Another incredible schedule for Warrior Football this season! Here is the full breakdown on just how tough but amazing this schedule will be: First, let's dive into non-region play with three teams that have all won multiple state titles in the last decade across Alabama,Georgia and Tennessee...

Grayson (GA) is a 7A team that is a consistent contender for state titles in Georgia. Grayson ended last season ranked #44 in the nation according to MaxPreps (Thompson was 40). We remember how tough Buford was two years ago - Grayson knocked #45 Buford out last season in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ #11 Milton. Grayson graduated a bunch of D1 talent last year, but consistently compete for region titles and make deep playoff runs, winning multiple state titles in the last decade. I remember when Chase Brice was there (former Clemson/Duke/App State QB) a few years ago and they dominated the Alabama 6A (Ramsay) and 7A (Hoover) state champion - so they are always tough, glad that's a home game.

Lipscomb Academy (TN) is a team Thompson knows well after having a classic match-up on ESPN in 2022. Thompson fell 24-14 in a great game that saw Thompson go up 14-0 early, but after Lipscomb came back to make it 17-14, Thompson fumbled on the goal line in the 4th quarter that would have given Thompson the 21-17 lead and it was returned 99 yards to seal it for Lipscomb. Lipscomb was coached by Trent Dilfer then, and he built up a pretty good small, private school program that won two state titles in a row. Last year they struggled a bit after Dilfer came to UAB, but some of those losses were to top teams - including losing to 6A runner-up Saraland by only a point in OT and also losing to IMG Academy. Should be a great return trip to Nashville and a fun road trip for the fans and families!

The final non-region game is Clay-Chalkville in Week 5 (the sixth week of the season). Clay finished #22 in the nation last year. Not much needs to be said about this game that hasn't already been said in the last two match-ups. Clay ended up on top of Saraland to win the 6A state title last year, also giving Thompson their only regular season loss last year 36-33. On aggregate - this is an even grudge match after Thompson won 17-14 in 2022. Clay also loses 5-star Jaylen Mbakwe to Alabama among other great D1 players and their head coach Drew Gilmer to Hoover.

On to region play...

7A Region 3 is absolutely stacked - it's the toughest region in the state, regardless of classification. First, who is in and who is out - Spain Park and Chelsea dropped out of Class 7A and into 6A. Only one central-Alabama area team replaced them with Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, so Prattville has moved up from what was a 9-team region with Region 2 and will now travel to play in Region 3.

The season starts off with a road trip to Tuscaloosa to take on Tuscaloosa County. County has been sitting on the outside looking in the last couple of years since Adam Winegarden came to town...but Winegarden is gone to work with Troy now and they need to find a new coach. It will be interesting to see what they do, but should be a good first game for Thompson after a tough non-region start.

Oak Mountain is next back at home, the Eagles struggled the last couple of years after the loss of a super talented QB in Evan Smith, but Shane McComb came in from the west coast and is looking to get things going.

Vestavia Hills is the team Thompson has seen the most over the last two years with 4 match-ups in that time span. Thompson has won all four, but not easily. Robert Evans has things in the right direction at Vestavia and that was evident by finishing third in this tough region last year and upsetting Austin in the playoffs before losing to Thompson. It's a brutal middle of the season with Vestavia, Clay and then Clay's cross-town "not-so-much-anymore-rival" - Hewitt-Trussville. The best measuring stick those two teams have in this dead rivalry is how they perform against Thompson - and last year saw Thompson go to Trussville and wipe the floor with the Huskies in the regular season, although Hewitt finished runner-up in the region. Hewitt and Thompson had a closer game in the semi-finals, but the Warriors still came out on top 21-10. Peyton Floyd is gone at QB as are multiple other players, but there is some good youth on the team as well.

After that, a trip back to Tuscaloosa to take on Hillcrest. The Patriots have been a top team in 6A since Jamie Mitchell came to town, winning the last two 6A Region 4 titles and 11+ games every year. The only thing that kept them from winning state titles was a brutal southern half of the 6A bracket losing to Hueytown and then Saraland two years in a row - all of whom ended up in the Super 7 from the south. It will be tough to adjust to 7A Region 3, but they have a chance to make a run to a playoff spot. They lucked out and got Hoover, Vestavia and Thompson all at home this season.

Hoover comes back to Alabaster after that, and I'm super interested to see what Drew Gilmer can do there. They will be tested right off the bat with a trip to Western (FL), then Spain Park who has built up to have the chops to compete in region had they stayed - then Hillcrest and Hewitt on the road. So we will know quickly what kind of team Hoover has this year - either the Hoover we know or the Hoover we saw last year. But I like Coach Gilmer and I think he'll do well. Finally, the other newcomer to the region, but not a newcomer to 7A - Prattville.

Not going to lie - it's been a struggle for Prattville lately, but we won't know how they respond to the region change until the back half of the season. They have Hoover, Vestavia, Hewitt, Hillcrest, Thompson in a row to end - 3 of those on the road. The Lions haven't made the playoffs the last two years, and haven't won a playoff game since 2019. Their only trip past the second round in 7A was in 2014 when they lost in the Super 7 to Hoover in the first year of 7A. Before that - Jamey Dubose and Bill Clark had them built into a powerhouse that won 4 state titles between 2006-2011, so they have a championship pedigree.

Overall, I can't wait to see how the new region plays out and how Thompson fits in to the national picture once again. It didn't end how we wanted it to last year, but still an amazing season with the two losses coming against teams that finished top 25 in the nation and both coming down to the final seconds. Thompson has been to SIX straight 7A state title games, winning four of them, and has amassed an incredible 24-3 playoff record under Mark Freeman with four region titles as well. With incredible talent like QB Trent Seaborn and DB Anquon Fegans leading the offense and defense, it should be a season to remember!