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Thompson blanks Tuscaloosa County, improves to 4-1

Brant Berry | PrepsNet

Northport, AL – The Thompson Warriors (4-1, 2-1) shut out Tuscaloosa County (1-4, 0-3) Friday night at Northport’s Wildcat Field.  The win extended the Warriors winning streak to four straight over T-County. 

The contest marked Thompson’s second shutout of the season and was the second time the Wildcats have been blanked through five games.  

Mark Freeman’s Warriors lit up the scoreboard early as quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa capped Thompson’s opening drive with the first of his three scores of the night, bolting into the endzone from a yard out.  Shadrick Byrd extended the Warrior lead later in the first, taking a Tagovailoa handoff 58 yards to put the visitors on top 14-0.   

Byrd crossed the endzone again midway through the second period hauling in a pass at the Wildcat 10 and dragging defenders across the goal line.

The defending 7A region 3 champs carried a 21-0 lead into the locker room.  

After the break, Thompson notched another pair of scores through the air, both tossed from inside the redzone.  Receiver J.B. Mitchell hauled in a Tagovailoa pass from just beyond the Wildcat 10 to close out the third quarter followed by a game sealing seven yard grab by Michael Pettway to open the fourth.  

Thompson signal caller Taulia Tagovailoa completed 25 of 48 passes for 350 yards and three scores through the air while adding 25 yards and a score on the ground.  The Alabama Crimson Tide commit has thrown for more than 2,000 through the Warriors opening five contests.  Byrd lead the Warriors on the ground with with 103 yards on 15 carries and a pair of scores.  Michael Pettway lead the Thompson receiving corps 115 yards and a touchdown while hauling in nine grabs.  

The Thompson defense held the Cats to 130 total yards on the night.  Elijah Clayton lead the Warriors with four tackles while Eric Mizell and Will Connor chipped in three stops apiece.  

Thompson returns to action October 5th, after taking the week off next Friday, as they welcome the Spain Park Jaguars (1-4, 0-3) to Warrior Stadium.  

John Holladay’s Wildcats take next week off as well before hitting the road to take on the defending 7A state champion Hoover Bucs (3-2, 1-1) at The Hoover Met in week six.