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Entering the 2011 Class 6A Super Six state championship game in Tuscaloosa, the Prattville Lions and the Hoover Bucs had combined for nine of the last eleven titles. The Lions were in search of the school's fifth overall championship while the Bucs were looking to win their ninth.            The Lions avenged a loss to Hoover two years earlier on the same field with a 35-34 dramatic victory over the Bucs. Prattville stopped a two-point conversion play by Hoover with just 47 seconds left in the game to assure the championship.            Prattville opened the scoring with a Jalen Whitlow 9-yard run and posted a 7-0 lead with 8:00 left in the first. Hoover answered five minutes later on a Connor Short 9-yard touchdown pass to Josh Jackson to tie the score 7-7.            Connor Short scored on a 1-yard run with 6:47 left in the second quarter to put Hoover up 14-7. The teams kept trading touchdowns as Prattville answered with a Justin Thomas 72-yard run to once again tie the game 14-14 with 6:28 remaining before halftime. But the Bucs were not done in the first half as Connor Short scored on a 1-yard run with 2:16 left for a 21-14 lead at the half.            Hoover opened the second half with a drive that ended with Kyler Jackson getting the touchdown on an 18-yard run for a 28-14 lead with 9:42 left in the third. Prattville came back, aided by a roughing the punter penalty, when Brandon Smith caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Justin Thomas to cut the Bucs lead to 28-21 with 6:46 still on the third quarter clock.            The Lions tied the game after a shanked Hoover punt gave them possession of the football at the Bucs 31-yard line. Justin Thomas scored six plays later on a 4-yard run with 3:18 remaining in the third to tie the game. Prattville took the lead when Stanley Mays raced 6-yards for a score with 8:31 left in the game.            Hoover was hampered when their two offensive stars incurred injuries. Caleb Sims left the game with a concussion and Dakota Daniel was slowed by a pulled muscle in his neck.            Short threw an interception at the Lions one-yard line to stop a Hoover drive with 1:55 to play and it looked bleak for the Bucs. The Lions were unable to move the ball and Hoover regained possession at the Lions 30.            Hoover gained ten-yards on a pass before a holding penalty backed them up to the 30. Four plays moved the ball to the two. Connor Short scored on a 2-yard quarterback-sneak with just 47 seconds left.             Coach Josh Niblett decided the best chances of a victory was to go for it right then and there. The two point conversion was unsuccessful as Short rolled out to his right and hit Jarrett Brown on a pass at the three but he was tackled immediately by the swarming Lion defense.            Justin Thomas, the game's MVP, finished with 304 yards in total offense. Short completed 20-of33 passes for 233 yards. The Lions outgained the Bucs 431-398 in a game that featured over 800 yards of total offense. Prattville .............................   7   7 14   7 -35 Hoover ...............................   7 14   7   6 -34   Prattville: Jalen Whitlow 9 yard run (Kegan Gaither PAT) 8:00 Hoover: Josh Jackson 9 yard pass from Connor Short (Larsen Real PAT) 3:00 Hoover: Connor Short 1 yard run (Larsen Real PAT) 6:47 Prattville: Justin Thomas 72 yard run (Kegan Gaither PAT) 6:28 Hoover: Connor Short 1 yard run (Larsen Real PAT) 2:16 Hoover: Kyler Jackson 18 yard run (Larsen Real PAT) 9:42 Prattville: Brandon Smith 47 yard pass from Justin Thomas (Kegan Gaither PAT) 6:46 Prattville: Justin Thomas 4 yard run (Kegan Gaither PAT) 3:18 Prattville: Stanley Mays 6 yard run (Kegan Gaither PAT) 8:31 Hoover: Connor Short 2 yard run (Connor Short pass failed) 0:47
Hoover 2011 8/27 24 South Panola MS . . . . 13 9/2 20 Spain Park . . . . . . . . 0 9/9 21 Oak Mountain . . . . . . 14 9/16 41 Thompson . . . . . . . . . . 15 9/23 35 Gadsden City . . . . . . 21 9/30 61 Pelham . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 10/7 41 Homewood . . . . . . . . . . 6 10/14 34 Vestavia Hills . . . . . 23 10/21 9 Mountain Brook . . . . . 17 10/27 41 Bob Jones . . . . . . . . . 13 11/4 40 Hewitt-Trussville * . . 14 11/11 26 Bob Jones * . . . . . . . 17 11/18 21 Hillcrest Tuscaloosa * . 14 11/25 32 Oxford * . . . . . . . . . . 22 12/2 34 Prattville # . . . . . . 35 480 13-2 230 * Playoff game # State championship game	Prattville 2011 8/27 31 St. Thomas FL . . . . . 34 9/2 34 Stanhope Elmore . . . . 7 9/8 43 Lee Montgomery . . . . . 7 9/16 71 Wetumpka . . . . . . . . . . 12 9/23 14 Opelika . . . . . . . . . . . 16 9/30 63 Sidney Lanier . . . . . 24 10/6 45 Carver Montgomery . . . 12 10/14 34 Benjamin Russell . . . 14 10/21 52 Jeff Davis . . . . . . . . 13 10/28 OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11/4 56 Alma Bryant * . . . . . 14 11/11 13 Daphne * . . . . . . . . . . 3 11/18 38 Fairhope * . . . . . . . . 0 11/25 45 Central Phenix City * . 12 12/2 35 Hoover # . . . . . . . . . . 34 574 12-2 202 * Playoff game # State championship game

  The Memorable Games, a series on the important and memorable games in high school football history

David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org

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