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TSN Game of the Week features rematch of Grayson's 15-14 overtime win over Thompson in 2024

The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week: No. 14 Thompson [AL] at No. 7 Grayson [GA] originally appeared on The Sporting News

Thompson hosted this game against the Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams on August 22 last year in Alabaster, Alabama, with ESPN2 televising it nationwide.

And what a game it turned out to be.

The Warriors ended up losing 15-14 in overtime, and it would end up being the first of three one-point losses Thompson would suffer, all of them in overtime, including games against the Clay-Chalkville [Pinson, AL] Cougars (14-13) on September 27 and the Hoover [AL] Buccaneers (27-26) on October 18.

Amazingly, Grayson's only loss had come in the season opener the previous week in a 20-19 loss to the Collins Hill [Suwanee, GA] Eagles near the end of regulation.

Two teams. Four losses. By a total of four points.

Those close calls didn't stop either of them from reaching the pinnacle in their respective classifications, however. Thompson went on to claim Alabama's AHSAA Class 7A state title while Grayson was crowned the GHSA Class 6A champions in Georgia.

MORE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

No. 14 Thompson [Alabaster, AL] Warriors at No. 7 Grayson [Loganville, GA] Rams

LAST WEEK'S GAME OF THE WEEK No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs 26, No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders 23

Friday, August 29, 2025
Grayson Ram Stadium | 6 p.m. local (EST)
TV/Streaming: FloCollege

Local Media Coverage: Alabama's AL.com High School Sports |Atlanta Journal-Constitution High School Football | Georgia High School Football Daily

School Athletics Websites: Thompson Warriors Football |Grayson Rams Football

School Social Media: Thompson Warriors on X.com @WARRIORNATION20 | Grayson Rams on X.com @graysonhssports

The Background

Last year's game will be hard to match, but both of these teams have opened the 2025 season strong. Grayson got under way two weeks ago, avenging that 20-19 loss to Collins Hill in a 51-3 rout. They followed that up with a 24-19 win over the Rabun Gap [GA]-Nacoochee Eagles last Friday.

Thompson didn't kick off the season until last Thursday night. After a slow start, the Warriors got rolling, eventually cruising to a 37-6 win over the Carver Montgomery [AL] Wolverines in a game that was tied at six apiece heading into the halftime.

Thompson has won five of the past six AHSAA Class 7A titles under current head coach Mark Freeman who also won two titles at the 5A level with the Spanish Fort [AL] Toros prior to his rival in Alabaster. He has a total of 11 state championships under his belt, counting four more titles with his alma mater, the Bessemer [AL] Academy Rebels.

Grayson is led by third-year head coach Santavious Bryant who took the Rams to the GHSA Class 7A semifinals in 2023, losing to the eventual state champion Milton [GA] Eagles, 45-35. Georgia reorganized across six classes prior to last season, and Milton was reassigned to Class 5A where they won another state title and finished as high as No. 2 in the nation in some rankings, including the final MaxPreps listing. That cleared the pathway for the Rams who went on to claim the 7A title in Bryant's second year in Loganville.

Top Recruits

Thompson has five upperclassmen listed on 247sports.com's Classes of 2026 and 2027, including three seniors and two juniors. One of the most important players to keep an eye on is 4-star junior quarterback Trent Seaborn who got the offense clicking in the second half last week after a slow start against Carver Montgomery. He's uncommitted for now, but fellow junior edge rusher Cameron Pritchett is a 3-star prospect committed to Oregon. The ranked seniors are all 3-stars, including DL Viliami Moala (6-3, 340 lbs., North Carolina), edge rusher Peter Ramil (6-5, 240 lbs., South Florida), and WR Pryce Lewis.
Grayson has a total of 10 upperclassmen ranked by 247sports.com, and outside of Seaborn, all of the biggest stars will be in Rams' uniforms. Grayson has already dealt with some injuries this year, and their biggest star – 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson who is committed to the Texas Longhorns – was out for the season opener against Collins Hill. Four-star QB Travis Burgess, meanwhile, will square off against a future teammate in Thompson's Moala as the star signal caller also plans to attend North Carolina. Other top talents include 4-star linebacker Anthony Davis Jr., 3-star safety Hannibal Carter Navies (Kansas State), and 3-star edge rusher Lawrence Brown. Four-star edge rusher Elijah Tillman, meanwhile, is just a sophomore.

When Thompson has the ball ...

Seaborn is the man who makes the Warriors' offense go and he's got Lewis as a prime target in the receiving game. Seaborn showed he could make plays with both his arm and his feet, throwing a couple of touchdowns against Carver-Montgomery while also scoring on a 13-yard run.

Grayson's defensive front seven is among the best in the country, and the defensive line is the deepest unit in the Peach State. It's backed up by the state's best linebacker in the 5-star Atkinson, and he's paired with the 4-star Davis Jr. also giving the Rams the state's best linebacking corps. It's a tough egg to crack, and Seaborn and company will likely struggle throughout the game to consistently move the ball.

When Grayson has the ball ...

Burgess is the key on this side of the ball for Grayson. When the Rams' offense is clicking, it's because Burgess is finding space to make plays with his feet which can eventually open up more lanes in the passing game.

Thompson is strong upfront on this side with Moala and Ramil anchoring the defensive line, and it could be hard for Grayson to establish a running game early. If Burgess can't make plays in the running game itself, this could be another low-scoring affair like the game last year in Alabaster.

Keys to the game

Thompson wins if Seaborn and the offense can limit mistakes in a big-time high school football environment on the road. Points will probably be at a premium again against Grayson's powerful defense, and the Warriors will need to take advantage of any trips to the red zone. Field goals aren't going to cut it here, and they will need to finish drives. Twenty points seems like a reasonable goal to set, and if the Warriors can get there, they might have a chance against the Rams.

Grayson wins if they play to their strengths and stick to the gameplan. On offense, that means a heavy dose of Burgess, letting him make plays with his feet and stretch a Thompson defense that might eventually break. On defense, it means the opposite; not getting burned by Seaborn in space, and keeping containment on the ends. He can make plays with his feet, too, but if Grayson forces the action to the middle of the field, they have the 5-star Atkinson paired with the 4-star Davis Jr. to help clean up any mistakes.

Looking Ahead

Just like last year, the outcome of this game won't mean anything at the state level, and the losing team can right the ship and move on to region play with the only "L" in the loss column being to an out-of-state opponent. It will affect the national championship picture, however. Grayson is right on the fringe of breaking through to the elite level, and another win here would be a great resume point.

Thompson has a narrower path to get into that national title picture from the No. 14 slot, and they would need a lot more things to go their way. But a win over Grayson would definitely resonate around the country, and you have to win a few of these games to break through that glass ceiling into the national stratosphere at some point.

Grayson's next game is another high-profile out-of-state matchup against Charlotte, North Carolina's Mallard Creek Mavericks. Thompson will mind its Alabama business moving forward with a home game against the Tuscaloosa County [Northport, AL] Wildcats next Friday, September 5.

Series history

The 2024 meeting between these two teams was the first in the series history, and only one point separates them heading into this second meeting. Of course, the "W" went to Grayson for that win in least year's season opener, and the Rams will try to make it 2-0 Friday night.

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Category: General Sports

The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week: No. 14 Thompson [AL] at No. 7 Grayson [GA]