Bigger, stronger, faster: In 2 years, Oakdale senior Thompson has transformed into an elite receiver

Sep. 20—Two seasons ago, Hunter Thompson could still slip past a defense and the gaze of an onlooking crowd rather inconspicuously.

He was a sophomore at Oakdale High School at the time and not quite as big, strong and fast as he is today. He was not as accustomed to the big stage as some of his teammates. And his route running lacked the pristine finish that now makes him one of the best high school receivers in Maryland. Bears coach Kurt Stein calls him "elite."

Plus, Thompson was the Bears' No. 2 receiver, playing in the shadow of another terrific one, Cameron Dorner, who is now thriving at Division II Shephard University.

On Monday, Dorner was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Special Teams Athlete of the Week after returning a third-quarter kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in a 44-34, come-from-behind victory at California University (Pennsylvania). He also caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to help Shepherd improve to 3-0.

And it was Dorner who once almost single-handedly brought Oakdale back from a 21-point deficit in the final 7 minutes, 15 seconds of a dramatic, back-and-forth war of attrition at Linganore on the night of Sept. 24, 2021.

"Heck, my own parents left when we got down 21," Stein said.

With his team running on fumes in overtime, Stein elected to forgo the game-tying extra point. On the potential game-winning 2-point conversion try, the unheralded Thompson came open in the end zone and was awaiting the ball.

But quarterback Joe Pippin's pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell a foot or two short of Thompson's lunging attempt for the ball. Linganore escaped with a 54-53 victory in a game it once trailed 13-0.

"It was the most unusual game, I think, I have ever coached in," Stein said. "It was very weird."

Thompson said the final sequence unfolded like a slow-motion scene in a movie, and when the ball fell to the ground in the end zone just beyond his reach, "It definitely hurt."

"It was worse watching them afterward, seeing them all celebrate," he said.

The sting of that moment has faded over time, Thompson said, as Oakdale and Linganore, both 3-0, meet again Friday night in a game that could greatly influence the race for the state championship in 3A. The Bears and Lancers are two of the leading contenders for the title.

And Thompson is leaps and bounds ahead of the receiver he used to be, no longer playing in anyone's shadow.

As he prepares to head to Ohio University next year on a full Division I scholarship, all eyes are now on him.

At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Thompson is not only one of the biggest players on the field every week, he's also one of the strongest and fastest.

Humble, quiet until he warms up to you and willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win, he is a big play waiting to happen every time he steps on the field. And not just on offense.

He's also a standout cornerback on defense for the Bears and an excellent return man on special teams.

In last week's 28-16 road win over Frederick (2-1), Thompson returned the opening kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown.

"I have always wanted to be on special teams, even as a kid growing up," he said. "This year, they wanted to give me a break. But I told them I wanted to stay on it."

Thompson does his best work lined up at receiver. Last season, he led the county in receptions (59), receiving yards (959) and was tied for the most receiving touchdowns (11). All three marks are single-season school records.

This season, he is again among the best in the county with 13 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns.

All four of the touchdowns came in a 41-24 home win over Allegany on Sept. 9, as did the bulk of his stats. He finished that game with eight catches for 174 yards.

"He is truly elite," Stein said. "There is not a part of the tool set for a wide receiver that he doesn't possess right now. Size. Speed. He blocks. He's an elite route runner. He is complete at the moment."

Asked how Thompson has improved so much, Stein said, "I just think his understanding of how to play the position. You know, understanding how to settle routes down versus zone [coverage] and extend routes versus man [coverage]. Being able to line up pre-snap, take a look, see what's there. And know, without communicating with [quarterback] Evan [Austin], 'OK, we see the coverage. We know what we are going to do here. I know how I am going to find the hole.'"

"He's a super smart kid if you have ever talked to him. ... He just understands how to play the position now. And that takes time."

Thompson is quickly closing in on school records for career receptions and receiving yards. His 1,464 career receiving yards are 188 behind former Oakdale standout Bryce DeMaille for the record, and he is just 17 catches shy of DeMaille's record (104) for career receptions.

But Thompson cares far more about winning games than any of that, especially big rivalry games like Friday's against Linganore.

"I know my ability," he said. "I try as much as possible not to think about it. I just try and think about getting open, catching the ball and trying to help the team as much as possible."

Follow Greg Swatek on Twitter: @greg_swatek