Hoover High scores again.
MTV plans to air a second season of its “Two-A-Days” reality series about football and teen drama at the Alabama high school, a show that’s met with both commercial success and local controversy for its depiction of the nation’s top-ranked prep team.
Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of the popular series, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that crews would begin shooting this week for the second season, which will likely air early next year.
“It’s been a success across the board,” Sirulnick said. “It’s been one of the big hits of the fall for MTV.”
Hoover school spokesman Pat Morrow said the school had yet to receive confirmation of the network’s plans, but a film crew is in town.
Hoover has reaped tons of publicity from its football program, which is ranked No. 1 nationally in polls and was featured in a Sports Illustrated article earlier this season. CBS’ “Early Show” is due in town next week to film a segment about the Buccaneers.
Win-at-all-costs coach
Yet Hoover school officials also have endured criticism for the language of head coach Rush Propst and his what seems to be win-at-all-cost attitude. That includes telling players he won’t recommend them for college football scholarships unless their play improves.
“Two-A-Days” has also shown Propst cursing during practice, and producers had to bleep out part of his profane halftime tirade during an episode about Hoover’s lone loss last year. At the time of the game, Hoover already was on probation after paying a $500 fine for Propst’s televised profanity on the sideline during the 2004 state championship game.
The head of the Alabama High School Athletic Association said he’s not an MTV fan and hasn’t seen much of “Two-A-Days,” but he disapproves of coaches cursing in front of their players.
“Profanity has absolutely no place in high school athletics,” said Dan Washburn, director of the state association. He was unsure whether Hoover would face additional sanctions for Propst’s language.
Sirulnick said “Two-A-Days” portrays Hoover as a winning football program where hard work and dedication are a way of life.
“It’s a documentary series. The players, coaches and families were extremely cooperative in opening up their lives to us,” he said. “You see the heat of the battle, everything that has gone on.”
Hoover, currently 5-0, is seeking its fifth straight state title in Class 6A, the classification for the largest Alabama schools.
The last episode of the first season will be shown on MTV on Oct. 11, and a special “finale” episode will debut immediately afterward on MTV.com, Sirulnick said.
“You finish watching the last episode, go log on to your computer and go to MTV.com and watch the finale,” he said. “It’s the first time this has been done that we know of.”