HOOVER, Alabama -- The Thompson Warriors forced four turnovers and used a strong running game to knock off Hoover 40-10 in the AHSAA Class 7A semifinals playoff game at the Hoover Met on Friday night. With the Thompson win, the Warriors snapped Hoover's 11-game winning streak as they will go on to face Auburn in the championship game at Jordan Hare Stadium on Wednesday, November 30.

This will be the Warrior's fifth straight trip to the championship game, winning three consecutive 7A titles. "I give God all the glory; what a journey," said Warriors head coach Mark Freeman. "So proud of our kids and coaches. Our team just kept working and working. Proud of our program. It was our night. We took some opportunities on offense, like we didn't do in our last meeting against Hoover. We wanted to get some momentum in the first half, and we did that. We played great defense. This time of the year, you have a chance to win if you can run the football and play great defense."

Thompson used that formula Coach Freeman referenced to win the playoff against Hoover. The Warriors rushed for 247 yards while the Bucs rushed for minus 3 yards in the game, and the Thompson defense was dominant for much of the game. "We have full confidence coming into this game," said Warriors defensive lineman Peter Woods. "We knew if the offense gave us seven points, we would take off and run with it. We came into this game with people doubting us, so we wanted to prove something tonight. This team lacks no heart. From summer and winter workouts, this team has shown heart and focus. We came out ready to play."

Thompson (9-3) made the first big play of the game when safety Kaleb Harris picked off the first Hoover pass and set the offense up for a short score. With 7:01 left in the first quarter, John Allen McGuire kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Thompson a 3-0 lead. Thomson came rack to score again with :14 seconds left in the first quarter on an AJ Green 1-yard touchdown run for the Warriors. With the score, Thompson led 10-0 after the first quarter.

With 8:07 left in the second quarter, Michael Dujon scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and the Warriors were rolling up 17-0 early in the second quarter. Right before halftime, the Bucs' offense showed life, but Warriors cornerback Anquon Fegans picked off a short pass and raced 65-yards for a touchdown. With only seconds remaining in the half, Thompson led 24-0 and dominated the first half. "Watching film all week, I saw that they were going to go for that out route, so I jumped in front of it," said Warriors DB Fegans. "We had to clean up some mistakes in our first game against Hoover and wanted to set the tone early in this game, and we did that tonight."

In the second half, the Bucs' offense showed some life as Brewer Smith, who has been sidelined due to an injury, hit Jordan Woolen on a 75-yard touchdown pass play, but the Bucs still trailed 24-7. With 4:41 left in the third quarter, a bad Hoover snap in the end zone was converted into a Warriors safety, and Thompson led 26-7. Thompson muffed the kickoff, and Hoover had the ball first down at the Thompson 3-yard line but could only get a 32-yard field goal from Peyton Argent. Thompson still led 26-10. 

With only 40 seconds left in the third quarter, wide receiver Korbyn Williams ran an electric 75-yard touchdown run, giving the Warriors a 33-10 lead. "We have to prove the haters wrong," said offensive lineman Stanton Ramil. "We have one more game. I trust the O-line, and we can run the ball on anyone. We are a tight group and play for each other. I'm speechless right now; this is awesome."

In the fourth quarter, linebacker Seth Hampton picked off his second pass of the game and set up the Warriors' offense. With 4:33 left in the game, Dujon scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, and Thompson went onto the big 40-10 win over Hoover. "All week, we were told to watch those quarterbacks' eyes, and there was just one wide receiver, so I just broke on the ball," said Warriors LB Hampton. "We played to a higher level than our first meeting; we knew that the offense would figure things out, and they did that."

With the win, Thompson will face Auburn on Wednesday, November 30, at 7:00 pm at Jordan Hare Stadium in the Class 7A championship game.