Hoover Holds Off Monrovia as Time Expires

What’s this, playoff time already?

Of course not.

Not even close.

File it under nonleague games with a suspenseful ending.

Hoover High’s 13-12 win over Monrovia at Glendale High on Thursday night went to the final heartbeat as Monrovia’s James O’Connell missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

“It’s exciting any time you’re in a game like that,” said Hoover Coach Dennis Hughes, who received a postgame ice-water bath from his players. “That’s high school football, and that’s why I enjoy coaching these young men.”

For part of the night, Hughes might have wanted to be anywhere but the Tornadoes’ sideline. His team struggled offensively and trailed, 12-6, when Monrovia capped an 80-yard drive with Neil Griffin’s seven-yard run with 10:32 left.

But Hoover answered with a 72-yard drive that was highlighted by two key runs from Stanley Baires, who finished with 58 yards in 11 carries. The first came on a third-and-six play at the 50-yard line and netted 16 yards. The second was a 14-yard scamper that resulted in a touchdown that tied the score, 12-12, with 6:08 left.

David Bronner, who missed a point-after kick and a 32-yard field-goal attempt, added the winning point with the point-after kick.

“The kids really came through when they had to,” Hughes said.

But that wasn’t all. Hoover stopped a Monrovia drive at midfield and took over with 2:43 left, but William Morrow recovered Baires’ fumble at Monrovia’s 45 with 1:05 left.

Monrovia (0-3) struck for a first down on a 23-yard completion from Paul Wein to Eric Stone at Hoover’s 23, but the Wildcats could get no farther and O’Connell missed the field-goal try.

“Our kids played hard and our defense was tough, but we got lucky,” Hughes said.

During the first half, neither offense was impressive. The teams combined for only 184 total yards and seven first downs.

Monrovia’s Marshall Byrd, who finished with 96 yards in seven carries, provided the Wildcats with a 76-yard scoring run with 3:14 left in the first quarter.