The 27 . Brown, Newsome announces retirement as coach, C. 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Last years team started 3-2 and finished 3-7, but lost four games by eight points or less to talented playoff teams. History of High School Football in Alabama Coaches Project 2023 Head Coach changes New Topic Reply to Topic Printer Friendly: Previous Page: Author: Topic : Page: of 4: vvala45 New Forum Member. The towns high school, Thompson, isnt like many modern schools with similar high-profile football programs, like IMG Academy, Mater Dei or any number of private schools that annually compete for championships and pump out Division I prospects. That both programs are in the Birmingham metro area is a feather in the cap for the Crimson Tide football program, which is just a short ride away. Moore heard those private-school whispers, too. The season before he arrived, the Warriors finished with an 0-10 record, missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year. Jaiden Thompson takes flight last week against Shelby Crest. Faulkner had been helping take care of Jaiden since he was yay high, back when he and his mother, Keyna Ricks, first moved back to Concord after a stint in Charlotte. Freeman resigned from Spanish Fort to accept the head coaching job at Thompson high school near Birmingham. Freeman, 55, told AL.com at the meeting that he hadn't even seen his contract or knew his final salary number. It was after seeing what she knew wasnt his best self on the basketball court, that his grandma wondered about his priorities. I grew up right down the road from Alabaster, Freeman said. Please try a new search. Even though none of Shades players had an offer from Auburn during the last recruiting cycle, Harsin was trying to make a visit before getting sidetracked. Ogden High football coach Erik Thompson not letting his battle - KSL In Freemans first two seasons, Thompson finished with a 5-5 record. Official Twitter Page of Thompson High School Athletics. 4) are both top-25 prospects in the country. Success is here.". Auburn High School coach Keith Etheredge heard Harsin say it: You may not have all those stars, but Ive seen you play. Harsins first signing class was Auburns lowest-ranked (No. Auburn hadn't signed an Auburn High School player since 2009, but Harsin landed offensive lineman Eston Harris Jr. and linebacker Powell Gordon in 2022. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The funds generated by those summer camps can typically add another $10,000-$30,000 to a coach's bottom line income in some cases. The only time Johnson had met Harsin was during a FaceTime with Etheridge, during which the assistant coach briefly put Harsin on the phone. You can cancel at any time. Thompson's commitment to Freeman shows that the program is now joining that competition. He has a lot of rich athletic administration experience, Thompson Principal Dr. Wesley Hester said. 5 in the state and No. Thompson, 52, was in his fourth season as head coach at Mira Mesa High, his alma mater. Also, for the past three seasons, Thompson has been the Vikings leading scorer, with each campaign ending with the SPC titles. Ganus arrived on campus to meet with the Blue Devils in a private team meeting at 11:30 a.m. Coaches liked that Harsin didn't hold back in that regard. Media. When the recruiting contact period started last fall, Harsin was the first college coach to bring his full recruiting staff to the school. Main Number 331-228-3100 . For 2023, the only states with more top-100 recruits are Florida and Texas. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Woods brings quickness and power to the position that Alabama could definitely use. That's the predominately Birmingham-based region in the Alabama High School Athletic Association's largest playing classification. var field59 = field59 || {}; How tall was Tommy Thompson? One of Harsin's strategies in that regard has been emphasis onlocal recruiting. Wyoming Cowboys 2023 football schedule released. The 2019 season began a streak of three consecutive state football championships for Thompson High School. But this transfer portal has really hurt a kid like Jaiden because the decision for these college coaches is, Do I take a high school kid, or do I wait and see if I can find somebody in the portal that may have played at a little bit lower level but the kid is averaging seven points and four rebounds and has a year of experience under him? This whole portal thing, I think, has hurt the true high school kid.. No matter how bad the Vikings had been before his arrival. professionals work together to achieve the highest standards in Katy ISD. Jeff Ables. Former star Marlon Humphrey was an All-American at Alabama and is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Thompsons James L Simmons Stadium underwent a facelift for the 2014 season with press box improvements and new artificial turf. Wyoming Cowboys 2023 football schedule released Copyright All rights reserved. Sophomore year, I knew I was pretty good, but I had a bad habit of comparing myself to other people, Thompson said. Hoover has faced it plenty over the years. TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Re-signed The San Jose Earthquakes have re-signed homegrown defender Tommy Thompson through the 2023 MLS season with an option for 2024, the club announced Tuesday. