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The Thompson Warriors bounced back from a shutout loss to Hoover after emerging from a frantic start to see out a two-goal win over Westminster OM. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – The saying goes that there is no rest for the weary, and that proved true for the Thompson Warriors as they took the pitch less than 24 hours after their 4-0 loss to the No. 3 Hoover Buccaneers on Tuesday, April 15.

Facing off against the No. 8 side in Class 4A in the Westminster School at Oak Mountain Knights, Thompson got the bounce-back win in a mid-afternoon contest between two of the top offenses in Shelby County. The Warriors won 3-1 on Wednesday, April 16 at Warrior Stadium to improve to 16-5-1 on the year.

Thompson burst out of the gate and quickly got on the scoreboard as Charli Gantt found Nathalie Gonzalez for the tap-in to put the Warriors up 1-0 in the fifth minute.

Guilia Wekesa then followed that up with a shot from outside the box a minute later that Lailie Parvin saved.

However, all it took was one counterattack for the Knights to get payback against Thompson.

Vale Richie got the ball in midfield and took it herself before firing the shot into the net as the former Shelby County Golden Boot winner secured the equalizer, making it 1-1 in the eighth minute.

The Warriors went back to work to restore their lead and got a break thanks to Gantt on the breakaway in the 11th minute. Gantt sent a shot across the goal to put the ball in the back of the net and put Thompson back up 2-1 just three minutes after Richie’s equalizer.

Both teams would have solid chances down the stretch as the Warriors got Dia Montiel-Duenas more involved in the buildup with shots and crosses while Westminster forced the Thompson defense to respond after big chances from Jordan Curry in the 13th minute and Richie twice in the 30th minute.

However, neither found the back of the net, giving the Warriors the 2-1 halftime lead.

After a quiet start to the second half, Thompson doubled up its lead in the 53rd minute to put away the game.

Faced with a charging Parvin on the right wing, Gantt just got the cross off to the far post, and Montiel-Duenas narrowly managed to meet the ball and tap it into the goal for the 3-1 lead.

The teams would trade saves over the next 10 minutes, but the Warriors defended their two-goal advantage for the remaining 27 minutes of the match to see out the victory.

The No. 6 Warriors will hit the road to face the Calera Eagles on Monday, April 21 at 5 p.m. at the Eagle Sports Complex before their area finale on Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. against the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats. A win would give them a perfect area record.

Westminster dropped to 8-9-1 after yet another tough test for the young Knights, who will hit the road to face the Altamont Knights on Tuesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at The Altamont School.

Westminster will then turn its attention to the playoffs and its first-round home game on Tuesday, April 29 at Heardmont Park.

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