed flashes of the explosiveness that made it a preseason contender, and Weatherly’s health will be worth watching as the Buccaneers push forward. For Hewitt-Trussville, the ground dominance and second-half defense signal a team hitting its stride at the right moment.

Up Next

Hewitt-Trussville hits the road to face Tuscaloosa County in Region 3 play, while Hoover returns to the Met to host Prattville. Both games carry early-season region implications as each program looks to build momentum.