Hoover vs Albertville for Final Four Berth

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two powerhouse programs collided with a Final Four berth on the line as Hoover and Albertville met in a high-stakes showdown. Hoover ultimately pulled away for a 74–56 victory behind a dominant offensive performance from [player_tooltip player_id='382891' first='Khloe' last='Ford'], who controlled the game inside. [player_tooltip player_id='371482' first='Aaliyah' last='Blanchard'] delivered a defensive clinic, setting the tone with relentless pressure and discipline. [player_tooltip player_id='1207417' first='Kristen' last='Winston'] orchestrated the action with poised playmaking, prioritizing winning basketball over individual numbers. Despite the loss, freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='1207455' first='Whitley' last='Booker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1260676' first='Millie' last='McBee'] showed that Albertville's future remains bright and that they will continue to shape the landscape of high school girls basketball in Alabama.<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["382891"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a08642d7017"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Class of 2026 | State #1 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='382891' first='Khloe' last='Ford'] left no doubt why she's the #1 ranked player in the state of Alabama with a dominant performance. She finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds, controlling the game on both ends. Ford established her presence early and never allowed the defense to get comfortable. She owned the paint, scoring efficiently while commanding the glass. Her performance earned her Regional MVP honors and reinforced her elite status.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["371482"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a08642d70d4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Class of 2026 |</strong> <strong>State #2 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='371482' first='Aaliyah' last='Blanchard'], the #2 ranked player in her class, delivered a masterful defensive performance on the big stage. She held the state's #3 ranked player to just 9 first-half points and completely shut her down in the third quarter. Blanchard set the tone with her physicality, discipline, and relentless effort on the defensive end. Her impact went beyond the box score, altering momentum with every stop. She earned All-Regional Team honors for her dominant two-way presence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1207417"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a08642d7167"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Class of 2029 | State #1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1207417' first='Kristen' last='Winston'], the State's #1 player in the Class of 2029, earned All-Regional honors for Hoover. The young standout continues to show maturity well beyond her years. While she's fully capable of scoring 20 points on any given night, her focus remains on winning basketball. Winston makes the right reads, defends, and impacts the game in ways that don't always show up in the box score. Her team-first approach is what separates her as a true elite prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1207455"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a08642d71f7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class of 2029 | State #12 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Freshman center [player_tooltip player_id='1207455' first='Whitley' last='Booker'] showed strong signs of a bright future. She had her hands full defensively, like most do in Alabama, matching up against Hoover's Ford. Despite the challenge, Booker competed and held her ground throughout the game. On the offensive end, she flashed real promise when given opportunities to score. With an expanded role, she has the potential to become a double-double presence and a reliable help-side shot blocker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1260676"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a08642d7282"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Class of 2029 | State #23 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1260676' first='Millie' last='McBee'] made her presence felt as a true two-way guard against Hoover. She was aggressive defensively, applying relentless on-ball pressure against opposing guards. Her activity disrupted rhythm and forced tough possessions throughout the game. Offensively, McBee scored at an efficient clip, capitalizing on her opportunities. Her impact on both ends highlighted her value in high-level matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->