Four-time defending Class 7A state champion Thompson rose up after halftime to blank Region 3 rival Vestavia Hills and roll to a 34-14 win on Friday at Warriors Stadium. The Warriors earned a spot in the semifinals for the seventh straight season.

Vestavia broke on top midway through the opening period and scored early in the second quarter to come-from-behind to knot the score 14-all at the half. At intermission, the second-ranked Warriors (10-1) made some changes, head coach Mark Freeman said.

“Oh man, our defense played great,” he said. “We were not doing a couple things right in the first half. These guys did a great job making some adjustments at halftime and we came out and played tremendous football.

“I think we’re getting better and that’s the model for what you want to do,” Freeman said. “You want to get better every week. You want to be getting better and our kids practiced better this week.

“We need to have another good week of practice and just go play. If it’s Trussville, whoever it is, we’re going to play our brains out.”

Rebels quarterback John Paul Head got Vestavia on the board with 6:24 to play in the first quarter with a 1-yard run. Owen Simpson made the first of his two point-after kicks.

Trent Seaborn connected with Kolby Hearn for a 72-yard touchdown strike on Thompson’s ensuing possession and John McGuire booted the PAT.

The home team struck again with 15 seconds left in the quarter when Seaborn, who completed 15-of-20 passes for 291 yards, found Angel Jones for a 33-yard score.

“We wanted to come out in the first half and pound a little bit and take shots,” Freeman said. “Both the shots hit. The plan was good, we executed it good and I felt like our coaches did a great job planning how we thought the game would go.”

Vestavia (9-3) tied the game with 10:44 left in the half when Head threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Mollison.

Thompson took the second-half kickoff and took lead for good with 11:37 to play in the third. Arrington Green ran 13 yards for the score, capping a six-play, 80-yard drive. McGuire booted a 24-yard field goal with 1:33 left in the period to push the home team up 24-14. He added another with 11:04 left in the game from 29 yards out.

Seaborn found Colben Landrew for a 29-yard touchdown to wrap up the scoring with 6:50 left. Landrew made an over-the-shoulder catch to haul in the throw.

“It was a great catch, I mean unbelievable,” Seaborn said. “But you know, we had, what, seven or eight guys in the box and it’s two defenders on two receivers out there. Colben is one-on-one and I trust Colben to get any jump ball out there and I just threw it up to him and he did his job.”

Thompson’s win was its second of the year over Vestavia Hills. The Warriors won 21-3 on Sept. 8.

Head, a UAB baseball signee, finished 12-for-20 for 144 yards on the night. He was also the leading rusher with 68 net yards – 86 before losing 10 yards on two sacks and 8 yards on stops behind the line. Keown Richardson caught 6 passes for 84 yards to lead the Rebels.

Green led Thompson with 129 yards on 16 carries. Jayden Davis caught 3 passes for 114 yards.

Thompson gained 204 yards on 30 rushing attempts and finished with 494 total yards.

Vestavia Hills ran for 147 yards on 38 carries and had 290 total yards.

Thompson’s second playoff rematch is next week at home against Region 3 foe Hewitt-Trussville, a 40-7 winner over Hoover on Friday. The Warriors whipped the Huskies 40-14 on Oct. 6.