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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

NORTHPORT – The Thompson Warriors boys and girls soccer teams each took care of business and finished off season-series sweeps of the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats on Thursday, April 18.

The boys took a 3-0 win in their match after the girls cruised to a 9-0 victory in the match before as both teams walked out of Tuscaloosa County High School with the win.

While the win for the boys meant they finished off area play on a high note, it was a crucial victory for the girls to keep their season alive.

The girls’ win took them to 3-2 in area play and helped them keep pace with 4-2 Vestavia Hills, which currently holds the second and final playoff spot out of Class 7A, Area 5. Both teams are level on area play goal differential at +18.

Thompson will face Hoover on the road at Hoover High School in its final match of the season on Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m., and a win over the area champions would clinch a playoff spot for the Warriors as they would be ahead on goal differential.

The girls got off to a dominant start in their match with the Wildcats as they scored six goals in the first half to establish a commanding lead.

Thompson added three goals in the second half and kept Tuscaloosa County off the scoreboard to secure a clean sheet, but the Warriors couldn’t find the 10th goal needed to trigger the mercy rule and end the match early.

Nonetheless, Thompson still walked out with a commanding 9-0 win to keep its playoff hopes alive going into the final week of the season.

The boys had already been eliminated from playoff contention, but they still went out and earned a shutout win on the road to finish out area play.

The Warriors jumped ahead to a multi-goal lead as they scored three goals throughout the 80-minute match.

Thompson replicated the girls’ defensive performance by not allowing a single goal from the Wildcats in the entire match.

That gave the Warriors the 3-0 clean-sheet victory to give them the season series sweep of Tuscaloosa County.

With the victory, the boys finished area play with a 2-4 record with both victories coming against the Wildcats.

While the girls battle Hoover on Tuesday, April 23 for their postseason fate, the boys will finish the regular season with a road trip to No. 1 Oak Mountain at 7 p.m.