The Briarwood Lions came out on top of a defensive struggle Friday night, defeating Thompson High 7-6.

The Warriors held the lead for most of the game on two field goals by Adam McKinney, but a fumble in the fourth quarter by Thompson gave the Lions the ball at the Warrior’s 35-yard line. Seven plays later Briarwood quarterback Barrett Trotter found receiver Bo Walters in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Zack Carey hit the extra point to give Briarwood a 7-6 lead with 9:38 left in the game.

&uot;This was a big win for us,&uot; Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said. &uot;I thought our kids did a great job playing wire-to-wire and working their way back into the game.&uot;

The two teams held each other in check for most of the contest, with the Warriors giving up a stingy 40 yards of total offense to the Lions in the first half. Briarwood returned the favor, however, holding THS to only 166 total yards of offense and no touchdowns.

Briarwood defensive back Jeremy Hall sealed the Warrior’s fate on the final play of the game, intercepting Thompson quarterback Chris Myles’ pass and giving his team the hard-fought victory.

Yancey noted the play of defensive back Andy Davis, who registered 11 tackles and an interception.

&uot;Andy was just outstanding for us on the defensive side of the ball,&uot; he said.

Yancey said that his two defensive ends, J.D. Lott and Andy Dennis, were effective in keeping Myles from rushing the ball on the Lions.

&uot;We knew we had to contain Thompson’s quarterback,&uot; Yancey said. &uot;They gave us a great effort defensively.&uot;

Myles finished the game completing only 4-of-15 pass attempts for 38 yards for the Warriors.

The teams combined for 15 punts in the game, seven for the Warriors and eight for the Lions.

The Warriors have little time to rest from Friday’s defeat, however, as they prepare to take on Region 6 powerhouse Mountain Brook this Friday night.

&uot;We’ve got to regroup and continue to work hard,&uot; Thompson head coach Brian Maner said. &uot;We have to keep practicing and try to correct our mistakes.&uot;

Maner said his team is struggling with penalties and turning the ball over, but he said he is pleased with the effort of his players.

&uot;The player’s are working hard every practice,&uot; he said. &uot;They’re doing what we ask them to do.&uot;

The Warrior’s loss drops them to a 1-4 record on the season and 0-3 in Region 6 games, making the team’s playoff outlook bleak.

The Lions, however, will try to ride on the victory and a 4-1 overall record as they prepare to host Sylacauga for their homecoming game this week.

&uot;We have a lot of distractions that come with homecoming week,&uot; Yancey said. &uot;Sylacauga got their first win the other night and they will likely be at their best. The question is whether or not we will be at our best.&uot;