By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor
TUSCALOOSA –
The Thompson Warriors once again showcased their skills against some of the top teams in the region while competing in the training home of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In the end, Thompson reigned supreme in 7-on-7 football for yet another year, taking the Alabama 7-on-7 tournament championship on Wednesday, June 11 at the Crimson Tide’s football complex.
This is the third-straight year that Thompson has won the Alabama 7-on-7 championship after previously winning in 2023 and 2024.
The Warriors had to navigate a stacked field to secure the championship as they faced many of the top teams in the state of Alabama.
The championship saw Thompson face off against county foe Spain Park, widely expected to be one of the top teams in Class 6A in 2025 after reaching the quarterfinals in 2024 while led by Clemson commit Brock Bradley and Ole Miss commit Corey Barber.
The Warriors struck last as they scored with less than a minute remaining to increase their lead to 29-15. That touchdown through the air was enough to put away the Jags and secure the tournament championship.
Multiple members of the Alabama football staff, including head coach Kalen DeBoer and quarterback coach Nick Sheridan, were present at the camp to scout out Thompson, Spain Park and other teams.
One member of the Warriors saw immediate dividends from his performance at the camp as rising sophomore receiver Dedrick Kimbrough earned an offer from Alabama. Kimbrough announced the news on his personal X account shortly after the tournament.
Kimbrough has had a busy offseason since his breakout freshman year. He earned offers from Florida State, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Washington and Vanderbilt along with other FBS and FCS schools.
He joins his quarterback Trent Seaborn as Warriors to have an offer from Alabama.
Thompson’s 7-on-7 success comes after a strong 11-man campaign in 2024 where the Warriors won the Class 7A state championship.
After dropping three tight games in the regular season, Thompson hit another gear in the playoffs, blasting past Daphne, Auburn High School and Enterprise on the road to its seventh-straight state championship game appearance.
The Warriors would go on to defeat defending state champion Central-Phenix City 21-7 at UAB’s Protective Stadium to return to the mountaintop and claim their fifth state championship in the last six seasons.
As for Spain Park, its latest successful tournament is a key momentum builder after one of the best seasons in school history in 2024. The Jags rolled to a 10-0 regular season for the first time in school history to claim the Class 6A, Region 3 championship, their first since 2015.
Spain Park then defeated McGill-Toolen Catholic and Russell County in the first and second rounds to advance to the third round for the first time since that 2015 season. The Jags would only bow out after meeting eventual runner-up Saraland in a road quarterfinal test.
