Thompson falls to Wetumpka

Published 12:34 am Saturday, October 19, 2013

By JOSH ETHRIDGE/For the Reporter

ALABASTER — The Thompson Warriors hoped to end their four-game losing streak, as they hosted the Wetumpka Indians, Oct. 18. Their efforts fell short, as they were shutout, 24-0.

To start the game, Thompson’s defense set the tempo. The Indians received the ball first, but lost 12 yards in three plays, forcing a punt.

The kick set the Warriors up in good field position, near midfield.  However, their first drive quickly came to an end, as quarterback Zach Brammer threw an interception.

Following the turnover, Wetumpka got a leg up in the field position battle, starting the drive at its own 45-yard line. The Indians were able to move the ball to the Thompson 5-yard line, but were forced to settle for a field goal. The score gave the Indians a 3-0 lead with 4:42 left in the first quarter.

It looked as if the Warriors would respond with points of their own, on the next possession. Thompson was able to put together a 46-yard drive, but it ended with a missed 39-yard field goal, wide right, by Christian Jetzel. The score remained 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Indian offense continued to click as the second quarter came to a start. Wetumpka put together a 15-play possession that spanned 80 yards. A 27-yard touchdown rush by running back Charlie Crenshaw capped off the drive. The extra point gave Wetumpka a 10-0 lead.

Closing in on halftime, Thompson faced a third down from the Wetumpka 20-yard line. Zach Brammer attempted to hit an open Dee Tolbert near the end zone, but the failed conversion forced another field goal try. Jetzel missed his second attempt of the day, this time from 37 yards out, keeping the score 10-0 going into the half

That score held up for much of the second half.

In the fourth quarter the Indians were able to add two touchdowns. The first came on a five-yard run by Crenshaw and the final score was a 21-yard pass from Sam Britton to Khaliq Jones, making the final score 24-0.

“This gives us an opportunity to look at ourselves and see we are just not there yet,” said Thompson head coach Mike Montgomery. “There is still a lot of work to get done and until we turn that corner it is going to be hard for us.”

Thompson travels to Oak Mountain Oct. 25.