McCaskey has found its football coach for the 2021 season, which is right around the corner. Hes built similarly to former Tide outside linebacker Ryan Anderson. 19) in over a decade. Proudly Managed & Hosted by Adam Black Media I know people. Thompson graduated in 1962 from Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas and went on to play at Louisiana College. Now Thompson is dunking with ease in games and soaring above the crowd for rebounds. Try a week on us. "Rogers (High) AD Ricky Hole was close friends with my dad," MacDonald said. Its quarterback, Bennett Meredith, is committed to Northwestern. Thomson's stats have been entered for the 32-27 win vs. Fitzgerald on 12/9/2022 12:00 PM. Whether or not thats a serious concern varies depending on the coach. Mostly, though, Thompson nurses his gift in rigorous practice sessions, has fun with his teammates, shows up on game night, and fills up a box score as the Vikings put opponents out of their misery. Thompson High School coach Mark Freeman said the 6-foot-2 Fegans almost tricks a quarterback into throwing the ball by purposefully making him think a receiver is open. Youll find exponentially more 4X4 pickup trucks than Mercedes-Benz. You trust your evaluation of kids. Itll be an RPO, air-raid type system so we do need somebody that can spit the ball out and thats something well have to find in the program or in the hallways.. He played in the teams first jamboree game, and pretty soon Baker had seen enough. And it was Bethel who introduced him to the Vertimax, a machine designed to improve jumping ability. Jesuit head coach Matt Thompson was honored Thursday (Sept. 17) at One Buc Place as the Bucs' "Coach of the Week." Thompson earned the honor following Jesuit . Congratulations to Jontavis Curry, Noah Story, Marcellus Brigham and Jordan Jones for being selected the Thomson players of the game. He may make a turnover or take a bad shot or something like that, but with him, you dont have to coach effort.. Theyre not showing up for meetings on time. And (Auburns coaches) really dont have any tolerance for that in the program. And she could see right through him. Thompson hadnt been particularly relevant before Freemans arrival, which is why the Warriors sudden emergence has ruffled some feathers. Eads and former Pinson Valley coach Sam Shade (now at Miles College) were among the high school coaches who met Harsin at a seven-on-seven camp in summer 2021. C. JEMAL HORTON COLUMN: Central Cabarrus Thompson fulfilling his promise in more ways than one. ", Before Wade Waldrop became Hoovers coach recently, he coached five-star cornerback Jahlil Hurley at Florence. 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. The average coach in the region now makes $98,911 per year and the coaches now make a combined $791,288 in annual salary. Saturdays game, a highly anticipated rematch of last seasons semifinals, will be played at McDowell High School in Marion at 3 p.m. You might even be able to hear Faulkner yelling words of support for her grandbaby, even in a gym packed with 3,700 other fans. She said, What are you going to do about it?. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Where I went to high school was very similar in terms of enrollment, in terms of size and size of the community and facilities. I think the wrestling and how I use my hands contributed to the player I am today.. Posted - 02/28/2023 : 12:35:46 . 5 in the state and No. I said, Im going to go get it. He has built a powerhouse at Thompson winning four state championships in a row. Thomson's stats have been entered for the 56-38 win @ South Atlanta on 11/25/2022 6:00 PM. Im just trying to go MY way. On the night he scored his 1,000th career point, Jaiden Thompson is joined by (from left) his grandfather Nick Corry, his grandmother Phyllis Ann Faulker, his mother Keyna Ricks and his uncle Michael Ricks. Coaches liked that Harsin didn't hold back in that regard. 6 recruits in the states 2023 class attend Carver: defensive lineman James Smith and edge Jaquavious Russaw. Ed Rigby out of Pike Road: Page: of 4: Topic : He will make a yearly stipend of $4,988. Freeman resigned from his position after four very successful years at Spanish Fort and the Alabaster board quickly moved to approve that personnel action with no discussion. Big-time high school football in Alabama can be classified as an arms race. Hoover recently snapped Thompsons 27-game winning streak, and the two seem to be on a collision course to meet in the playoffs this season too. Jaiden Thompson takes flight last week against Shelby Crest. Griffin Middle School squad. The Warriors finished 12-1 in 2017, losing in the semifinals of the Class 7A State Football Playoffs. AL.com requested salaries from all coaches in the Metro Birmingham area this past spring. Thompson was a critical reason the Vikings went unbeaten in the South Piedmont 3A Conference for the third year in a row. How well Harsin capitalizes on it can decide his future with the Tigers. As for his immediate plans at Moody, Ganus said that he was looking to build on the recent success the team has found. 