On Wednesday night, the AHSAA Super 7 officially begins with a Class 7A clash to start the three-day span that will see seven Alabama high school football state champions crowned at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
In Class 7A, this is a matchup that we not seen for the state title in the classification up to this point, as the Thompson Warriors face the Opelika Bulldogs in a matchup between two polar opposites on the state’s brightest stage.
As to why, that is because Thompson has been a constant in this game over recent years, while Opelika will be making their first ever trip to play for a 7A state title.
Kickoff between the two teams is set for Wednesday night, Dec. 3 from Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, and this is certainly an intriguing matchup that should deliver for the state’s top prize.
Following is a preview of the AHSAA Class 7A state title matchup between the Warriors and Bulldogs, as well as a prediction for the contest.
Thompson Warriors
- Record: 10-3 overall (6-1 in Class 7A-Region 3)
- Head Coach: Mark Freeman
- Notable Results:
- 35-25 win at Central-Phenix City (7A semifinal)
- 28-24 loss at Clay-Chalkville
- 24-23 loss at Grayson (GA)
- Team Stats:
- Points Per Game: 38.3
- Points Per Game Allowed: 13.2
- Players to Know:
- Cameron Pritchett, Edge Rusher, Junior
- Trent Seaborn, Quarterback, Junior
- Viliami Moala, Defensive Line, Senior
- Peter Ramil, Edge Rusher, Senior
- Micah Fleming, Cornerback, Junior
Under the leadership of head coach Mark Freeman, the Thompson Warriors have won five of the last six 7A state titles, and are also the classification’s defending champions.
Sitting at 10-3 overall, Thompson was the champion of Class 7A-Region 3, and are currently averaging 38.3 points per game offensively this season. The Warriors are also allowing 13.2 points per game to opponents defensively, doing so against a challenge schedule in one of the state’s toughest regions.
Leading the Thompson offense is quarterback Trent Seaborn, a junior who has completed 72.3% of passes for 3,376 yards and a 32:8 TD:INT ratio across 13 games. The Warriors also have a talented group of receivers headlined by the trio of Darion Moseley, Pryce Lewis, and Dedrick Kimbrough, the former of which has 1,000+ yards this season, while Urijah Casey leads the Thompson ground game.
On defense, Thompson has multiple players approaching the 100-tackle mark on the year, a group led by standout junior edge rusher Cameron Pritchett. Among the top tacklers for the Warriors are Jermey Alo-Perry and Chance Strown, while Damonte Tabb is a key name in the secondary with nine interceptions this season.
Opelika Bulldogs
- Record: 10-3 overall (4-3 in Class 7A-Region 2)
- Head Coach: Bryan Moore
- Notable Results:
- 42-6 loss at Central-Phenix City
- 31-28 win at Auburn (7A semifinal)
- 25-20 win vs. Benjamin Russell
- Team Stats:
- Points Per Game: 27.7
- Points Per Game Allowed: 22.3
- Players to Know:
- CJ Johnson, Running Back, Senior
- Xavier Thomas, Defensive Back, Junior
- Dre Vann, Wide Receiver, Senior
- Tremaine Thomas, Defensive Line, Senior
- Jordan Waits, Running Back, Senior
The Opelika Bulldogs are led by head coach Bryan Moore, and will be making their first trip to a state title game since 2016 when they fell in that season’s 6A final.
Also sitting at 10-3 overall, Opelika finished third in Class 7A-Region 2, and reached the 7A title game following some impressive playoff results that included a 31-28 road win at rival Auburn in the semifinal round. The Bulldogs also enter Wednesday averaging 27.7 points a game, while allowing 22.3 defensively.
Offensively, the biggest name to likely know for Opelika is senior running back CJ Johnson, who has rushed for 944 yards and nine touchdowns across 13 games this season. Opelika has also used multiple quarterbacks this season, and have two primary pass catchers in Dre Vann and Jalynn Washington.
On defense, Opelika has a number of players who have surpassed the 50+ tackle mark in 2025, headlined by Xavier Thomas and Jamel Griffin. Tremaine Thomas is also a key name to know as the defensive lineman leads the team with eight sacks this fall, as is Braiden Howard with a team-high five interceptions.
Thompson vs. Opelika prediction
When comparing the two teams on paper, it’s hard to pick against Thompson on this stage. The Warriors have experience on the state’s biggest stage, and will likely pull away from the Bulldogs offensively, while also presenting problems for Opelika on defense.
Prediction: Thompson 40, Opelika 17
