Show Stoppers

The first full weekend of high school football is in the books and several athletes grabbed the headlines. In this article, we take a look at some of the guys that had the fans talking on the way home. They were the Show Stoppers of Opening Night!!    Thomas is an incredibly talented athlete that can simply do it all. The University of North Alabama commit got his 2024 season off to a great start in the 44-8 win over Jemison. Using his blazing speed, Thomas ran past the Jemison secondary en route to a 200-plus yard night. He makes excellent adjustments when the ball is in the air and has the leaping ability to soar over the helpless defender. Thomas is also dangerous on special teams returning a kickoff for a TD to set the tone for the rest of the night.     Pleasant Grove's [player_tooltip player_id='1525874' first='Tremell' last='Washington'] stormed out of the gates into the 2024 season over the weekend. The senior let the state know that he should be considered one of the top playmakers in the class of 2025. Washington hauled in 10 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown. He really chined in the special teams as the senior returned 4 kicks for another 194 yards and a score. Washington electrified the crowd with a 93 yard kickoff return on his way to 403 all-purpose yards. The Tuskegee University commit is expected to make huge plays for the Spartans' offense throughout the fall.     The class of 2027 has some dynamic quarterbacks and [player_tooltip player_id='1610270' first='Kaleb' last='Freeman'] takes a back seat to none of them. Freeman has a quick release and strong arm that leads his receivers into open space. In the season opener, the sophomore dazzled the crowd with a very productive night. Freeman connected on 23 of 33 passes for 362 yards and 3 touchdowns. Following the game he said that he "still has work to do". That may spell trouble for opponents for the next three seasons.     After averaging close to 10 tackles a game in Gulf Shores' state title run in 2023, Everett has picked up right where he left off. In the season opening loss to Choctawhatchee, Florida, Everett posted 20 total tackles including 7 solo stops. The linebacker also had 3 quarterback hurries on the night. Everett never stops pursuing in spite of facing 2 to 3 blockers. He will battle until the whistle and loves contact. Everett is a name to watch in the class of 2026.     The Clay-Chalkville Cougars' offense has a new name at the controls. Junior Aaron Frye showed great command of the offense over the weekend as the Cougars took down Hueytown 28-7. Frye delivers a great ball on-time allowing receivers to make plays after the catch. He was strong in the face of the rush and was also extremely accurate and efficient. On the night, Frye completed 12 of 14 passes for 205 yards and 3 touchdowns. He is another reason that fans feel that Clay-Chalkville has another opportunity to play for it all.     Woodall's game is all about pressure. From the snap, the junior quarterback puts enormous pressure on the opposing defense. With supreme elusiveness, he has the ability to shake a defender and light up the scoreboard in a hurry. However, any defensive pressure in the backfield creates even more opportunities for Woodall. He climbs up I the pocket but keeps his eyes downfield often resulting in huge plays. In the season-opening win over Linden, Woodall passed for 187 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The first full weekend of high school football is in the books and several athletes grabbed the headlines. In this article, we take a look at some of the guys that had the fans talking on the way home. They were the Show Stoppers of Opening Night!!