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Clay-Chalkville celebrates the victory during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson cheerleaders during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson wide receiver Gavin Miranda (80) runs on the field with the team during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville quarterback Aaron Frye (1) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville wide receiver Corey Barber (2) finds space to run during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson running back Kamorri Jackson (6) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson defensive back Micah Fleming (2) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson wide receiver Dedrick Kimbrough (4) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson running back Kamorri Jackson (6) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson band performs during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson linebacker Chancellor Strown (10) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville quarterback Aaron Frye (1) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson running back Jafari Pegues (27) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville defensive lineman Jaylen Cole (20) celebrates the victory during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson quarterback Trent Seaborn (12) finds room to scramble during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson running back Jafari Pegues (27) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson running back Kamorri Jackson (6) finds the end zone for a touchdown during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville coaches celebrate the defensive touchdown during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville defensive lineman Colton McIntyre (5) picks up a fumble and races to the end zone for a defensive touchdown during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson band performs during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson band performs during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson band performs during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson band performs during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson defensive back Elijah King (16) looks to break up a pass to Clay-Chalkville tight end Nasir Ray (17) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville quarterback Aaron Frye (1) looks to avoid the sack from Thompson linebacker Chauncy Alo (44) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville cornerback Deon Callins (7) runs on the field during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Captains Thompson linebacker Christion Ballard (38) , Thompson running back Josiah x.t. Finley (32) , Thompson defensive lineman King Golson (98) and Thompson running back Jafari Pegues (27) during a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Thompson offensive lineman Tommy Williams (78) warms up before a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
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Clay-Chalkville quarterback CJ Eldridge (14) warms up before a game between Clay-Chalkville and Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at Jerry Hood Stadium. Photo by Shawn Bowles
“I’m going to call my best player and he’s going to deliver,” said Floyd, the Clay-Chalkville High School head coach.
Floyd doesn’t call many of the offensive plays, but he used his authority to dial this one up. Aaron Frye dropped a pretty pass in Corey Barber’s direction, and the standout receiver did the rest. Barber hauled in the pass with one hand, secured possession and scored the game-winning touchdown.
The score with less than four minutes to play gave the Cougars a 28-24 win over Thompson at Cougar Stadium.
“Spectacular,” Floyd said of the grab. “It ain’t the first time he’s done that. We see that all the time in practice.”
The win was Clay-Chalkville’s third in as many years over the vaunted Warriors. In the last three seasons, Thompson has lost seven total games, with three of them at the hand of the Cougars.
“We were going for three in a row, no doubt,” Floyd said. “This ain’t our Super Bowl, by the way. I know [Thompson coach Mark Freeman] said we prepare for maybe four or five weeks on them, and that ain’t true either. We met on Sunday and that was it.”
When Barber got the play call for what turned into the game-winning touchdown, he knew the moment was his.
“I’ve got to make a play, that’s what was going through my mind,” he said. “They put the game on my back, so I’m going to make a play for my team.”
Barber has been nothing shy of one of the top playmakers in the state so far this season, and he shined on Thursday night. He had seven catches for 135 yards and a touchdown, but he also scored twice on the ground, accumulating 87 yards on nine rushes.
Clay-Chalkville (6-0) got on the board first, taking the ball first and chewing up six minutes of clock, scoring on Barber’s 5-yard run on a jet sweep. But it was all Thompson for the remainder of the first half.
Trent Seaborn threw three touchdown passes in the first half to stake his Warriors to a 21-7 lead at the halftime break, after Clay-Chalkville was stopped in the red zone at the end of the half.
The Cougars were able to steal the momentum back, though, early in the third quarter. Seaborn lost the ball while trying to get rid of it near the sideline, and an opportunistic Colton McIntyre snatched the ball out of the air and barreled 40 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to cut the Thompson lead to 21-14.
“He’s been begging for the ball for about two years and he finally got his opportunity. It may be something for him,” Floyd said of McIntyre.
Floyd said the Cougars were a little “amped up” in the first half, and felt a defensive stop to start the third quarter would allow them to get back into the game. He got the best case scenario with the defensive score.
Thompson punted the ball away on its ensuing possession, pinning the Cougars at their own 2-yard line. But Clay went to work, marching down the field and scoring on another Barber jet sweep late in the third quarter.
Clay’s defense had perhaps its best moment of the night midway through the final quarter. Thompson hit a big play to get to the doorstep of the end zone, but the Cougars defense held strong to force a short field goal, giving the Warriors a 24-21 lead.
That set up Clay’s game-winning drive, and the Cougars sacked Seaborn on fourth down with a minute to play to seal the deal.
Frye executed the final pass perfectly, and finished the night 14-of-25 passing for 189 yards and a score. He also rushed for 51 yards.
Josh Woods had 11 carries for 31 yards. Braxton Burt had three catches for 36 yards.
Clay-Chalkville ascended to the No. 1 team in 6A this week in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, and backed that up with an impressive win against a nationally-ranked Thompson team.
Both teams return to region play next week, with Thompson coming back to the area to play at Hewitt-Trussville. Clay-Chalkville travels to Mountain Brook for a big game as well.
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