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The speculation, the expectations from others took its toll, even on the normally unflappable Thompson, who admits he had a tendency to internalize his emotions. Freeman will be well-compensated for his efforts. Those totals did not include any monies received from head football coaches for their football camps. 258 Following. Freeman won four state titles during the last decade at Spanish Fort in 2011 and 2013. Youre playing Central and Opelika: Tell me what theyve got. Coming back here and kind of turning this program around was a big thing for me.. We have chosen to publish this information in hopes our visitors will participate in assisting us to complete every school. Ill have to get some guys out there, Ganus said. The last time I checked, back when I was at Catawba, we had 33 schools in North Carolina that were offering D-I and D-II scholarships. "We are going to be the best at everything we can do every day.". "prerollTemplate":"https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/132916964,95765933/wvua23.com/football-friday&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&vpos=preroll&unviewed_position_start=1&correlator=1677958717&cust_params=category=Football%20Friday%2CHigh%20School%20Sports%2CSports&video_position=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wvua23.com%2Foutside-the-huddle-thompson-high-school-head-coach-mark-freeman%2F&post=189033" Thompson took another step forward in 2018, advancing to the Class 7A State Championship Game. I wrestled, I played baseball. For us to win a state championship at Central Cabarrus, that would mean everything to me and the guys, Thompson added. THS TV allows students the opportunity to work in all areas of production, including behind-the-scenes and on-camera for news programs, our "Hey Coach" show, live sports events such as football games, and other sports and entertainment programming. His record at Thompson in nine seasons is 83-18 and 21-2 in the playoffs. This is a year when Rigby does have players most notably four-star defensive lineman Yhonzae Pierre and three-star offensive lineman Patrick Screws. Its very much a work-hard-for-what-you-get community. Shortly after that meeting ended, the new coach spoke about the challenges and opportunity of taking over at Moody. That didnt take away that occasional feeling that comes with a lost love, though, or one you feel is slipping away. One of the states current football hot spots is G.W. Thompson's Mark Freeman hire elevates salary scale for Class 7A, Region His father, Fred, is a legendary figure in Utah high school athletics, having coached at Roy High School for 19 years, followed by a six-year stint at Fremont. Heck, if theres anything more important to him than his biological family, its this group of guys and their coaches. My uncle was a football star here, so carrying on the tradition was pretty dope, Thompson. He helped the Vikings win 30 games for the second year in a row. 74 overall in the 2023 class. He wants to keep the promise he made to his grandma before the season: no distractions, nothing but his best as he strives for his best. News Sports Hookem.com Austin360 Opinion USA TODAY Obituaries . The current defense has shut out five of its 10 regular-season opponents and held nine to fewer than 10 points. His Rebels were also runner-up in 2001 and 2005. Highland Home has been a revolving door of head coaches visiting Faulk, including Tennessees Josh Heupel. In the past, Auburn has found some of its best talent in Mobile, including Williamson High School cornerback Roger McCreary, a three-star prospect who developed into a first-team All-American. Eason was also frequently praised for his recruiting. 3) is the one you need to watch! Oh, he was still a really good player for Central Cabarrus, a team hed helped to a 30-1 record the previous season, all while being named the player of the year in his conference. They have reached the Class 7A State Championship Game each of the past four years and have captured three consecutive years. Coach Kirk Johnson has handled the football teams recruiting for a number of years, developing ties at Auburn. I think Auburn's going to be OK," Pouncey said. Another pair of seniors, linebacker Jax Van Zandt and safety Trevor Hardy, are committed to North Texas and Memphis, respectively. And weve never seen Coach Harsin on campus.. After 90 minutes of talking football, Darrell Higgins couldnt believe Harsin was still in his office. Football. Calera High School is searching for a new head football coach after Trey Simpson, above, joined Thompson High School in an athletic administration role. Jaiden soared, proving himself in the AAU ranks, as well as with his C.C. In the 2022 class, the state's No. Bowie Football Coaching Staff - Bowie High School Football Griffin starting five might sound familiar to Central Cabarrus fans: Gavin Bullock, Adriel Miller, Eli Ford and Micah Murray. He may make a turnover or take a bad shot or something like that, but with him, you dont have to coach effort.. Twenty-four (Thompsons jersey number as a freshman before he switched to his current No. How well Harsin capitalizes on it can decide his future with the