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He was Alabamas first verbal commitment in the 2022 class when he made his decision in March 2020. Freeman landed his first head football coaching job at Bessemer Academy in 1998. Mark Freeman attended Bessemer Academy and graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Central has played for the 7A championship in three of the last four seasons, beating Thompson 52-7 in 2018 . The Warriors finished 12-1 in 2017, losing in the semifinals of the Class 7A State Football Playoffs. "Most of the kids growing up here, most of them aspire to play for Auburn; it's their hometown,"Etheredge said. And she could see right through him. I really dont. Coach Kirk Johnson has handled the football teams recruiting for a number of years, developing ties at Auburn. The coaching part of it? He wants to keep the promise he made to his grandma before the season: no distractions, nothing but his best as he strives for his best. While at Bessemer Academy, Coach Freeman also served as the head baseball coach. You trust your evaluation of kids. That type of concentrated talent may be just another season at a program like IMG Academy, but its not common at a public school like Thompson, which produced a total of one four- or five-star recruit in the past decade current Alabama offensive lineman Amari Kight, a four-star recruit in 2019. University of Northern Colorado . It was a chance, but we knew it would be risky because we were in a great job in a great place. It took Freeman a couple of years to get it going. That both teams are so talented and competitive makes Alabama high school football better. This year, despite losing star quarterback Tyler Johnstonto a knee injury in Week 5, Spanish Fort went 12-2 and reached the Class 6A state semifinals before losing to Saraland. Alabama High School Football History Thompson Coaches Thompson Warriors The AHSFHS.org Fan Shop Some records may be incomplete. He has built a powerhouse at Thompson winning four state championships in a row. Thompsons James L Simmons Stadium underwent a facelift for the 2014 season with press box improvements and new artificial turf. Thomson's stats have been entered for the 20-14 win @ Appling County on 12/2/2022 7:30 PM. "I think every team wants to win. Hoover also puts out quality Division I players. Those hirings mean the two highest-paid high school football coaches in Alabama compete in the same region. The years you dont have players, they dont know your name.. Mostly, though, Thompson nurses his gift in rigorous practice sessions, has fun with his teammates, shows up on game night, and fills up a box score as the Vikings put opponents out of their misery. Its miracle win to bring another state. When Etheridge visited in January, it was the first and only time we have communicated with Auburn. Vigor has two rising talents: junior defensive end Michael Towner and freshman offensive lineman Micha Debose. Matt Jackson High School Teacher/ Head Men's Basketball & Cross Country Coach. You need to go to a private school (to get recruited better). I was like, Why would I go anywhere? (Photo of Jeremiah Alexander: Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images). But he acknowledges that the dynamics have changed since he was leading the Indians courting prospects. On 12/2, the Thomson varsity football team won their away playoff game against Appling County (Baxley, GA) by a score of 20-14. School board meetings don't go quite like this in Alabaster. PORTSMOUTH Aquidneck Island native and Portsmouth resident Keith MacDonald vividly remembers how he got his first football coaching job. WVUA 23 is a competitive professional commercial television I have a great team, a great family, and we could actually win this whole thing.. The top spot belonged to . Prior to taking the job at Spanish Fort, Freeman went 13-9 in two seasons at Gulf Shores and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in the first season. He needed to hit that growth spurt, and he needed to become familiar with the weight room. It gives a kid a lot of fire.. It was late January, and Harsin and receivers coach Eric Kiesau were visiting Mars Hill Bible School in Florence. So how did this high school team, about 66 miles from the University of Alabama campus in a town with a population of less than 35,000, rise of out of near obscurity to become one of the best high school football programs in the country and a burgeoning pipeline for the Crimson Tide? But these next two weekends have special meaning. I kind of fell out of love with the game, Thompson admits as he sits in Central Cabarrus empty auxiliary gym earlier this year. Rigby hasn't met Harsin. You could have one bad game, and you kind of, like, judge yourself, and you ask yourself, Is this really what I want to do?, It would bring my confidence down. Jaiden soared, proving himself in the AAU ranks, as well as with his C.C. Coach Freeman and Thompson football have had a lot of positive impact. Ed Rigby out of Pike Road: Page: of 4: Topic : Saturdays game, a highly anticipated rematch of last seasons semifinals, will be played at McDowell High School in Marion at 3 p.m. You might even be able to hear Faulkner yelling words of support for her grandbaby, even in a gym packed with 3,700 other fans. Photographer Kenny Grimes has posted a new gallery Fitzgerald vs. Thomson (GHSA 2A Final) containing 104 photos. That's the predominately Birmingham-based region in the Alabama High School Athletic Association's largest playing classification. His softball teams made Final 4 appearances from 2003-05, and his powerlifting teams were 3 time State Champs. That now makes him the highest-paid coach in Alabama high