By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – College football programs throughout the southeast will have connections to Thompson High School next season, after the school celebrated one of its largest-ever football scholarship signings on Feb. 7.

THS senior football players Jalen Rayam, KJ Robertson, Myles Brown, Mo Edwards, Mackie McNeal, Ahmad Edwards, Seth Whitlock and Evan Clark inked their letters of intent to play football at several different colleges during the ceremony, which was held in the school’s auditorium and was attended by dozens of family members, teammates, teachers and coaches.

“All around, what an awesome, awesome experience today to get to see eight of our finest young men get up on the stage today and to get to sign a paper stating their future,” said THS Principal Dr. Wesley Hester. “It’s something that symbolizes their hard work. That’s one of the most special things that, as a principal, I get to experience to see our young people get to map out the next four years of their life. Thank you for what you’ve done for Thompson football. It’s a great day to be a Warrior, and we are stronger Warriors today than we were yesterday thanks to these guys.”

Durign the ceremony, Rayam signed with UAB, Robertson signed with Troy University, Brown and Edwards inked with Jacksonville State University, Edwards signed with South Alabama, McNeal inked with East Mississippi Community College, Whitlock inked with Millsaps and Clark signed with Huntington College.

“They are special kids from special families. We put a plan out there for these guys, and they bought into it,” said THS head football coach Mark Freeman, noting the seniors were freshmen when he arrived at THS. “More is going to be done after they’re gone because of what they’ve done and the way they’ve done it. Every one of them are good people from good families, and you don’t find that. They’re special people and they’re going to make special things happen regardless of where they go.

“They’re going to leave here, and they’ve set standards. They’ve set standards for the younger guys to follow,” Freeman added. “We accomplished everything we wanted to this year except win the state championship, and that’s our goal every year. But I can tell you this, they’re going to leave here having beat everybody in this region. They’re also going to leave here as undefeated region champions.”