By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – A national audience will be able to watch the Thompson Warriors take on the Hewitt-Trussville Huskies in late October, as the football game between the two nationally ranked high school teams will be televised on ESPN2.

The THS Athletic department announced the game will air on ESPN 2 and kickoff has been adjusted to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26, as part of the network’s Who’s Next High School Showcase.

The highly anticipated game will be played in the newly constructed Warrior Stadium on the campus of the new Thompson High School.

Thompson and Hewitt both enter the season with high expectations, as both are coming off successful 2017 campaigns and are looking to continue the success this year. In the Maxpreps.com national high school football poll, Thompson came in at No. 40, while the Huskies were one spot behind them at No. 41.

Both teams will be led by future Alabama Crimson Tide quarterbacks, as THS signal caller Taulia Tagovailoa and Hewitt quarterback Paul Tyson have both signed with the Tide’s 2019 recruiting class.

“It is a great day to be a Warrior! We are thrilled that our school, community, city, players and coaches will be featured on the biggest stage,” THS Athletic Director Vincent Pitts wrote in a statement. “Our Board of Education, and superintendent, Dr. Wayne Vickers, have done a remarkable job executing their big vision of providing a facility that will be able to host such an event. We look forward to welcoming ESPN to our new home.”

The Oct. 26 game will mark Thompson’s first matchup with the Huskies since 2015, and only the ninth meeting all-time between the two schools. When the Warriors and Huskies play this year, it could be for the Class 7A, Region 3 crown or a playoff spot, as it marks the final region game of the season for both teams.