Football Recap: Noah Merriweather and Zay Brinson Secure Win for Thomson + How To Watch

The matchup between Thomson and Academy of Richmond County on Friday hardly resembled the 14-7 effort from their previous meeting. The Bulldogs walked away with a 50-42 victory over the Musketeers. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Bulldogs considering their seven-point performance the matchup before.

Zay Brinson

Rushing Yards

08/29/25 vs Academy of Richmond County	82
11/08/24 @ Burke County	10
11/01/24 vs Butler	22
10/25/24 @ Josey	62
10/18/24 vs Laney	0
+ 4 more games

Leading Thomson to victory were Zay Brinson and Noah Merriweather. Brinson rushed for 82 yards and five TDs, while Merriweather rushed for 133 yards and one touchdown. That's the most rushing yards Brinson has posted since back in August of 2024.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Thomson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 277 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Academy of Richmond County only rushed for 98 rushing yards.

Thomson didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Markevion Jones and Aiden Robertson.

Several Musketeers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Carson Hand, who threw for 226 yards and five TDs. Another player making a difference was Mykheal Smith, who gained 120 total yards and two touchdowns.

Thomson now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Academy of Richmond County, they are on a five-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-2.

Thomson has already played their next contest, a 22-21 loss against Grovetown on the 5th. As for Academy of Richmond County, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, a 17-9 defeat against Westside on the 5th.