Warriors win to set up another showdown with Hoover

Published 11:22 pm Friday, August 30, 2019

ALABASTER – Thompson’s football team raced past its second opponent to start the 2019 season, this time 42-13 over visiting Foley, and now things get interesting.

The Warriors have won their first two games, both at home, by a combined score of 82-27, but next is a visit from Hoover, which has split four games the last two years against Thompson, including two playoff contests.

First, THS dispatched Foley, leading 35-0 at halftime and 42-0 before the Lions scored, though the game got off to a sloppy start with the hosts losing a fumble on their first offensive play.

The Thompson defense took the ball right back with a fumble recovery of its own, and about three minutes into the game, Sawyer Pate passed to Michael Pettway for a 14-yard touchdown.

Evan McGuire was good on all six of his point-after attempts, including the Warriors’ second score of the first quarter, an 80-yard pass from Pate to Pettway.

Pate was efficient and effective, completing 12 passes in 14 attempts for 181 yards and four touchdowns.

Pettway caught three passes for 100 yards, while James Mitchell added five receptions for 55 yards.

In the second quarter, THS scored on a two-yard pass from Pate to Tre Roberson, a four-yard run by Brandon Franklin and a one-yard run by Jermel Gaiters.

Gaiters was the team’s leading rusher with 84 yards on 12 carries, and Nathan Crockett had six rushes for 78 yards.

Pate’s final touchdown pass was from 21 yards out to Roberson.

Foley scored two late touchdowns with the game already out of reach.

Thompson outgained the visitors 467 yards to 196 yards and 21 first downs to nine.

The Warriors will want to clean up the penalties—they committed14 for 150 yards—before the next game.

Foley had plenty of its own miscues, losing three turnovers.

David Rockett led the Thompson defense with five tackles, and Damion Ugbo pitched in 3.5 tackles.

THS hosts Hoover (1-0) at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6.