• Home /

  • Athletic Department /

  • Sports /

  • Academics /

  • News & Highlights /

  • Partners /

  • Team Shop /

  • Blog

  • More

    0
    • Facebook Clean
    • Twitter Clean
    Follow Us

    I'm busy working on my blog posts. Watch this space!

    Please reload

    Search By Tags

    Thompson High School Game day traffic, parking and general information

    August 23, 2019

    Warriors fall in the Class 7A football state championship game

    December 6, 2018

    Will the Thompson High football team ride the defense to a state title?

    December 5, 2018

    On the road in search of a state title for the Thompson football team

    December 5, 2018

    Thompson punches state title game trip with thrilling win over Hoover

    November 24, 2018

    Thanksgiving day begins with football practice at Thompson

    November 23, 2018

    Thompson moves on in football playoffs with dominating win over Hewitt-Trussville

    November 17, 2018

    Thompson boys basketball team knocks off Montevallo in season opener

    November 14, 2018

    Thompson girls basketball team defeats Montevallo in season opener

    November 14, 2018

    Thompson High opens up Class 7A football playoffs with win over Florence

    November 10, 2018

    Please reload

    Recent Posts

    Thompson High wrestler Jacob McPhearson excels in class and on the mats

    January 22, 2018

    Another Game of the Year for the Thompson Warriors and Hoover Bucs?

    November 24, 2017

    Ending area play with flourish is goal for Thompson girls hoop team

    January 23, 2018

    1/10
    Please reload

    Featured Posts

    Zoria Miller leads Thompson High girls basketball team into area tournament

    February 7, 2018

    |

    By Steve Irvine

     

    The leadership role that Zoria Miller slid so seamlessly into, is far from familiar to the Thompson High junior. Obviously, she does a good job masking the fact that serving as a team leader is fairly new.

    “I don’t know (where it comes from),” Miller said with a laugh. “I guess when you get pushed and nudged and you see no one else is taking on the leadership role, fully, you have to stick your foot in and get in there. Sometimes you just have to take that role.”

    Truth is, she’s looked like a natural while helping a very young Thompson High roster transform from a struggling group early into the season to a team showing some veteran qualities in the past several weeks. On Wednesday, the Lady Warriors have the opportunity to secure a spot in the AHSAA Class 7A Regionals with a strong showing in Area 5 play. Thompson begins play in the Area 5 Tournament with  a game against Tuscaloosa County on 4:30 p.m. at Hoover High. The winner will most likely get a matchup with area champion Hoover in Friday’s championship game.

    For the Lady Warriors, the focus is squarely on Tuscaloosa County, which split a pair of games against Thompson this season.

    “Get to regional, that’s the goal, we’re taking it one step at a time,” Miller said.

    As usual, Miller will play an important role in chasing that goal and not just with her verbal leadership. At 5-foot-7, Miller has been asked by Thompson head coach JoVanka Ward to play on the inside and the outside. There are times when she’s outside, facing the quickness of opposing backcourts. Other times, she is asked to battle it out inside, mostly against taller opponents.

    “It’s coaching, having great coaches,” Miller said. “Coach (Tamika) Dukes, who works with me in the post, tells me you got to front them, you can’t stay behind the big girls. Coach Ward and Coach Dukes, they help me transition. You got to be quick with the guards and make sure you’re in the right position, so you don’t foul. It’s all about coaching and practice and getting me right.”

    Miller is also a versatile scorer on the other end, which comes with a lot of years of practice.

    “I’ve been playing for a long time – city leagues, middle school, high school,” Miller said.

    Perhaps the only year took off, since first picking up a basketball as a youngster, came when she moved with her family to Alabaster. Miller, who grew up in Millry, Alabama, was in 8th grade when she moved. She said the team was already set, so she sat out the year. That was far from her only adjustment.

    “I came from a class of maybe 90 kids, now, I’m in class pushing 500,” Miller said. “It was a little adjustment but it was a nice one. Throughout life, you’re going to have trials. Coming from playing with the same people my whole life and then having to adjust to a whole different team and a coach with different standards, it helped me grow as a person.”

    Now, like any good leader, she’s using that growth to help here teammates grow as players.

     

     

     

     

      

     

    Please reload