No. 1 Thompson Brings Unbeaten Run to the Hoover Met in Pivotal 6A Region 3 Clash
Few rivalries in Alabama high school football have produced as much drama lately as Thompson vs. Hoover, and Friday's meeting at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium comes with a new setting and higher stakes. Both programs now play in Class 6A, and both sit in 6A Region 3, which means Friday is about more than bragging rights.
It's a region game with real playoff implications, especially for the home team. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. In a rivalry that began in 1994, this matchup is one of over 100 featured games in the 23rd season of the Great American Rivalry Series.
The last two meetings could hardly have been closer. In 2024, Thompson edged Hoover 27-26 in overtime. Last October, the Bucs got their revenge at this same venue when kicker James Bryant hit a 55-yard field goal as time expired, giving Hoover a 33-30 win. That game swung back and forth all night: the teams traded field goals to reach 30-30 with under two minutes to play, and Hoover moved close enough to midfield to give Bryant one last shot with five seconds left.
Thompson recovered from that loss well. The Warriors beat Opelika 48-10 to win the 2025 state championship, and they have kept winning. Their 62-7 win over Tuscaloosa County on Sept. 18 was their 10th straight win.
Mark Freeman's Warriors come into Friday at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in region play, and they have been dominant. Thompson has outscored opponents 237-48. The Warriors opened with a 41-14 win at Central-Phenix City and a 37-13 win over Clay-Chalkville, then shut out Vestavia Hills 49-0, beat Spain Park 48-14 and routed Tuscaloosa County 62-7. They were also off last week, so they should arrive rested and healthy.
The rest of the state has noticed. Thompson is No. 1 in the Alabama6afootball.com poll and is #10 in the 2026 National High School Composite Rankings. Thompson comes into the game as a four-touchdown favorite per Massey Ratings, but sometimes that just doesn't play out in a rivalry game.
The Thompson Warriors offense goes when Trent Seaborn goes, and he has been on the mark so far this season. The Alabama commitment has completed 90-of-115 passes (78.3%) for 1,468 yards, 20 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Amazing! Seaborn has 11,613 passing yards in his career and holds the AHSA All-Time Passing Yardage Record. Freshman Jahari Nation backs up Seaborn this season.
The Warriors have a stable at running back. CJ Cowley has everything you want in a back who runs great routes out of the backfield and will be a weapon in the passing game. Cowley has 224 yards on 46 carries with four touchdowns. Also, he has 15 receptions for 185 yards and three touchdowns. He has offers from Auburn, Miami, Oregon and others.
Jafari Pegues will get some touches. He is another shifty back that can do some things in the passing game. Urijah Casey, who was out with an injury in last year's state championship game, will be back sometime in the second half. He started for most of the second half of last season. Nick McKissic and Latrell Sanders could get touches for the Warriors' offense.
The wide receivers have Darion Moseley, Dedrick Kimbrough, Bralen Coleman, and Rardrecus Addison. Mason McClure, who was injured earlier this season, had 344 yards on 12 receptions and three touchdowns, is a big loss. Moseley, an Arkansas commitment, has 438 yards on 25 receptions and six touchdowns. Moseley finds those gaps in the defense, and Seaborn knows how to deliver the ball to him.
Kimbrough can get the deep ball with his speed and jumping ability and can snatch a ball out of the air around a defender. The junior WR has 18 receptions for 292 yards and five touchdowns. He has offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Auburn, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and others. Addison and Coleman have been filling in for McClure. Tight end Tanner Ehmen has been a piece of the offense that Thompson hasn't used much in the past. The Central Florida commitment is a big weapon around the end zone.
The Thompson offensive line has size and power and has done a pretty good job of protecting Seaborn in the pocket. Adler McGarry, Tommy Williams, Brycen Johnson, Santiago Jimenez, and Lleyton Wall have seen the most playing time. Williams is being recruited by Colorado State, Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, and UAB. Johnson has been recruited by Florida, Vanderbilt, and Bowling Green.
The Thompson defense has been solid all season long. They play a lot of guys and keep their starters fresh, especially on the front line. Oregon commitment Cam Pritchett is the anchor to the front line. Pritchett has 27 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks this season. Purdue commitment Westley Gover is a run-stopper who will clog up any runs up the middle of the defense. Bradley Cocchiaro and sophomores CJ Dailey and Tysley Gaison-Salanoa get playing time.
The linebackers have two of the best in Alabama. Trent McCorvey and Kevin Davis are tackling machines. McCorvey, a Baylor commitment, has 34 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and a sack, while Davis, a Colorado State commitment, has 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack. Jonathan Hayes rounds out the starting linebackers.
