Tell me this isn’t the coolest thing you’ve seen today. Peyton Grillo gets the start and drains the 3-pointer on autism awareness night and the crowd rushes the floor in celebration after the first shot. Nothing but net.
@THS_BBasketball
@Shooting2Change
@athletics_ths
Thompson wide receiver Ryan Peppins has been named Mr. Football as the state's top player from the 2021 season. He becomes the first Mr. Football winner for the Warriors and the first ever from Shelby County. What a season for the Utah signee.
Just finding out former Spain Park basketball star and All-County player Parker Boswell has passed away. Prayers for his friends and family during a difficult time. He grew each year as a player and teammate with the Jags.
BREAKING: The AHSAA has approved for fall sports to start on time. Practice for fall teams will begin next Monday, July 27, and the first competitions will be Aug. 20.
Tonight brought an end to the 2021-2022 sports season for me. I just want to thank all of the athletes, coaches, parents and fans that made this year so much fun. Y’all don’t realize how much you impact my life, but I absolutely love being a part of the journey.
I'm honestly not sure the reaction this will get, but it seems like the perfect teaching moment of what high school sports are supposed to be about and what can happen if you buy in to doing things the right way. Patrick Kellogg and HCS made a great hire getting Chris Laatsch.
Final score:
@WARRIORNATION20
40, Central-Phenix City 14
Thompson wins the 2019 Class 7A State Championship. It’s the 2nd in school history and first since 1982. Congrats to
@coachmarkf
, his entire staff and an unbelievable group of players.
Jake Ganus has been named the next head football coach of the Moody Blue Devils pending board approval in January. Ganus is coming off three state championships as a Thompson assistant and was a star player at Chelsea High School, UAB and Georgia.
Story:
Pretty cool moment for the
@BaseballCalera
team tonight as the five 2020 seniors were honored in a drive by celebration with proper social distancing at 8:20 p.m. (20:20 military time).
What a sight. After their chaotic win, Thompson players, coaches, parents, students and fans gather in a prayer circle. These moments are what it’s all about.
Taulia Tagovailoa and Ahmad Edwards started the day as nominees for the 7A Back of the Year award. Taulia picked up the honor, but the two's friendship and experience together seemed more important. Here is the story:
After a heartbreaking loss, Briarwood’s Christopher Vizzina not only went up to Pelham head coach Mike Vickery for a conversation but hung around to talk with some Pelham kids too… all with a smile. That’s what we need more of.
@vizzina2
Oak Mountain head coach Chris Love announced today that he is resigning as head coach of the Eagles' basketball program following a historic stretch and special career.
Story:
What a moment before this game. It hasn’t been an easy week at Oak Mountain, but the Eagles and Thompson come together before the game in a moment of silence for the Jani family. THS coach Mark Freeman helped get helmet stickers for both teams to wear. It’s bigger than football.
STATE CHAMPS!!!
@omhsbasketball
beats Enterprise 41-37 and wins the Class 7A State Championship. It’s their first title in school history and the 8th by a boys team in Shelby County history. Wow. Congrats guys!
Jay Bilas pummeling Steve Savarese and the AHSAA during the Alabama/Kentucky basketball game regarding Maori Davenport. At this point I don’t see how the AHSAA doesn’t do the right thing.
Final score:
@WARRIORNATION20
48, Hoover 30
Just three years ago, Thompson had never beaten Hoover. Now the Warriors are 3-2 against them in the last 5 matchups. Unbelievable stuff from
@coachmarkf
, his staff and the players! What an effort tonight after falling behind 17-0!
Braxton Barker has officially committed to the University of Alabama. Here is story from our football magazine before the 2017 season that brings light to the father-son relationship of he and his father Jay Barker. Loved writing this one:
Joel Floyd has been approved as the next head basketball coach at Oak Mountain. Formerly a head coach at Pelham and an assistant at Spain Park, he'll take over after Chris Love announced his retirement.
Story:
Final score:
@omhsbasketball
45, Auburn 37
The Oak Mountain Eagles make school history and advance to the state championship for the first time in school history. Truly an unbelievable story.
The cat is officially out of the bag. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be Managing Editor of Shelby County Newspapers. I will still be covering sports for the most part, but will also manage news production for our award-winning staff.
Breaking: Thompson announces Frankie Perez as its next head baseball coach. He’s coming home after spending time at Montevallo and then leading Hazel Green to the 2018 Class 6A state championship.
COLUMN: I'm not the first one nor will I be the last one to speak on this matter, but it's time for the AHSAA to make a change. Read my thoughts on the Lagoon Park controversy here:
I can’t put into words what
@TrentSeaborn
has done tonight. The Thompson eighth grade quarterback has set a Super 7 7A record with 5 TD passes. He has 207 yards on 12-14 passing. Credit to the OL and receivers for a big night as well.