Tigers. ALABASTER, Alabama -- A member of the central office staff at Alabaster City Schools looked around the school board room at the Alabaster Municipal Building Friday afternoon. Coach - JV Football Senior High School /season Defensive lineman Peter Woods and cornerback Tony Mitchell are uncommitted five-star 2023 recruits with offers from the Crimson Tide, among many other high-profile schools. Alabama's new backyard recruiting pipeline: How Thompson High School Well, thats going to be some moment. Everybody just clicks together, Thompson explained. The meeting was adjourned quickly and the head coach was brought in to welcome him into the chamber. Johnson calls former Auburn assistant Travis Williams probably the best freaking recruiter Ive ever been around.. I grew up playing a lot of sports. Everybodys thinking about the recruiting process, Thompson said. Following almost every activity whether its a win, a loss, or a practice you see Thompsons signature Outworkem All expression on social media. Theyll offer that kid early. Website. In a way, I was kind of alarmed. C. JEMAL HORTON COLUMN: Central Cabarrus Thompson fulfilling his promise in more ways than one. That's very likely to change, but that's where things stand today. But when the opportunity opened at Thompson for an athletic administrator and a special education teacher, Hester and Simpson both knew it was the right fit. I think Auburn has to make a decision: Do you want to continue to battle Georgia and Bama guys in recruiting, or do they want to just go find really good high school players and build their name off that? But after realizing that I wanted it for myself, then things just started to pick up.. I thought he and coach Pitts would form a really good team and relationship to help us grow Thompson athletics, Hester said. Congratulations to Jontavis Curry, Noah Story, Marcellus Brigham and Jordan Jones for being selected the Thomson players of the game. MOODY Thompson High School co-defensive coordinator Jake Ganus was introduced as the new coach for the Moody Blue Devils on Friday, December 17. That tough style of play, a hard-nosed defensive mindset, has an aligning charm with the city of Alabaster. The Bessemer Academy and Alabama graduate has coached 16 seasons of high school football in Alabama and his teams have played for the state championship in eight of those. What more were we going to do at Spanish Fort? Tommy Thompson | MLSsoccer.com Coach Freeman and Thompson football have had a lot of positive impact. ALABASTER, Ala. In one sense, this is hardly the kind of town that comes to mind when you think of nationally relevant high school football programs. "It is going to be special.". Alabaster, AL thompsonwarriors.org Joined February 2016. Those hirings mean the two highest-paid high school football coaches in Alabama compete in the same region. 56-38 (W) Thomson @ South Atlanta. Please subscribe to keep reading. Harsin, former defensive coordinator Derek Mason and a number of assistants visited Williamson during Woodyard's recruitment, and coach Melvin Pete Jr. was impressed by their professional style. Pete enjoyed a conversation with Harsinin December about how Auburn schemed in the Iron Bowl. He wanted to change the narrative.. Tournament Game. The board approved him through a solitary personnel action. He won 15 of his 17 playoff games with the Toros. Will Thompson hired as Spring Grove Area High School football coach The top 25 class of 2023 football recruits - USA TODAY High School Sports But to be honest, there was a stretch when Thompsons light on the court had dimmed. The others welcomed him because he could play and was a great teammate. Griffin MiddleSchool team in seventh and eighth grade. If you told me, You cant do this. Then Im going to go in and do my best, Freeman said. The Crimson Tide, who have the No. 1 player in the state in the 247Sports Composite. Shelby County Schools is currently looking to fill the head coaching position at Calera High School. Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning headlines the class of 2023 as the No. One night, after the Vikings played in the holiday tournament at Mount Pleasant, I was walking to my car to head off and write my story. AHSFHS.org - Alabama High School Football Coaches I believe all the state schools beside (Alabama) and Tuskegee University can do a better job with in-state recruiting. Its going to be scary.. This was what hed wanted for most of his basketball life: to don that Green and Gold. Im trying to set them up for interceptions and PBUs.. I really dont. Career. But that foundation is there. Wallace was hired in 2018, and went 11-28 overall. Before the early signing period, support staffer Trovon Reed was allowed to do hands-on recruiting because Auburn had a coaching opening; the NCAA restricts the number of assistants who can make home visits, but Harsin fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo after the regular season. You dont work out anymore.. Like us on Facebook Ths Athletics and Follow us on Instagram THS_ATHLETICS. To borrow some real estate phrasing its seems that the ultimate in "curb appeal" for a high school and its community is to have a high-profile head football coach that commands a top salary. Always appreciate that when (coaches) don't just