The Thompson secondary has Connor Williams. The Troy commitment has two interceptions this season. Baylor commitment Micah Fleming has two interceptions this season. Eil King and Texas commitment Junior Tuuopo play all over the field. This is the best secondary in 6A football in Alabama. King has offers from Stanford, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, SMU, and others. Tuuopo is very versatile at safety, but can go to corner if needed.
Hoover's record doesn't show how close the Bucs have been. They are 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the region, fifth in the standings, and two of their three losses came by a combined four points, along with a last-second Hail Mary last week to Knoxville Catholic.
The season started well. Hoover beat Muscle Shoals 14-8 and won 21-7 at Opelika. Region play has been harder. The Bucs lost 40-24 at Hewitt-Trussville, then 30-29 to Prattville. They bounced back in a big way, beating Oak Mountain 59-13 on the road, before a 20-17 loss to Tennessee power Knoxville Catholic last Friday.
For the season, Hoover has scored 164 points and allowed 118. The Bucs are still No. 6 in alabama6afootball.com 6A rankings, so the talent is there.
Hoover has leaned on the run. In the loss to Prattville, the Bucs ran for 186 yards and threw for just 32 yards. Against Oak Mountain, the Bucs passing game threw for over 200 yards.
Quarterback Kaleb Freeman has completed 51-of-89 passes for 662 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. Also, Freeman can pull it down and run it if he is getting pressured in the pocket.
The running backs have little experience coming into the season, but Malik Boggan and Paxton Weatherly have been solid. Weatherly had 304 yards on 40 carries and three touchdowns this season. Against Prattville when Freeman was injured, the Bucs went to the wildcat and used defensive backs Jordan Williams and Dorian Waluyn. So you don't know what look the Bucs will have in this game.
The Bucs' receivers include Jordan Ward, Blake Clark, and Noah Crawford, and the tight ends include Micah Square and Anderson Clark. Clark and Ward have turned in big plays this season. Against Prattville, the Bucs' offensive line pretty much bullied the Lions in the wildcat.
The Hoover offensive line consists of Chase Hollingshead, Houston Fulton, Braylen Cariveau, Zachari Moore, and Dominic Anderson. The Bucs do a better job of run blocking and sometimes have issues giving Freeman a clean pocket.
The Bucs defense has turned into some solid games this season. Xavier Spearman, KJ Wright, Christian Harris, Jordan C Williams, and Myles Bunkley get playing time. Wright has 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks.
Linebacker play is Hoover's defensive strength. Junior middle linebacker Khonor Latham is averaging a remarkable 14.2 tackles per game, and he'll be busy against Thompson. Colorado commitment Jovon Pulliam has 40 tackles and seven tackles for loss this season.
Senior free safety Dorian Waluyn Jr. has two interceptions along with Jordan Williams. Williams has offers from App State, Troy, Alabama State and North Alabama. Aidan Callins and Hunter Wetherholt round out the Bucs secondary. Wetherholt is good about coming up in the box and helping out with the run.
Senior kicker Steele Witschy has made 16 extra points. After last year's finish, nobody at the Met will take a Hoover kick lightly.
Hoover can't afford another region loss. A loss would drop the Bucs to 1-3 in Region 3, and the schedule doesn't ease up: they visit Vestavia Hills on Thursday, Oct. 8, host Spain Park on Oct. 16 and close region play at Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 23.
Thompson has a tough closing stretch of its own. After Friday, the Warriors go to Hewitt-Trussville on Oct. 8, host Prattville on Oct. 16 and visit Oak Mountain on Oct. 23. A win at the Met would give them a strong position in the region race before those two big games against Hewitt and Prattville.
A couple of keys to look for in the game. For Thompson: Stay patient early. Hoover will try to shorten the game with its running attack, keep Thompson's offense on the sideline and keep the score close into the fourth quarter. If the Warriors can build an early lead, Hoover would have to throw more than it wants to, and that suits a Thompson pass rush that has been getting to quarterbacks.
For Hoover: Win on the ground and in the kicking game. The Bucs have to control the ball, finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, and stop Thompson's return game from setting up short fields. Latham and the linebackers also have to limit Thompson's run game to make the Warriors one-dimensional, but with Seaborn at quarterback, that will be a tough task.
The X-factor: Turnovers. Thompson has taken advantage of opponents' mistakes all season. If Hoover protects the ball, last year's pattern of a close fourth quarter becomes much more likely. If Hoover turns the ball over, they will not have much of a chance in this game.
Crazy things have happened at the Met in this matchup. Stay tuned!