This is why I love my job. Witnessing moments like this. On autism awareness night, we get to see something truly special at Thompson.
@Shooting2Change
@THS_BBasketball
Final score:
@WARRIORNATION20
52, Hoover 14
The Thompson Warriors are headed to the Class 7A State Championship game for the third year in a row and will have a chance to repeat as state champs after a dominant showing against No. 2 Hoover. Unbelievable stuff!
I have gotten a few calls and emails about it already today, so I wanted to address this. Local journalism is important, and no matter who wins tomorrow night, it shouldn't be governed like this.
Oak Mountain head coach Chris Love has been named the 2019-20 Coach of the Year in Shelby County after leading the Eagles to their first Final Four appearance in school history.
Coach of the Year:
Some exciting work news. I have spent the last few weeks training to become general manager of Shelby County Newspapers and officially assumed the position two weeks ago. It will mean a change in my sports role but I’ll have a plan to share for that soon.
Awesome to see Pelham honoring Grayson Dill (No. 15) tonight. Thoughts are with he and his family after Grayson’s father passed away just a few days ago.
#DillStrong
@PELHAM_AD
@causey_tom
Young athletes, the last 24 hours sure should show you that you aren’t invincible. Life comes at you fast and you’ll have important decisions to make. Listen to your guardians and coaches because they’re always trying to prepare you for what’s ahead.
Pelham head coach Sean Anderson has been named the county's 2022 Baseball Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to a magical postseason run.
@PHSPnthrbasebal
Coach of the Year:
The Chelsea community is mourning right now following the loss of former athlete Michael Gibbs this past weekend at the age of 20. Gibbs had a lasting impact on many, including myself.
Column:
Oak Mountain set a goal and accomplished it. The Eagles never wavered this season and win their first basketball state championship in school history.
Story/Photos:
Oak Mountain's Evan Smith has been named this year's Player of the Year in Shelby County in a very challenging year to name the top player. He was neck-and-neck with not just some of the best players in the county but the country.
Player of the Year:
Final score:
@omhsbasketball
43, Hoover 30
Oak Mountain is headed to the Final Four for the 2nd straight year. Last year was their first trip and now their going for a 2nd year in a row. Absolutely laid the hammer down in the 2nd half.
@omhseagles
Taulia Tagovailoa, Will Conner and Amari Kight all had incredible high school football careers and were honored earlier today at Thompson High School before enrolling at Alabama and UAB. See unbelievable stats each has put up in this story.
Story/Stats:
Head coach Frankie Perez had to take a moment in the outfield in tears and prayer as he got this nice surprise. This is what it’s all about.
@athletics_ths
@Thompsonbaseba1
Thompson is headed to state!! The Warriors down perennial powerhouse Hoover with an unbelievable final quarter. Still don't have words for the ending to that game, but somehow I wrote a story about it.
Story/Photos:
Kobe Prentice puts on the hat and is headed to Alabama. What a special season for the Calera receiver as one of the fastest receivers in the state.
@showtime1kp
@Calera_Football
Pretty cool moment before we tip off the Thompson/Oak Mountain boys game. Teams from both schools come together wearing their shoot 2 change shirts which brings awareness to autism started by Thompson head coach Dru Powell who has a son with autism.
Congrats to Jason Hamlin for being named the next Calera head football coach. The Alabaster native is coming from McAdory as the defensive coordinator and has spent time at both Spain Park and Thompson.
Watching Parker Boswell from eighth grade through his senior season at Spain Park, it was remarkable to watch his growth as a person and player. I share my thoughts on the legacy he left and the impact he had on so many in the column below.
Column:
Legacy left.
After 29 years, Briarwood head football coach Fred Yancey has retired. What a special impact he has had on the game of football in the state of Alabama.
Oak Mountain introduces new head basketball coach Joel Floyd at a special meet and greet. A lot of positivity from the room tonight and
@Coachjoelfloyd
can’t wait to get after it. As competitive and passionate of a coach as there is out there.
In a special moment last night, Fred Grooms Sr. surprised his son Fred Grooms Jr. at midfield dressed up as a referee. The two hadn't seen each other in person in a year due to Grooms Sr. serving in Kuwait with the U.S. Army.
Story:
You can't ignore the job Mark Freeman did to lead Thompson to its third state championship in a row, while you also can't ignore that what Jason Hamlin did at Calera this season was one of the state's best coaching jobs.
Coach of the Year:
Credit to the Spain Park student section for showing up today. Hoover brought no student section but the Jags are out in full support.