slip in the back door and see a kid and get out. His grandma, of course, will be with his grandpa, his mother and his uncle cheering Thompson on, hopefully for the next two weekends. Published 3:43 pm Wednesday, June 9, 2021. us to complete every school. Thompson completes 3-peat, beats Central-Phenix City to win - AHSAA Jeff Sentell covers prep sports for AL.com and the Birmingham News. It seemed it would be a Herculean task. Coach Freemans football program has a trademark phrase. To me it made a lot of sense. Highland Home coach Will Pouncey hasnt seen Harsin visit, but he said Auburns assistants have had consistent contact. All rights reserved. Burnet Jerod Rye stepped down after two seasons and a 10-11 record at the District. Thompsons mom had put a ball in his hands when he was about 4 years old, and he hadnt let it go since. And when you put together a 60-1 record over the course of two years, it takes something special, something stronger than Xs and Os and talent. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. The most accomplished high school football coach in Southeast Texas is calling it a career. Its quarterback, Bennett Meredith, is committed to Northwestern. Tommy Thompson was born in Hutchinson, KS. Ronald H. Thompson (born c. 1944) is a former American football coach. Now Thompson is dunking with ease in games and soaring above the crowd for rebounds. Wendell stayed at public school, he stayed grounded, he stayed with Cox Mill for four years. Its so rewarding what we deal with. Freeman's hiring meant an increase of almost $50,000 per year in what Thompson had paid former coach Mike Montgomery. Bowie High School Football Search. You cant describe him, Alexander said. Plus, Thompson had obviously inherited at least part of his talent from his father, Andricko Thompson, who was a good basketball player in his native Shelby. Posted - 02/28/2023 : 12:35:46 . Weve been talking about that for so long. Central has played for the 7A championship in three of the last four seasons, beating Thompson 52-7 in 2018 . PORTSMOUTH Aquidneck Island native and Portsmouth resident Keith MacDonald vividly remembers how he got his first football coaching job. Baker said a player of Thompsons level likely wouldve already been scooped up in the past. It pisses us off, Alexander said. I watched him in the Gadsden City game. Part of it, Thompson admits, was residue from the game of college recruiting. Jesuit High School football is off to a good start this fall, with three wins in three games. Baker, who had a decorated career as the head coach at Catawba College, believes Thompson, who carries a 3.8 GPA, will win the recruiting game. Wallace is expected to transfer. Freeman's hiring meant an increase of almost $50,000 per year in what Thompson had . Email Brandon Graves. Whether or not thats a serious concern varies depending on the coach. After that, everything just clicked. School board meetings don't go quite like this in Alabaster. Assistant Football Coach at Thompson Valley High School Loveland, Colorado, United States. What I like to see is you actually show up, Rigby said. A new barbecue restaurant in Kannapolis is taking shape. Auburn is now making a push for four-star 2023 running back Jeremiah Cobb from the school. Its allowed five points per game, and 24 of those came in the regular-season finale a loss to nearby power Hoover. We try to ignore that, but at the same time, it kind of motivates us. Football Coach jobs Tennis Coach jobs Camp Director jobs Head Football Coach jobs . Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. So how did this high school team, about 66 miles from the University of Alabama campus in a town with a population of less than 35,000, rise of out of near obscurity to become one of the best high school football programs in the country and a burgeoning pipeline for the Crimson Tide? Despite its relatively new facilities a new high school opened in 2018 at 360,000 square feet at a cost of $88 million one wouldnt describe Alabaster as fancy. Freeman landed his first head football coaching job at Bessemer Academy in 1998. Thomson's stats have been entered for the 32-27 win vs. Fitzgerald on 12/9/2022 12:00 PM. You have permission to edit this article. CONCORD The thumping of the ball against the hardwood, the symphony of screeching sneaker rubber echoing throughout the gym used to be metaphors for Jaiden Thompsons heartbeat. Brandon Graves Elementary Teacher / Head Baseball & Asst Football Coach. Both are top-40 nationally. I have a great team, a great family, and we could actually win this whole thing.. BRYAN HARSIN:'The first one changes you': Coaches recall their debuts in the Iron Bowl, a game that determines longevity, AUBURN BASKETBALL:I tried to score over college basketball's greatest shot blocker, Walker Kessler | Durando, Montgomery Catholic Prep is another school with consistent talent. Thompson dominated the Alabama high school football scene throughout 2020, posting a 13-0 record with an average margin of victory of 29 points per game. Coach Freeman led the Rebels to four State Championships in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007. That's how much Friday's board meeting to approve Mark Freeman as the next football coach had already spiked interest in the Alabaster community.