P. Thompson Out With Ankle Injury

Stone Bridge QB Could Miss Several Games

By Paul Tenorio

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

No. 2 Stone Bridge will be without star senior quarterback Patrick Thompson for tomorrow's Virginia AAA Liberty District clash with W.T. Woodson and likely several weeks beyond that, according to Bulldogs coach and Patrick's father Mickey Thompson, with a possible return date set for the Nov. 21 Northern Region final if Stone Bridge advances.

The Wake Forest-bound passer suffered a high ankle sprain in Friday's 70-7 win over Jefferson, Mickey Thompson said, and is in a walking boot. Patrick Thompson was not at practice this week, instead receiving treatment and rehabilitating the injury.

"They say maybe, at best, two weeks but I think that's optimistic," Mickey Thompson said. "But I don't know, maybe if he heals up he'll be ready in two weeks. I'd say maybe he'd be ready by the regional championship if we made it there. I think that's more realistic if anything."

Patrick Thompson, who has thrown for 1,696 yards and 22 touchdowns this season and rushed for eight scores, is a vital part of a Stone Bridge offense that averages 51.4 points per game, tops in the Washington area. The senior was expected to miss time early this season with a ruptured tendon in the ring finger of his throwing hand, but he played through the injury.

Mickey Thompson said he is not sure how long the ankle injury will keep Patrick on the bench but said senior John Bladel will start at quarterback.

"You just go with older guys, guys that have experience and that can handle the pressure," Mickey Thompson said. "And [Bladel] is the first guy that comes to mind.”

Bladel completed four of five passes for 34 yards against South Lakes on Oct. 3, and Thompson said the Bulldogs used that game to give the senior some experience as a contingency plan should an injury occur. Those reps have proved to be crucial, as Bladel will step into the spotlight with the Bulldogs looking to win the Liberty District title.

"I just have to really step up for Patrick," Bladel said. "He went down with his ankle injury last week. I started playing quarterback a few weeks back to get ready in case this happens and I've just been practicing ever since and hopefully I'm ready. ... [It's] a little shaky just getting used to it, I have to learn the offense, all the routes and everything but I'm getting used to it and hopefully I go out there and throw good passes and no picks."

The injury comes at a critical point in the season, as Stone Bridge (9-0, 6-0) is prepping for a postseason run and was just getting fully healthy on the defensive side of the ball.

Patrick Thompson's twin brother, Wake Forest-bound senior Zach Thompson, will return to the starting lineup for Stone Bridge on the defensive line after missing two games with a knee injury. And Mickey Thompson said his team is optimistic about the defense's capability with a fully healthy unit.

"We can play with a lot fewer in the box [near the line of scrimmage], and we'll be totally healthy on defense for the first time in a while, so we're pretty excited about playing all of our packages,” the coach said.

The return of Zach Thompson will be crucial against Woodson (7-2, 6-0), which has two dangerous runners in quarterback Connor Reilly (411 yards, 5 TDs) and running back James Johnson (659 yards, 9 TDs), as well as the threat of wide receiver Max Weizenegger, who has 698 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving this season.

"I think that's what makes them different from some of the other schools in our district, because they do two things well on offense,” Mickey Thompson said. "This is the first balanced attack we've seen in a while.”

Tagged: football, high school sports, Stone Bridge High School

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