@SPHSLadyJags
@SpainParkATH
It’s officially the final day of the 2020-2021 sports season. I just want to thank
@AHSAAUpdates
for making this year happen. They looked for solutions rather than cancelling and so many student athletes got to make memories that will last a lifetime. We made it!
The Chelsea Hornets now have a new athletic facility to work out and train in, which has provided a big boost to the school's athletic programs.
@ChelseaHornets
Story:
Thompson's Taulia Tagovailoa, Briarwood's Mark Hand and Montevallo's JJ Evans have been named finalists for the state's Player of the Year award.
Story:
Final score:
@omhsbasketball
52, Hoover 44
The Oak Mountain Eagles claim the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament championship. Great win for head coach Chris Love and his team. This is a talented group that can go as far as it wants to.
FINAL SCORE:
@chshornetbball
5, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 2
The Chelsea Hornets are headed to the Class 6A state championship series. What an unbelievable run by the Hornets. They’ve beat No. 1, No. 2 and No. 7 to get here.
On Friday, Spain Park's Sarah Ashlee Barker was named the Alabama girls basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. I've watched her since her freshman season, and it's easy for me to say she's one of the best athletes, boys or girls, I've seen.
Story:
Some of the state's best athletes left their mark on the 2019-2020 sports season in Shelby County. From state championships, to records, to multi-sport stars, we honor the 20 best on this year's All-Sports Team.
All-Sports Team:
Breaking: Former Helena head coach Chris Laatsch has been named the new head coach of the Spain Park Jaguars' boys basketball team. Knowing him at Helena and being a graduate of Spain Park, this is a home run hire. Here's the story:
Bill Clark continues to do amazing things at UAB. What a coach and what a person. His commitment to the Blazers has been remarkable and would make a great book/movie with everything the program went through.
Thompson quarterback Sawyer Pate became just the second QB in school history to win a state championship this season for the Warriors. That and his 3,000-plus yards and 40-plus touchdowns earned him this year's Player of the Year award.
Story:
Pelham athletic director Kim Kiel has been named the Class 6A recipient of the Making a Difference Award thanks to her strong role as a leader both in Pelham and across the state.
Story:
First and foremost, this decision was difficult because every coach deserves credit for how they led through a pandemic, but Mark Freeman led Thompson to a 14-0 record and a 2nd straight state championship, earning Coach of the Year.
Coach of the Year:
Thompson quarterback
@PateSawyer
earned the MVP of the Class 7A State Championship game, and there can't be a kid more deserving. He waited his turn and entered this season determined to prove his worth. He ended it with a 239-yard, three-touchdown performance and a title.
Final score:
@PHSPnthrbasebal
2, Saraland 0
Pelham takes down the state’s No. 2 team and advances to the quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs. Two Stella pitching performance from
@christiannprit7
and
@JD11Wilkins
make the difference in the series.
Oak Mountain head coach Chris Love has been named the Shelby County Coach of the Year for the second year in a row after leading the Eagles to their first state championship in school history.
Story:
Your final stat of the night (probably):
@omhsbasketball
becomes the first team from Shelby County to win a boys basketball state championship since Calera in 2005 and only the 8th all time. This year’s team is now among the elite and forever in the history books.
To see what
@CLaatsch11
has done in his time at Spain Park is remarkable. Remember, this team had 5 wins the year before he took over, 8 wins his first season and now three straight Elite Eights and back-to-back Final Fours.
Congrats to Thompson quarterback Sawyer Pate. He was just named the 2019 Class 7A Back of the Year after leading the Warriors to their first state championship since 1982 and second in school history. One of the most humble players and most underrated players I've ever seen.
Final score:
@FootballOmhs
38, James Clemens 35
Garrett Murphy wins it!! He nails a field goal with 4 seconds left and Oak Mountain takes down No. 5 James Clemens in the first round of the playoffs. Wow!
BACK TO BACK: It was a miracle in Bryant-Denny on Wednesday night as the Thompson Warriors scored 10 points in the final 30 seconds to take down Auburn and repeat as state champions.
Story/Photos:
Chris Stewart is about to embark on what could be a special postseason for Alabama basketball later this week, but his story starts well before now and features plenty of ups and downs to make him thankful for the opportunities he has.
Story/Photos:
Free Byrd: Shadrick Byrd and Taulia Tagovailoa ran wild tonight in a comeback win against Hewitt-Trussville on national TV. The Warriors trailed 28-0 and stepped up on both sides of the ball and up front to pull off an unreal comeback.
Story:
After the game, all of the players go to the end zone to take a knee and watch the band who is performing after the game due to homecoming. This is what makes high school sports special and different. Love the community aspect.
The annual
@jakeganus
post championship photo continues. Still out there trying to prove he can get more air than his players. Surprised he didn't take flight with that mullet.