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. Hoover once had an infamous television show, Two-A-Days, document its football program and has won 13 state championships. Ben Thompson, an assistant on Sam London's staff the last two seasons, will be the Red Tornado's . Now, theyre recruiting the freakish athlete. We have chosen to publish this If I'm the head coach at any college, thats the first thing I would do: Win the battle in your backyard which is hard to do vs. Alabama, Rigby said. Follow him on Twitter for the latest high school cool across Alabama. While at Bessemer Academy, Coach Freeman also served as the head baseball coach. Central Cabarrus coach Jim Baker struggles to find a fault in the 6-foot-1 Thompsons game, but if he had to nick-pick, its that hed like the low-key guard to be more vocal on the floor. resigned from his position after four very successful years, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Alexander is locked in with the Crimson Tide for the second time. The quintet started. He had a two-year stint at Gulf Shores before Spanish Fort lured him away. Thompson Football Staff Players (118) Staff (3) Help the team get started! He was named the leagues best player for the second year in a row. Thatd be like a tear-jerker moment. The great thing is that Thompson has found peace in it all. 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. Thompson paused, realizing that that day had been his moment of clarity. Near Birmingham, Gardendales Kelby Collins is No. Salary: Tony Gaines Show More Show Less 5 of 93. His seven year record in baseball was 116-70, with two Final 4 appearances. Website. This fall, the Warriors completed a 9-1 regular season and are slated to start the state playoffs Friday against Florence. Thomson 56. 2022 Georgia High School Football Playoff Brackets: GHSA Class 2A. Thompson Football Documents. Thompsons mom had put a ball in his hands when he was about 4 years old, and he hadnt let it go since. Records reflect scores in our database. 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. On 12/9, the Thomson varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Fitzgerald (GA) by a score of 32-27. His overall record in 16 years of coaching is 164-37, including a 30-8 playoff mark. Congratulations to Jahkiaus Jones, Jaquan Hart, Jordan Jones and Jontavis Curry for being selected the Thomson players of the game. Government & Public Administration: Air Force JROTC. Volunteer Roster last updated on Feb 16, 2023 @ 5:45pm (GMT) Print Roster Correction All-Time Roster Hey, it comes with the gig. Top Coach. Join us in the forums to submit corrections and new information. Thompson High School in Birmingham is one of the perennial prep football powers in Alabama. Eads appreciated Harsin asking for ideas and advice about organizing a coaching clinic. He needed to hit that growth spurt, and he needed to become familiar with the weight room. Official Twitter Page of Thompson High School Athletics. Ive made a living off of beating a lot of four- and five-star kids with guys like you., Its awesome for a kid to get to hear that, Etheredge said. During his time with the Eagles, he helped the baseball program reach the quarterfinals of the playoffs in 2018 and then started to turn the football program around the previous two seasons in the 6A classification. 1 and No. 27. Longtime Thompson coach Mark Freeman said that he has never met Harsinwhen asked after National Signing Day. Freeman will be well-compensated for his efforts. He will get an extension to his contract of $13,068.60 as a 12-month employee. 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. One part of the team that will be missing is a starting quarterback, as A.J. 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. And, yes, I went on to write about him. "We are going to be the best at everything we can do every day.". He said Alabama assistant Sal Sunseri visited our school at least once per week when time was permitted., Another prominent coach in Alabama who spoke on condition of anonymity, when asked the biggest difference between Alabama and Auburn, had a simple response: Coach Saban has come by and spent up to an hour visiting with us. Ganus arrived on campus to meet with the Blue Devils in a private team meeting at 11:30 a.m. Bowie Football Coaching Staff. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Sure, its great. Jaiden Thompson (3) busts a move to get to the basket. 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. Simpson will be heavily involved in helping with operations and administration of several different sports, which Hester said will be a huge help. The 2019 season began a streak of three consecutive state football championships for Thompson High School. It also means neither of those quality coaches have yet to win a playoff game in the state's largest classification yet. Freeman is a large part of the answer to his own question. And Faulkner, direct as they come, wanted answers. They do so with a collection of talent on defense that stirs the imagination. Jaiden Thompson (3) shoots the J with a hand in his face. Im going to make you a promise. I made my grandma a promise that I was going to do whatever it takes to get what I needed. Class 7A is the biggest classification in the AHSAA, which makes Freeman the architect of the biggest turnaround. 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? Wyoming Cowboys 2023 football schedule released. The Warriors went 5-5 in each of his first two seasons in 2015 and 2016. Everytime you can affect people, its like an injection of energy. I wrestled, I played baseball. It seemed it would be a Herculean task. The Alabaster City Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or age in any of its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Coaches are paid a stipend at the end of the season for their work. That was probably where it was a little frustrating for him that he wasnt able to get it there as quickly as he wanted.. He replaces Adam Wallace, who was fired after a 6-4 season that saw the Blue Devils narrowly miss the playoffs. Football Coaches. He began at Thompson in the fall of 2015. The answer to that is Freeman. He takes over for Kyle Sprenkle, who resigned in January after seven seasons to help his. } } 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. 