school football. Email Brandon Graves. Assistant Football Coach at Thompson Valley High School Loveland, Colorado, United States. Photographer Cecil Copeland has posted a new gallery Fitzgerald vs. Thomson (GHSA 2A Championship) containing 176 photos. Several high school coachessaid college coaches often don't do a sufficient job preparing players for the grind during recruitment, which leads to athletes being blindsided and more likely to leave. In 2011, he became the head football coach at Spanish Fort High School. He will also receive a supplement of $30,909.20 as head football coach and another $30,909.20 as the athletic director for Alabaster City Schools. When Harsin visited Mars Hill, he was targeting three-star offensive lineman Koby Keenum, who playsa position of priority for Auburns 2023 class. OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) - Erik Thompson was born to be a football coach. ", Before Wade Waldrop became Hoovers coach recently, he coached five-star cornerback Jahlil Hurley at Florence. 2023 www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Hoover once had an infamous television show, Two-A-Days, document its football program and has won 13 state championships. Alabaster City Schools Superintendent Wayne Vickers said Freeman's first day on the job will be Jan. 5, 2015. One Division-I school, Western Carolina, had confirmed as much when it offered him a scholarship after his freshman season. The TV & Film Academy is also the home of THS TV, Thompson High School's student-run newscast. Harsin's son plays for Auburn High. The towns high school, Thompson, isnt like many modern schools with similar high-profile football programs, like IMG Academy, Mater Dei or any number of private schools that annually compete for championships and pump out Division I prospects. To sharpen his skills, he started working with a basketball trainer, Kyree Bethel, whod played at Chowan and coached one of his summer teams. It's a recurring theme: Seven of the 14 coaches who spoke with the Advertiser hadnot met Harsin. Thompson was approved as Spring Grove's new coach Monday night. 7 recruits played at Thompson. Between 2001 and 2007 his teams went 40-1 in region play and 17-3 in the playoffs. No, we got a great person, Vickers said. Jaiden Thompson (3) busts a move to get to the basket. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Some The Freeman and Floyd hirings have signaled a new era in Alabama high school football. In the 2022 class, the state's No. All rights reserved (About Us). The current defense has shut out five of its 10 regular-season opponents and held nine to fewer than 10 points. MOODY Thompson High School co-defensive coordinator Jake Ganus was introduced as the new coach for the Moody Blue Devils on Friday, December 17. Valid CPR and First Aid, TB Test, Fingerprint Process, NFHS online coaching certificates; Heat Illness Prevention. Shes real aggressive sometimes, but I love her. Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl leads the Cowboys onto the field before their game against Utah . A four-star recruit, hes ranked No. Coach Freeman led the Rebels to four State Championships in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Pinson Valley often has talent (see: Bo Nix). Brandon Graves Elementary Teacher / Head Baseball & Asst Football Coach. Contact Us. Class 7A is the biggest classification in the AHSAA, which makes Freeman the architect of the biggest "turnaround". Jesuit head coach Matt Thompson was honored Thursday (Sept. 17) at One Buc Place as the Bucs' "Coach of the Week." Thompson earned the honor following Jesuit . I think thats just kind of the bridge or the gray area theyre going to have to face here soon: Youre not Bama, and youre not Georgia. Position: Coach - JV Football - Davis Senior High School, July-November 2023, $3,366.00/season. What we got to do when we go to work is we are going to put the able to win together with the want to win. His four teams at Spanish Fort finished a combined 50-7. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Georgia High School Football Playoff Brackets: GHSA Class 2A, Photos: Fitzgerald vs. Thomson (GHSA 2A Final), Photos: Fitzgerald vs. Thomson (GHSA 2A Championship). His four teams at Spanish Fort finished a combined 50-7. High school sports greats who died in 2022, 2022 high school football state champions, Georgia football state championship games. BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Josh Floyd was hired by earlier this month for $121,000 per season. I can work as good as anybody, Freeman said. Coach Keith Etheredge has enjoyed watching Harsin develop relationships at the school. It would turn out to be the most heavily-attended board meeting for a school system that's still just in its toddler years. The two lowest-paid coaches on this salary scale both led their teams to the playoffs in 2014. Area school systems were able to provide requested financial data for each head football coach. All those clichs about the best player on the team being the hardest worker on the team, yada, yada, yada? He knew it, not in a cocky way. The Crimson Tide, who have the No. But everybody is just on hold with a lot of these very good high school players. Experience: 38 years Education: University of Texas Assignment: Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Wife: Teresa Children: Abby, Kate Phone: 512-414-0528 Email: [email protected]. Thompson hadnt been particularly relevant before Freemans arrival, which is why the Warriors sudden emergence has ruffled some feathers. All are seniors and key contributors on this Vikings squad making its bid for the schools first state championship since 2000. Big-time high school football