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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

FOLEY – The Thompson Warriors are off to a flying start to the 2025 boys soccer season with a standout performance in the Southern Shootout’s Boys Cup division.

Thompson finished 3-0 to collect all nine points from its tournament games against a difficult slate of the Spanish Fort Toros, Bayside Academy Admirals and Fairhope Pirates from Feb. 6-8 at the Foley Sports Complex.

As a result, the Warriors finished in second place on goal differential behind champion Oak Mountain. The pair will face off in their next match to kick off the Lakeshore Shootout.

Thompson kicked off its run in the tournament on Thursday, Feb. 6 against Class 6A runner-up Spanish Fort and secured a 2-1 win.

Dylan Huerta kicked off the scoring for the Warriors in the 2025 season as the freshman scored a goal off an assist from sophomore Brayden Herrera.

Huerta then secured his brace with his second goal of the game as senior captain Dylan Ruiz gave him a chance to score and finish off the 2-1 win.

Thompson then matched up with the defending Class 4A state champion in Bayside Academy on Friday, Feb. 7, and the Warriors’ undefeated run continued with a 2-0 victory.

The trend of braces continued into the second game as Aram Arreola scored both of Thompson’s goals in the match. Both scores came the exact same way–off Huerta assists as Huerta remained involved in each goal that had been scored in the tournament.

In addition, the Warriors defense secured its first clean sheet of the season to help the team earn its second-straight victory down south.

However, even with both of Thompson’s wins, the team hadn’t beaten a Class 7A opponent, but they got a chance to right that on Saturday, Feb. 8 against Fairhope to finish out the Southern Shootout.

Huerta’s offensive dominance continued in the third and final game of the tournament as he scored the first two goals of the match to put him on four goals and two assists for the week.

While the Pirates got through the Warriors defense for a goal, senior captain Erick Huerta scored off a free kick to help put away the 3-1 win and secure a top-two finish in the division.

Thompson has one more tournament on the docket in the Lakeshore Shootout Platinum Division. The Warriors will kick off play on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. on the road at Oak Mountain ahead of a Friday battle with Bob Jones and a Saturday showdown with Huntsville at the Eagle Sports Complex in Calera.