The Selma Times-Journal

When Hoover High School is making their romp through their opponents this fall, Rush Probst and his squad of Buccaneers can look back on the time they spent at Marion Military Institute as the secret to their success.

Probst is no stranger to the community of Marion. He started bringing his football squads there in 1981. He has also brought his squad from Alma Bryant High School to camp at MMI and since 1999 has been brining Hoover squads to the Military Institute. "I know the value of what this camp brings to your program,&uot; said Probst. "I just can’t figure out why other schools, even universities don’t do it. You get away from your everyday environment of your mom and dad, your girlfriends and your cousins.&uot;

Marion Military offers coaches the opportunity for their teams to focus on the sport of football and not have any other distractions.

Probst and his Hoover squad know that in order to win football games, the team aspect has to be there. According to the coach, no one on this season squad is ranked as one of the top 18 players in the state. Granted, last year’s starting quarterback John Parker Wilson will more than likely assume the signal-caller role at the University of Alabama in the 2006 season.

Probst has Hoover’s season broken down into four phases: the offseason that starts in January, Spring football, dedicate themselves to summer workouts and then they have to come to Marion.

But with the summer camp behind them Probst and his troop of Buccaneers packed up Saturday and headed back to Hoover to get ready for their first game of the season against Florida’s Nease High School on Aug. 27.

When the squad returns to Hoover, however, the distractions that they have been avoiding, spring back to life.

But, the Hoover squad should be used to being on camera. All season long they are set to be followed by MTV cameras, which according to the networks producer’s, are filming the squad in order to produce a show that is geared towards real-life high school football teams.

Basically, it’s going to be a real-life Friday Night Lights, said one MTV crewmember.

But with the name recognition that Hoover brings with them, and the MTV cameras rolling Marion Military Institute and the city of Marion are the real beneficiaries of the experience.

Probst is proud of the way that the community has responded to his team during their stay on MMI’s campus.