The voice of Thompson High school athletics, Jerry Young, died unexpectedly Friday.

A veteran high school broadcaster, Young chronicled the Warriors’ rise to the top of Class 7A football in the state over the last few years.

“It is with deepest sadness and condolences that we announce the passing of Warrior Nation play-by-play man and ‘Voice of the Warriors,’ Jerry Young,” the Warrior Nation said in a release Friday afternoon. “Jerry gave countless hours of dedicated service to Thompson Athletics and the Warrior Nation Network. He helped Friday nights come to life for so many.”

Thompson High football coach Mark Freeman said he could see the passion for sports in Young’s eyes from the first time he met him.

“He came into my office and said he would be interested in doing our broadcasts,” Freeman told AL.com. “The passion was evident. The effort he put into it was amazing. The way he supported our program from his first game until our last game in the state championship last month was unmatched. In fact, during our last week of practice before the championship game, he and I talked about what a great ride it had been together.”

Young just finished his sixth year as the voice of the football team, which included four straight Warrior state championships. He garnered media attention following a 29-28 win over Auburn High in 2020 when Thompson scored 10 points in the final 18 seconds to win while he had moved on to talking about the school’s basketball team.

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“We definitely gave up,” Young said following that game. “I was reading the credits and thanking people who had reached out to me in support over the course of the year. Then, all of a sudden, we blocked a punt and I had to say, ‘Wait a minute.’”

Freeman said he didn’t let Young forget that.

“I kidded him all the time about giving up on us,” he joked.

Young began his broadcast career in 1982 with WKNU Radio in Brewton, calling football games for T.R. Miller. He also worked for WCKC in Milton, Fla., and did play-by-play for Pace High and Milton High. He returned to Alabaster in 1997 and was sports director for WBIB Radio.

In 2012, he was hired by ESPN’s 97.3 in Birmingham as director of high school sports. He also developed a statewide scoreboard show at the time that was carried on 24 affiliates across the state.

In recent years, he also has called the AHSAA state finals in multiple sports.

“I had a great, great relationship with him, and we are appreciative of the effort and just the professionalism of the way he broadcast our games,” Freeman said. “We are going to miss Jerry. I know Heaven is rejoicing. I told our athletic director that I know Jerry is in a great place now and, at the end of the day, that gives me peace.”