By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Southern Alamance running back Sincere Thompson emerged as one of the area’s top offensive threats a year ago and he was determined to build on that.
So far, the junior has been doing that in helping the Patriots to a 3-0 record.
He said summer workouts were demanding, but he likes the payoff.
“It was tiring,” Thompson said. “But just put the blood, sweat, and tears into the game, it will be fine.”
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10 touchdowns. . . so far
Thompson has scored 10 touchdowns and rushed for 709 yards going into next Friday night’s Mid-Carolina Conference opener at Southeast Alamance in a matchup of undefeated teams.
Thompson, a 5-foot-11, 198-pound back, can pick up his yards in a variety of ways. That includes running through defenders and around them.
UP THE MIDDLE, OR AROUND
“I like to do a little bit of both. If I’m in a game, I’ll probably hit you first and then run around you because once I hit you, you’re not going to want to tackle me the whole game.”
– Southern’s Sincere Thompson
“I like to do a little bit of both,” Thompson said. “If I’m in a game, I’ll probably hit you first and then run around you because once I hit you, you’re not going to want to tackle me the whole game.”
Second-year Southern coach Jonathan Hester had an idea of what was coming. Two years ago, he was directing the junior varsity with Thompson on the squad.
“I saw glimpses of it his freshman year,” Hester said.
Hester said progress for Thompson has been evident in several ways. This year’s opener at Eastern Randolph came with a rather quiet first half before he busted out.
“Last year he might have hanged his head after that half,” Hester said. “He has grown up a lot.”
Physically Thompson might be more equipped to handle the heavy workload in Southern’s offense.
“He took the spring really serious as far as getting stronger,” Hester said.
Thompson, also a basketball player and a sprinter on the track and field team, said his favorite football game came in last season’s state playoffs against visiting Greenville Rose. He amassed 232 rushing yards in the 55-36 victory, and pointing out that he enjoyed the postseason atmosphere.
Still, that was far fewer yards than his breakout game last year when he rambled for 364 yards vs. Southeast Guilford.
So by the time this season arrived, there was a different feeling. Last summer, he wasn’t certain about his role with a couple of other established running backs in the mix for the Patriots.
2026 vs. 2025
“I had to actually work for my spot last year because I was so young. Last year was harder because I had to work for that spot. At first, I wasn’t playing. . . They just tried something new, started me the third game and I just proved to them that I’m that guy.
“This year, I knew I was that guy for the team. I’ve just got to keep working.”
– Southern junior running back Sincere Thompson
“I had to actually work for my spot last year because I was so young,” he said. “Last year was harder because I had to work for that spot. At first, I wasn’t playing. . . They just tried something new, started me the third game and I just proved to them that I’m that guy.
“This year, I knew I was that guy for the team. I’ve just got to keep working.”
Thompson said he’s fortunate to have a gritty bunch of linemen blocking for him.
“My line, they fight hard,” he said. “Every day in practice, they put the work in.”
Then it’s up to him to be “reading gaps and blocks and jump-cutting everywhere,” Thompson said.
The Patriots aren’t usually trying to fool many opponents with almost exclusively keeping the ball on the ground. So that often makes Thompson the focal point.
“They all know, but that’s fine because it’s either the same play or I just run it,” he said. “You’re not going to (stop) it the whole game, that’s how I look at it.”
