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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

Everybody always talks about streaks while they’re ongoing, but not enough is said about when it comes to an end.

The thing about any run in sports, good or bad, is that it comes to an end, and not much can prepare you for when it does. The question is how the team will respond, and that defines its character more than anything.

That’s been the biggest question since Thompson lost its streak of four straight state championships in December. And the team’s response since? Put it in the past and get back to work.

The Warriors hope to make it back to the mountaintop by putting in the same work that it took to get them there in the first place. The team has certainly learned its lessons and drawn motivation from the loss, and I believe that will be the key to another successful season.

Thompson has a strong veteran core back with plenty of stars who have experience within the system and the talent to make a big impact, including quarterback Trent Seaborn, running back Mike Dujon, defensive lineman Cam Pritchett and safety Anquon Fegans.

Having those leaders back helps many aspects of the Warriors game carry over momentum from last year and carry the load as new players integrate into the system.

Seaborn will need to adjust to having three brand new receivers in his arsenal as the top three Thompson receivers of Kolby Hearn, Deuce Oliver and Colben Landrew are all gone.

However, he’ll still have some solid options in the returning Angel Jones, h-backs Gabe Binion and Darion Moseley and the speedy Pryce Lewis and Brooks Byars to provide a diverse receiving corps.

New running back RJ Evans will also look to pair with Dujon and ramp up the group’s athleticism, something that I think could make the Warriors attack more dangerous and work well with four new offensive linemen.

Over on defense, I expect the defensive line to be the strength as Jared Smith and Nik Alston come in to pair with Cam Pritchett for a potent attack up front, especially with a good bit of depth behind them.

That depth will certainly help as while the linebackers and secondary have lots of talent on the top end between Fegans, Trent McCorvey, Vini Pires, Trent Cheatom and Payton Lewis, there’s still some uncertainty beyond them.

One of the biggest keys will be how the leaders of each position group help the new players adjust to their roles. Those newcomers will once again face a trial by fire in the form of out-of-state opponents Grayson and Lipscomb Academy before Class 7A, Region 3 even begins.

While that may mean a loss or two as the team gets its footing, their eyes are always toward the postseason. If this team comes together in the vein of previous Warriors squads, they could be well on their way to replicating those teams’ successes.

 

Prediction: 8-2. I see a lot of parallels between last year’s Warriors and this year’s group. Both teams entered the season with enough blue-chip prospects to make an SEC scout blush but crucial questions that needed to be answered at key positions.

The main differences come from the fact that multiple positions on the defense have major question marks and this year’s receiving corps is much less experienced than last season’s, even if they have high ceilings.

Those new additions will have a much more difficult start out of the gate than the 2023 squad.

While last year’s Warriors only faced Opelika before region play due to IMG’s cancellation, this year’s team will face a Georgia Class 6A semifinalist out of the gate before traveling to one of Tennessee’s top private schools.

Combine that with another non-region tilt against Clay-Chalkville and the week-in, week-out challenges of sharing a region with Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville, and that could lead to some regular season stumbles.

However, if there’s one thing Thompson does well, it’s peak down the stretch when it matters most.

This year’s group has the potential to grow from those challenges and still be right in the mix for the state title, even if they suffer a few regular season losses. Expect the Warriors to be one of the top teams in the state again even if they may have to work for it more than past teams.