BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Entering Friday night’s home playoff game against Thompson, Auburn had pieced together arguably the best season in school history since 2009 with dreams of winning its first state football championship.
Yet it was the Tigers (10-1) — some with tears streaming down their face, others blankly staring with grim, shellshocked looks — huddled around midfield for the final time this season as the Warriors (9-3) returned to Alabaster with a 34-21 win.
Thompson’s Trent Seaborn completed 19 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, Michael Dujon rushed 13 times for 71 yards and two TDs and Dedrick Kimborugh caught four passes for 91 yards and a TD.
Auburn’s Jackson Kilgore completed 20 of 25 passes for 206 yards, two TDs and an interception and Omar Mabson rushed 16 times for 63 yards and no TDs.
After the game, Auburn head football coach Keith Etheridge said missed opportunities, penalties, poor calls and uncharacteristic mistakes led to the Tigers’ first and only defeat of the season.
“They’re [Thompson] a really good football team. It’s hard to come back when you’re two scores down to them. They do a good job of moving the ball around and getting it to different people,” Etheridge said. “I’m super proud of these guys and what they accomplished this year. We just have to get in there and get ready for next year. It’s not the way we wanted it to end, but I couldn’t be more proud of them. They did everything we asked them to do this year.”
The defeat also allowed Etheridge to reflect on the accomplishments of this year’s senior class, who were freshmen when he took over the program in 2021.
“I think they’re one of the most successful senior groups to come through Auburn High School win-wise. It’s a great group of guys, man. Like I was telling them when I was over here talking to them, [they are] one of my favorite groups I’ve ever coached,” he said.
The game began as a defensive slugfest as the two teams combined for 40 total yards of offense on the first four drives.
It appeared Thompson would break that deadlock late in the 1st quarter after a kick-catch interference penalty on Auburn gave the Warriors the ball at the Tigers’ 27 yard line. However, a timely sack by Jackson Lovvorn on 3rd and 4 forced Thompson into a 44-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide of the upright.
After penalties derailed Auburn’s third drive and a three-and-out from the Warriors, Peyton Plott’s punt return fumble gifted Thompson possession on Auburn’s 42 yard line with 10:47 left to play in the 2nd quarter.
That mistake would eventually break the game open as the Warriors overcame a false start penalty and Seaborn completed five straight passes for 47 yards, including a 19 yard TD pass to Darion Moseley.
On the next drive, it appeared the Tigers began to gain some traction, putting together a 13-play drive aided by two facemask penalties by Thompson. Yet the drive eventually fizzled out and Auburn was forced to punt for the fourth time.
The Warriors extended their lead on the ensuing drive with a 72-yard TD pass from Seaborn to Kimbrough. At that point, Thompson was up 14-0 with 2:46 left to play in the 2nd quarter.
Following an Auburn three-and-out, controversy ensued as the referees failed to correctly call a fumbled punt return that would have given the Tigers possession inside the Warriors’ 15 yard line.
Neither team would do much with the football in the remaining two drives, and the Tigers entered halftime without scoring a single point for the first time this season.
Facing a 14-point deficit, Auburn stormed out of the gate to start the second half with a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive featuring an 18-yard Mabson run and 11-yard Joshua Askew TD reception.
After forcing a Thompson three-and-out on the next drive, it appeared the Tigers would go on to tie the game after a promising start to Auburn’s second possession of the half. However, Damonte Tabb’s interception of Kilgore — just the third thrown all season — halted that newfound momentum.
The Warriors extended their lead to 21-7 on the next drive as Seaborn’s incredible 73-yard scramble tightroping Thompson’s sideline set up a 4-yard TD plunge from R.J. Evans II with 3:44 left in the 3rd quarter.
Facing a desperate situation, Auburn took possession on its own 20 yard line. Despite beginning the drive with a nice mixture of runs and passes that got them close to the 50 yard line, a holding call on 3rd and 6 would ultimately force a punt.
With the ball at its own 13 yard line, Thompson embarked on a game-sealing 16-play, 87-yard touchdown drive featuring a 23-yard reception from Cooper Mills and a 1-yard TD run from Dujon.
The Tigers, now down 28-7 with 5:42 left in the 4th quarter, struck back on the ensuing possession with a long drive of its own capped off by a 1-yard Kilgore TD run.
After a failed Auburn onside kick gave the Warriors possession at the Tigers’ 47 yard line, a roughing the kicker penalty on Auburn gave Thompson renewed life after only gaining six yards on three rushing attempts. Two plays later, Evans II concluded the Warriors’ scoring with a 22-yard TD run.
On their final drive of the evening, the Tigers cut into the final margin thanks to big plays from Charlie Ward, including a 23-yard reception and 29-yard TD run.
