Hoover cleans up
Senior returns opening kickoff for TD, adds TD catch as Hanover Central rolls past Wheeler
Hanover Central’s Bryan Hoover believes he has his “mojo” back.
The senior wide receiver returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and added a TD catch as the visiting Wildcats topped Wheeler 49-13 in a Greater South Shore Conference game on Friday night.
Hoover missed the first three games of the season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder.
“It’s hard to come back from a shoulder injury, but it felt good coming back to myself,” Hoover said. “I’m at my best right now. I have my quarterback, and that’s all I need.
“I just focused. Coach (Brian) Parker kept saying, ‘You’ll get it back. You’ll get it back.’ That’s what happened.”
Hoover initially was scheduled to have the surgery in April. But it was pushed back to July because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“His recovery actually got sped up a little bit because he responded really well,” Parker said. “He did his physical therapy. He worked really hard. He came back earlier than expected.”
Hoover had five catches for 55 yards, including a 35-yard TD, for Hanover (6-2, 2-1) against Wheeler (6-2, 1-1). He entered the game with five receptions for 82 yards after he was the team’s leading receiver last season with 34 catches for 455 yards and five TDs.
“He struggled a little bit catching the ball when he came back,” Parker said. “He was down on himself a little bit. But we knew at some point we’d need him, and obviously (Friday) was a great night to get it.”
Hanover controlled the game, but Hoover helped set the tone. He took back the opening kickoff 91 yards for a score.
“Coach Parker always says we have to score on special teams,” Hoover said. “That’s how we’re going to take the game, and that’s what we did. We hit them in the mouth to start the game.”
Hanover quarterback Blaze Cano completed 16 of 22 passes for 252 yards and three TDs. He added a score on a 1-yard keeper.
Hanover’s Adam Graham had 13 carries for 119 yards and two TDs, including a 36-yarder. He also had four catches for 54 yards.
“Blaze and his numbers and the receivers get a lot of shine,” Parker said. “But Adam Graham runs so hard. He’s the wild card in our offense. If we get him going, it opens up our offense down the field.”
Blaise Evenson scored both of Wheeler’s TDs, on a 22-yard catch and a 6-yarder from Preston
Morris. He finished with four receptions for 51 yards. Hanover limited Trey Gibson to 41 yards on 15 carries.
“Our kids were focused from the start,” Parker said. “We knew with their style of offense, we wanted to get them chasing us. We wanted to get a couple of scores ahead and get them out of their comfort zone offensively.
“It started with the opening kickoff. We practiced it throughout the course of the week, and we thought we could gash one. We just went from there.”