Hoover Cardinals 17, Orange Glen Patriots 14

Week 2’s game between the Hoover Cardinals and the Orange Glen Patriots featured two teams trying to get their first win of the season. Both teams both teams left everything on the field, and in the end the contest was decided by a mere three points.

Orange Glen forced an early turnover in the first quarter and capitalized on their opportunity  by scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive. The Patriots continued to apply the pressure by scoring a second touchdown and extending their lead. After one half of play the Patriots lead the Cardinals 14-3 and seemed well on their way to their first victory of the season.

Fortunately for the Hoover Cardinals there are four quarters in football, and they were left with two to try and respond to the Patriot’s early attack. That "response" would come late in the fourth quarter, after both teams struggled to try and change the scoreboard. The Cardinals got the ball back with 4:11 left in the fourth quarter and were still staring at that 14-3 deficit. Within the next minute the Cardinals broke through by scoring their first touchdown of the game and added a successful two-point conversion, which brought them within a field goal of tying the game. A quick three and out had the Patriots punting the ball away into the clutches of a Hoover team that was carrying newfound momentum. A penalty on Orange Glen advanced Hoover an extra fifteen yards and set the Cardinals up with the chance to do something special.

With just a little over two minutes left in the game the Hoover Cardinals found themselves sixty-four yards away from completing the comeback and stealing the victory away from the Patriots. Hoover wasted absolutely no time; on the very first play of the drive the Cardinals dropped a sixty-four yard bomb on the Patriots and jumped out to a 17-14 lead.

The Patriots would have one last chance to either tie or win the game. Unfortunately for the Patriots the Cardinals were able to come up big on defense. The Hoover Cardinals forced an immediate turnover on downs ending any and all hopes of a home game miracle. The  Hoover Cardinals scored fourteen unanswered points in the second half and handed the Patriots their second straight loss of the season.

The Hoover Cardinals will be looking to extend their winning streak to two when they travel to Mountain Empire High School to take on the Red Hawks. The Patriots will continue in search of their first win as  they host the Maranatha Christian Eagles. 

PREVIEW: This Friday’s game between the Hoover Cardinals and the Orange Glen Patriots will feature two teams seeking redemption for their Week 1 woes. A rough first outing saw both teams getting shut out and struggling mightily on offense.

The Hoover Cardinals were held scoreless in their home opener and went on to lose their first game by a final score of 31-0. A similar problem persisted for the Orange Glen Patriots as they were also unable to put any points on the board, and lost their home opener by a final score of 34-0.

After a tough loss, the best thing a team can do is develop a quick case of amnesia and move on to the next game. The Hoover Cardinals along with Head Coach Jimmy Morgans are certainly looking ahead to Week 2 this way. Head Coach Jimmy Morgans stated, “It seemed like everything that could go wrong that day did go wrong for us but we put it behind us, we watched film and we had a good week of practice. Now all we have to do is go out there and get the win, and it starts with our guys believing in themselves”. It’s safe to say that the Orange Glen Patriots will be heading into Week 2 with a similar mentality and will look avoid repeating those nasty Week 1 woes.

Hard work, preparation and a lot of adjustments can be expected from both sides as we get closer and closer to Week 2’s contest. For both teams, it is a chance to emerge on the winning column and erase the bitter taste of defeat. After the dust settles on Friday night one team should be left with a sense of relief, the other team just might have to develop a second case of amnesia.

Kick-off takes place 7:00 P.M. Friday at Orange Glen High School. For postgame coverage, don’t forget to watch the Prep Pigskin Report Friday at 10:30 P.M. where you’ll see all the latest team news and highlights. Also don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @KUSIPPR and @RedJacketArmy for live updates and all kinds of PPR exclusives.