Five of the six area schools will be in playoff games this Friday night with a slate of interesting games on tap.
Here’s a look at this week’s games:
Jefferson Davis County at Union
The Yellowjackets, now ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and the only undefeated team in 3A, will face perennial power Jefferson Davis County in the first round of the playoffs.
JDC is 3-6 on the season with losses to Madison-Ridgeland Academy (47-6), Sumrall (21-20), Columbia (44-27), Magee (36-35), Seminary (20-0) and Raleigh (40-22). They have wins over McLaurin (47-3), East Marion (28-22) and Lawrence County (55-21).
“The region we are matched up against is as good as any in the state,” Wren said. “I think any of the top four teams in that district could have won our district. They are coached by one of the better coaches in the state of Mississippi. Their record doesn’t indicate how good they really are because of their schedule. I think we match up well with each other. What’s most impressive about them is how quick they get to the football on defense. We have to win first down against them and get them off schedule on offense to be effective against them.”
Claiborne at NCA
After a first-round bye in the playoffs, NCA will host Claiborne Academy on Friday night.
Claiborne is 9-2 on the season and coming off a 52-26 win over Delta Academy in first-round action.
“They are a scrappy team, and they have some really good athletes,” NCA coach Stevie Nelson said. “One thing that will concern you is they throw and catch it really well. You might stop them on the first two downs but then they complete a pass. We have to be ready to play and to defend the pass. I thought we had four good days of practice. The light is switching on for the seniors. They are realizing it’s coming to an end and are very focused on doing what we need to do to get better.”
Newton at Heidelberg
The Tigers will make the short road trip to Heidelberg to take on the defending Class 2A champions.
Heidelberg is 8-2 on the season and have outscored opponents 436-92, making them one of the highest scoring teams in the state, scoring 50 or more points in six games this season.
”They are pretty good,” Newton coach Jeffrey Crosby said. “They don’t do anything spectacular but what they do, they do it well. I think we can match them athlete for athlete. As long as we stay disciplined, we have a chance. We will go old school on them and try to keep the ball away from them. We will snap it as late as we can. We are going to try and get some first downs, and I think we will have a chance.”
Last year, the two teams played in the regular season and Heidelberg won 56-0.
Mendenhall at Newton County
The Cougars will be at home for the first round of the Class 4A playoffs as they host Mendenhall.
The Tigers are 5-4 on the season. They lost in district play to Morton, a team that Newton County beat 32-21 in the first game of the season.
“We watched them on Friday and did some walk throughs,” County coach Bobby Bass said. “They are not real complicated and don’t get into a lot of formations. But they are very athletic and similar to Leake Central in some aspects. Their starting quarterback missed the first two games or they are a one or two seed. It will be a challenge, but they are beatable.”
Mize at Lake
The Hornets will be at home this week as they host Mize on Friday.
Mize beat Clarkdale (45-0) and Enterprise (38-0) in district play but lost to Heidelberg (50-0) and Bay Springs (28-17).
“They are a tough draw,” Lake coach Tate Hanna said. “Their record doesn’t indicate how good they are. They are very sound in what they do. They have three skill guys who can tote it and are huge up front. We played them in the playoffs last year. The main thing we have to do is have a good week of prep. They run some triple option and will then go two-three wide. It’s a lot of stuff to prepare for. They will run option every way you can imagine. I think the main thing for us is we have to get to their quarterback and rattle him.”
Last year, Mize beat Lake 54-12 in the first round of the playoffs.