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. records may be incomplete. Floyd was approved to receive $120,000 per year in annual compensation. 258 Following. Its very much a work-hard-for-what-you-get community. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. No passion missing; it burns like hot fish grease in Thompson, and his coach loves the way he is. Im a finesse cornerback even though I can hit, Fegans said. Copyright All rights reserved. That now makes him the highest-paid coach in Alabama high school football. The Warriors (13-1) captured a third straight 7A championship while making a fourth straight Super 7 appearance. Coach Keith Etheredge has enjoyed watching Harsin develop relationships at the school. 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. On 11/25, the Thomson varsity football team won their away playoff game against South Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) by a score of 56-38. The Alabaster City Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or age in any of its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Coach Freeman and Thompson football have had a lot of positive impact. "He asked me if I wanted to get . The TV & Film Academy is also the home of THS TV, Thompson High School's student-run newscast. News Sports Hookem.com Austin360 Opinion USA TODAY Obituaries . He also served as the Athletic Director at Bessemer Academy. He was later released and eventually joined the Thompson coaching staff, coaching linebackers. After National Signing Day, Harsin hadnot visited Montgomery Catholic, which is 50 minutes from Auburn. Theyve probably done the best job as far as being seen; Hes been here multiple times, coach Marcus Gardner said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Theyll offer that kid early. Hey, you played so-and-so, tell me about him., "Those are the guys you develop that relationship with, that when the chips are down, you need a little help, need a little bump, theyll help you out., Rigby said newly-hired Troy coach Jon Sumrall has made it his goal to go visit every high school, to walk through the doors of every high school in Alabama. It was 1987 when he took the reins of the Thompson Middle School team in Newport. Alabaster is the 16th largest city in the state, but its high school is home to more than 2,000 students with the population growing over the past couple of decades. Some Position: Coach - JV Football - Davis Senior High School, July-November 2023, $3,366.00/season. Central Cabarrus coach Jim Baker poses for a photo with his four seniors: Gavin Bullock (30) Micah Murray (33) Adriel Miller (14) Elijah Ford (22) and Jaiden Thompson (3). 2 class in 2022, are reaping the benefit of another nationally relevant football program in their backyard. To sharpen his skills, he started working with a basketball trainer, Kyree Bethel, whod played at Chowan and coached one of his summer teams. Located about 20 miles south of Birmingham, Alabaster is known for its industry and the minerals it mines. What more were we going to do at Spanish Fort? AUBURN The message was inspirational to the kid and an aphorism for Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin, summing up his underdog recruiting mentality. Have a long enough conversation with any coach in the region, and eventually off-the-record claims of impermissible recruiting against any number of schools will surface. And save for his first year with Concord Parks and Rec, when he scored a basket in the opposing teams hoop, he was good, too. That means his teams have played for a title in eight of the 16 seasons he's been a head coach. And you sort of follow it, the top 70, 80, 90 kids end up going D-II and whatnot. Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl leads the Cowboys onto the field before their game against Utah . }; Thompson High School Head Football Coach Mark Freeman is the face of the Thompson Warriors, the 3-time defending Class 7A State Champions. 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. Man died Wednesday. 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. Highland Home has been a revolving door of head coaches visiting Faulk, including Tennessees Josh Heupel. Going into Saturdays Class 3A state semifinal game against West Charlotte, he was averaging team bests of 19.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 steals for the Vikings, the 23rd-ranked team in the nation. As does Thompson now. Head coach Lee Gibson makes a little less than half of what Floyd and Freeman do even when all of his teacher salary and supplement stipends are added up. The former Jackson State offensive coordinator has now spent four seasons as head coach at Eufaula High School in southeast Alabama, about 80 minutes from Auburn. There are now five coaches in Class 7A, Region 3 that pay their head football coach a combined salary of more than $100,000 per season. Freeman won four state titles during the last decade at Spanish Fort in 2011 and 2013. The years you dont have players, they dont know your name.. The 27 . Its allowed five points per game, and 24 of those came in the regular-season finale a loss to nearby power Hoover. He helped the Vikings win 30 games for the second year in a row. University of Northern Colorado . Jeff Sentell covers prep sports for AL.com and the Birmingham News. But weve got an outstanding individual that loves our kids and loves our parents, loves our school system.. Job Summary. A number of coaches were baffled that they haven't interacted with Auburn's head coach. Jaiden Thompson poses with a plaque honoring him as the SPC Player of the Year after the Vikings won the conference tournament championship last month. 