Rockets shoot down Warriors

Published 12:34 am Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Thompson Warriors put points on the board for the first time at home this season, but it wasn’t enough as Gardendale’s Trey Hilliard rushed for four touchdowns in the Rockets’ 28-13 region win.

The Warriors (2-3, 1-3) punted six times, including once on a fourth-and-48, in a game that turned heated at the end. Several personal foul and unsportsmanlike penalties were thrown on both teams in the fourth quarter, and the two teams were separated and did not shake hands after the game.

The Rockets used a sound game to keep the Warriors at bay, with Hilliard rushing for 159 yards. Gardendale finished with 233 yards on the ground and 180 through the air, combining for 413 total yards of offense.

Hilliard struck twice in the first quarter, each from 2 yards out, to put the Rockets up 14-0, but Thompson’s Sideeq Cooper refused to let the Warriors lie down.

Following Hilliard’s second touchdown as time expired in the first quarter, Cooper took the opening kickoff in the second quarter 89 yards for the score to cut the lead to 14-6 after the point-after attempt was blocked.

Hilliard tacked on another touchdown in the second quarter before Thompson quarterback Jordan Chism took the ball in from 5 yards out to cut Gardendale’s lead to 21-13 at the half.

“I was proud of Jordan,” Thompson head coach Brian Maner said of Chism, who filled in the for injured David Bria. “He came in and did a lot in a week.”

The Warriors were held scoreless in the second half as Hilliard put one last score on the board early in the third quarter.

Offensively for the Warriors, Cooper had 86 total yards, while Chism had 99 total yards.

Thompson takes on another region opponent on Friday as the “Battle of 31” showdown with Pelham takes place at Ned Bearden Stadium at 7 p.m.