Area Distributors Area Player of the Week: Hannibal running back A.J. Thomas

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Aneyas Williams isn’t the only threat in the backfield of the Hannibal football team.

The sophomore standout, who is getting national recruiting attention, has rushed for 475 yards and nine touchdowns in five games this season. However, A.J. Thomas isn’t far behind Williams in production. The senior running back has gained 434 yards and scored four touchdowns for the undefeated Pirates.

Thomas turned in his best performance of the season last Friday. He rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in Hannibal’s 48-21 victory over Mexico in a North Central Missouri Conference game.

Thomas is the Area Distributors Area Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 19-25.

He scored the first touchdown of the game, a 7-yard run, to cap a seven-play, 60-yard drive on the first series. He carried the ball five times on the drive.

Thomas finished Hannibal’s scoring in the fourth quarter, racing into the end zone from eight yards out with 9:14 remaining. The score was the final play on a 10-play, 69-yard drive. Thomas carried the ball eight times on the drive.

Thomas helped the Pirates finish with 506 yards of total offense.