197 Posts. The meeting was adjourned quickly and the head coach was brought in to welcome him into the chamber. Photographer Cecil Copeland has posted a new gallery Fitzgerald vs. Thomson (GHSA 2A Championship) containing 176 photos. That was his happy place, his own piece of utopia. Some believe its unreasonable to expect Harsin to contact every in-state school so quickly. Coach Freemans football program has a trademark phrase. Ill have to get some guys out there, Ganus said. Prior to taking the job at Spanish Fort, Freeman went 13-9 in two seasons at Gulf Shores and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in the first season. . All rights reserved (About Us). He coached for almost 40 years in the high school and collegiate ranks. Or, shoot, even making it to the NBA. He wanted to change the narrative.. Tommy Thompson was 6-1 (185 cm) tall. Both are top-40 nationally. Shes real aggressive sometimes, but I love her. What I like to see is somebody who keeps coming by: Coach, I know you ain't got nothing for me this year, but tell me about who does have somebody for me. But these next two weekends have special meaning. The current defense has shut out five of its 10 regular-season opponents and held nine to fewer than 10 points. Actually, me and Gavin have been talking about this since we were little boys. It was after seeing what she knew wasnt his best self on the basketball court, that his grandma wondered about his priorities. Harsins future was under the microscope in February during an internal investigationinvolving his treatment of players and staff. Jaiden Thompson (3) leaving it all on the court. WVUA 23 is a competitive professional commercial television Youre playing Central and Opelika: Tell me what theyve got. Search. 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. He spent a lot of time here talking, and he didn't have to do that. Jesuit High School football is off to a good start this fall, with three wins in three games. Reed made such a positiveimpact that the Auburn alum was promoted this week to director of recruiting relations, adding to Harsin's arsenal. Our offense will be spread, tempo. "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" Weve got some guys here that have got to get on board. Join to view profile Thompson Valley High School. Class 7A is the biggest classification in the AHSAA, which makes Freeman the architect of the biggest "turnaround". Fegans is among Alabamas latest commitments, going public last month after decommitting from Miami. Last years team started 3-2 and finished 3-7, but lost four games by eight points or less to talented playoff teams. I kind of fell out of love with the game, Thompson admits as he sits in Central Cabarrus empty auxiliary gym earlier this year. He and AU defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge are close friends. Out of all of the public high school football coaches, Joseph is the highest-paid. Alabama High School Football History Thompson Coaches Thompson Warriors The AHSFHS.org Fan Shop Some records may be incomplete. I watched him in the Gadsden City game. Theres no my way or the highway. What I want to do is take what Ive learned, what Ive been able to take in during my five years with Thompson and apply it to Moody. She was just sad and disappointed to watch me like that. Several high school coachessaid college coaches often don't do a sufficient job preparing players for the grind during recruitment, which leads to athletes being blindsided and more likely to leave. Bowie High School Football Search. There is no lack of challenge or ego in the region. Coach: Todd Thompson. Matt Jackson High School Teacher/ Head Men's Basketball & Cross Country Coach. Auburn High School coach Keith Etheredge heard Harsin say it: You may not have all those stars, but Ive seen you play. 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. Its so rewarding what we deal with. In the four years before Thompson and Bullock got to campus, the Vikings won a total of 33 games. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football. Freeman landed his first head football coaching job at Bessemer Academy in 1998. Alabaster City Schools Superintendent Wayne Vickers said Freeman's first day on the job will be Jan. 5, 2015. It would turn out to be the most heavily-attended board meeting for a school system that's still just in its toddler years. But that foundation is there. I really dont. That would probably be one of my biggest accomplishments no matter if its winning a state championship or scoring 1,000 points. He even led the team with 2.7 steals for a squad that went from six wins the year before to 17. I believe all the state schools beside (Alabama) and Tuskegee University can do a better job with in-state recruiting. High school sports greats who died in 2022, 2022 high school football state champions, Georgia football state championship games. But as his senior season dawned, it just wasnt there anymore, that passion. He took his time, did his research, seemed to flirt with Clemson and ended up back at the beginning this summer, committing to Alabama again on July 8. The list can go on and on because Hoover and Niblett, like their counterparts Freeman and Thompson, take their football seriously. Valid CPR and First Aid, TB Test, Fingerprint Process, NFHS online coaching certificates; Heat Illness Prevention. (Photo of Jeremiah Alexander: Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).