in Alabama can be classified as an arms race. Buildings are filling up. On 11/25, the Thomson varsity football team won their away playoff game against South Atlanta (Atlanta, GA) by a score of 56-38. Thats really what made me as a football player, and getting back to my roots like that was really enticing to me facilities are great, but I think people make the place, and I think the people here make this a special place.. Football Coaches. Freeman would not arrive to greet a packed school board room until approximately 35 minutes later. That followed time at Montevallo where he also served as the head baseball coach and athletic director for the Bulldogs. But after realizing that I wanted it for myself, then things just started to pick up.. But when the opportunity opened at Thompson for an athletic administrator and a special education teacher, Hester and Simpson both knew it was the right fit. If you look at where Jaiden is ranked in his class, in the top 30 or so in North Carolina, normally the top 50 or 60 kids end up with a Division I offer, Baker explained. Thompson Football Staff Players (118) Staff (3) Help the team get started! Freeman ran late for his big introduction. But as his senior season dawned, it just wasnt there anymore, that passion. And when you put together a 60-1 record over the course of two years, it takes something special, something stronger than Xs and Os and talent. If were being honest, its going to be hard to get multiple kids against Georgia or Alabama, Johnson said. Faulkner had been helping take care of Jaiden since he was yay high, back when he and his mother, Keyna Ricks, first moved back to Concord after a stint in Charlotte. 40 area players named: Full ASWA all-state teams list To end another memorable season of high school football in the area, 40 players in East Alabama were recognized when Alabama Sports. San Rafael football is in search of a Junior Varsity Head Coach, Junior Varsity Offensive Coordinator, Junior Varsity Defensive Coordinator, and Varsity Linebackers coach. . How do you go from that 6-4 year and what ways can I get our kids over that hump. This was what hed wanted for most of his basketball life: to don that Green and Gold. Griffin Middle School squad. The Bessemer Academy and Alabama graduate has coached 16 seasons of high school football in Alabama and his teams have played for the state championship in eight of those. Freeman went 50-7 in four years with the Toros, leading them to state championships in 2012 and 2013. Jeff Ables. And, yes, I went on to write about him. us to complete every school. Id say Im athletic, Alexander said. Tell us who the coach is Ways you can help Make an impact on this team, and help keep MaxPreps up-to-date. They all apply to the focused Thompson, who actually plays as hard on defense as he does when hes working magic with the ball in his hands. Alabaster is the 16th largest city in the state, but its high school is home to more than 2,000 students with the population growing over the past couple of decades. I would see everybody get these offers, and sometimes people base their lives on one game. The 2019 season began a streak of three consecutive state football championships for Thompson High School. Make them your biggest fans.. Published 3:43 pm Wednesday, June 9, 2021. When Ed Rigby coached junior college football in Mississippi, a colleague told him an essential truth about recruiting that has stuck with him through his three decades in the industry: In the years that you have players, you are everybodys best friend. Email Steven Hoffmann. You know Peter is going to be back there somewhere. Hes built similarly to former Tide outside linebacker Ryan Anderson. They advanced to the state semifinals in 2017 and the state championship game in 2018 before winning state titles in 2019 and 2020. He coached for almost 40 years in the high school and collegiate ranks. The only problem was that a number of coaches at prominent football schools have not met him. 6 recruits in the states 2023 class attend Carver: defensive lineman James Smith and edge Jaquavious Russaw. All rights reserved (About Us). Coaches liked that Harsin didn't hold back in that regard. 0. Hes spent this winter answering those questions unequivocally, but he wants to put an exclamation mark on it now. "I want everyone else to know we are going to be a major player in everything we do for our children," Vickers said. Thompson's commitment to Freeman shows that the program is now joining that competition. Thompson coach Mark Freeman sent Hardy, who had missed an extra point in the first quarter, back on the field for a game-winning 35-yard goal try with four seconds remaining. I believe all the state schools beside (Alabama) and Tuskegee University can do a better job with in-state recruiting. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Woods brings quickness and power to the position that Alabama could definitely use. (Jeff Sentell/[email protected]). Its going to be scary.. According to the 247Sports Composite, the last time 11 top-200 recruits called Alabama home was 2008. That was his happy place, his own piece of utopia. Shade thought Harsin did a good job communicating through his assistants, especially Etheridge. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. You dont work out anymore.. Central Cabarrus coach Jim Baker struggles to find a fault in the 6-foot-1 Thompsons game, but if he had to nick-pick, its that hed like the low-key guard to be more vocal on the floor. There arent many words for that, Thompson says. Thompson had a solid freshman season, putting up 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. There have been a ton of (recruiters) whove seen him.