As Class AA No. 9 Herbert Hoover prepares for its first appearance in the Super Six, the Huskies do so as the only team not seeded first or second in their classification that’ll be playing for a state championship.
That’s just fine for third-year Huskies’ head coach Joey Fields, whose team brings a 10-game win streak into Friday’s 7 p.m. matchup with No. 2 Independence at Wheeling Island Stadium.
“This group went through so much adversity and just continued to respond and play,” Fields said. “The ball bounced our way throughout the season after that 0-2 start. We had a little bit of luck and you gain confidence when that happens. Our guys fed off that and continued to get better, press on and found a way to win.”
Hoover (10-2) has certainly found a way to prevail in the postseason. Following a 63-26 victory at No. 8 Clay County to start the playoffs, the Huskies then avenged one of their two regular season losses by edging top seed Winfield 27-26 on a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining.
That setup a three-and-a-half hour trip to Short Gap to face No. 5 Frankfort in Saturday’s semifinal. After trailing 10-3 at halftime, the Huskies turned things around and pulled out a 17-10 victory.
“Making adjustments is what we do every time,” quarterback/defensive back Dane Hatfield said, “and in the second half our defense plays better because we listen to [assistant coach Tim Meyer] and do what he tells us to do.”
Hatfield, a sophomore, is the focal point of the Huskies’ offensive attack. One week after throwing three touchdowns to Jacob Burns, including a 5-yard scoring strike that erased a 26-20 deficit and led to a one-point win over the Generals, Hatfield did damage with his legs against the Falcons, rushing 36 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
“He’s a young kid, but they believe in him and he’ll go make plays,” Fields said. “He’s the first one to congratulate his teammates. He’s a special kid on the field but he’s even better off the field.”
Fields noted continued improvement from the Huskies’ offensive line as one of the team’s pleasant surprises this season and Hatfield credited a tight bond across the roster as playing a large role in Hoover’s success.
“With all the stuff we’ve been through, we know we have to dig deep and never give up,” Hatfield said. “We trust teammates and trust the guy beside us that it’ll all be alright.”
That includes tailback, where junior Randy Hughart has become the Huskies’ top option at that position after sophomore Rocco Frye suffered a torn ACL in the playoff opener against the Panthers.
In the victory over the Falcons, Hughart gained 112 yards on 12 carries. Ten of his rushes went for at least 5 yards and five amassed 13-plus yards.
“A great running back and a great teammate,” Fields said. “His teammates love him. He’s had to step up for us big time. He’ll do what it takes to win. If that’s one or two carries and block the whole way for his quarterback or he has to pack it 15 or 20 times, he’s able to do that as well and catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s a complete back. We lost Rocco Frye in the first playoff game to an ACL tear and Randy stepped up. We’re a different looking team than we were even two weeks ago.”
The Huskies’ defense has also stepped up in a big way and after blanking the Falcons in the second half, it marked the sixth time Hoover has held the opposition to fewer than 20 points this season.
That was accomplished after defensive lineman Gavin Allison, who Fields described as one of the team’s better defensive players and leaders, left the game with an injury suffered in the first quarter.
“Our kids continued to fight and we had a lot of guys in there that are usually second string guys battling in those last couple quarters,” Fields said. “I’m so proud of this team. We believe that we’re a second-half team and they play like that.”
Now a major challenge awaits in the Patriots, who are on a mission to finish the season with a victory after suffering a loss to Fairmont Senior in last year’s Class AA final.
The Patriots (12-0) have recorded six shutouts this season and they’ve yet to allow an opponent to score 20 points.
Independence also possesses one of the state’s most productive and explosive players in tailback Judah Price, who enters with 2,204 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns for a single-season state scoring record.
Save for a 20-12 victory against Bluefield in its postseason opener, Independence has scored 40 or more points in each of its 11 other games.
The Huskies and Patriots have an element of familiarity with one another having scrimmaged in August.
“We can go back and look at that film. It’s not a lot of it,” Fields said. “But [Independence coach John Lilly] has done a fantastic with his program and just like us, he’s not in this position because of what he’s done this year. It’s what he’s done the last three or four years that’s gotten him to this position. It’s a hard thing to do.”
As a result of the seeding, records and Patriots winning 11 games by at least 28 points, Independence will enter as a clear favorite in many people’s eyes.
Yet Fields is well aware that doesn’t mean much, particularly after guiding the Huskies to an unbeaten regular season and No. 1 seed in 2021 before they suffered an opening-round loss to eventual state champion Fairmont Senior.
“When there’s so much success last season and then you have the expectation coming in and drop two off the bat, there could have been a little bit of doubt,” Fields said. “We told our guys last year they told you that you were the best team and you found out you weren’t. This year, they told you you’re not very good. Well they’re wrong again.
“Our guys kept fighting, leaning on each other and continued to get better in practice. It’s not been an easy season. A lot of adversity in multiple ways, but I’m proud of our guys to fight and be in the position to play for a championship.”