Friday Night Writes: Madison Central @ Petal

If you like big-time high school football, you need to be in Petal, MS this Friday night when the Madison Central Jaguars take to the road to battle the Petal Panthers. The Jags and the Panthers are two of the most highly touted teams in the state; the jags are ranked #8 in the state of MS by maxpreps.com, and the panthers are ranked #6 in the state by the same website. Both teams run a spread offense, although each attack is specific to that team. The Panthers use a run-oriented attack led by all-purpose back Tyus Raine (156 rushing yards/game) and QB Larson Barkum. The jags on the other hand are a pass-first team lead by Jake Schwartz, who averages over 350 all-purpose yards per game. Let's take a closer look at this intriguing matchup.

Coming into this game, the panthers are going to spread out the field in order to get the ball to the aforementioned Tyus Raine, a speedster type back who also plays defensive back. Petal also has the potential to hurt teams through the air when Raine becomes successful on the ground. Barkum has shown that he is a competent quarterback that can manage the game and make an accurate throw when his team needs it. But what Petal needs most isn't an offense that can score; it needs a defense that can stop a team from scoring. Petal gave up 56 points to Picayune last Saturday. Even though Picayune is a top team in the state, their offense isn't spectacular and 56 points is still a considerable number of points. In layman's terms, Picayune's offense had their way with Petal's defense. And in my opinion, towards the end of the game Petal's defense looked tired and worn-out. Facing the jags quick and agile offense (unlike Picayune's tough, pro-style offense). The panthers might be even more tired than they were against Picayune, especially PHS's front 7. From what I saw, Petal's d-line better step it up. MC's o-line is very quick.

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central's offense- Against the panthers, look for the jags to run their triple option offense against Petal's slower, larger d-line. Jake Schwartz should have his passes set up by the run game; so it is only logical to think that play-action passes will be a factor tomorrow night. Key Players: Brandon Moore and Brandon Collins
• Madison Central defense- Stop Raine and you will make Larson Barkum beat you with his arm. The panthers are not a passing team and will consequently make mistakes when you make them uncomfortable. Key Players: Joe Green and Gemarte Jackson
• Petal offense- Petal wants to establish their running game. It's that simple. If the panthers can hold the ball away from the jags, they will be in this game. Think of it like defensive offense. Plus, Raine can score too. Watch him at all times. Key Player: Tyus Raine
• Petal defense-  If the panthers can keep the jags from scoring a lot, the panthers will be in this game. The panthers will be looking for any kind of mistakes from the jags to turn into momentum. Key Unit- Front 7 

Prediction: Madison Central 38, Petal 24

Also, in case you cannot make it to Petal this Friday night, the game will be broadcast live here: http://www.misshsaa.tv/petal/events/3623.

In Case You Missed Friday Night: Starkville @ Madison Central

1.  Obstacle Course- So far for Madison Central, this season has been an obstacle course. Whether it has been questionable referees or monsoon-like weather, the Jags just haven't caught a break. And I'm no meteorologist, but with Hurricane Isaac running wild on "the landmass in between New Orleans and Mobile",  the forecast doesn't look too good for this Friday night either. There is no doubt that this team has had some tough breaks, but did last week's game in the storm possibly prepare the jags for the game at Petal? Or is it just another hurdle for the unlucky men from MC? Either way, many people don't know what to think about the jags. (Are they for real? Or are they just another team?) Here's why people tend to think this way: They haven't seen this team in "ideal" conditions. I'm proposing a reason to believe that this team is legitimate. We've already seen the way that they react in non-ideal situations, what more do you need to see?

2. Schwartz to Williams- Get used to hearing that phrase. Williams accounted for 136 of Schwartz's 163 total passing yards. Early in the season, it has become very apparent that there is a special chemistry between the two. Williams finished with 4 catches for 136 yards and 1 touchdown. And I wish I had a video of Williams' one handed catch so badly. I was absolutely sick. It wasn't a bad pass either.

3. Replacing Hugh- Daniel Goodspeed is a monster and the only reason you may not know about him is because he had another monster ahead of him last year. Goodspeed, or the moose as the football team knows him, has entered into the role of a strong, low-centered running back. Sure, if you asked him what position he played, he'd tell you fullback. And in this offense, he may "technically" be a fullback, but he is used like a running back and is a great change of pace option for Bobby Hall's offense.  He's a handful too.

4. Defense Comes Up Big Where It Counts- MC's defense looked out of place at times last Friday night, but the jags seemed to adopt a "Bend But Don't Break" philosophy. Even though they gave up several big plays, the jags forced several fumbles and an interception in key circumstances that helped hold the Yellow Jackets to eight points. Also, the defensive line looked excellent, keeping constant pressure on SHS's young QB (that'll be a key to defeating Petal).

5. Putting the Foot in Football- Zach Tranum and Nick Bracey, consider this your shout out. Y'all have done an excellent job of kicking off, punting and kicking field goals/PAT's. Keep it up because you take a tremendous pressure of off the rest of the team by giving them one less thing to worry about. 

Friday Night Writes: Starkville @ Madison Central

This Friday at Jaguar Stadium in Madison, MS, the Starkville Yellow Jackets will take on the Madison Central Jaguars in a rematch of what was a closely-contested week two game last year, in which SHS came out on top 16-14 at home. This year both the jackets and the jags return two completely different teams. The jackets relied heavily on their Dandy Dozen QB/CB Gabe Myles, a MSU signee, as well as their front end heavy 5-2 offense to disrupt Madison Central's rushing game (They held Hugh Warren to 27 yards on 11 carries. Yeah.). The Jags were still running the veer with Drew Rowell, even though it was out of a power-I formation at this point last year. How exactly did the Yellow Jackets win? They forced Drew Rowell to pass the football (unsuccessfully) and Madison Central missed an important near 30 yard field goal, which was apparently enough to win. Simply put, the jags couldn't take advantage of opportunities that the jackets gave to them.

This year, the Jackets return that same Dandy Dozen player and their peculiar 5-2 defense, but recent reports have revealed that Gabe Myles will not play in Friday night's game because of an ankle injury. SHS will have to start 6'3" backup QB Caleb Wilson, son of Mississippi State defensive coordinator Chris Wilson. Frankly, I don't have very much info on the sophomore quarterback, but if his genes hold any clue, its a good sign for Starkville-Wilson's father was a four-year letterman at Oklahoma University as a linebacker. As for Starkville's 5-2 defense, look for it to be more of a liability for Starkville than an asset. It was absolutely perfect for stopping a run-first team like MC last year, but might become a burden against a team that has the ability to move the ball through the air.  Starkville tends to play more man-coverage, which should leave jags QB Jake Schwartz plenty of space to throw the football to his talented wide receiver group.

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central offense- Jump on the jackets early. Take them out of the game because the jackets don't have the offensive fire power to play keep up with you. Specifically, offensive line, keep the yellow jacket's front 7 off of Jake Schwartz and give him time to throw the football. Key Player: Bailey Pepper
• Madison Central defense- Don't give up the big plays. Safeties, keep everything in front of you. If you take back OB's two big plays from them, you would win that game by 11 points. You can't give Starkville's offense a chance to fuel an upset. P.S. Play well. Caleb Wilson's father might just be at the game. Key Player: Jayron Harness
• Starkville offense- It all starts at quarterback for an offense, but Gabe Myles is hurt. I sure hope your coach has given backup Caleb Wilson some playing time in practice, he is going to need everything he's learned and then some against this stout jag defense. Key Player: Caleb Wilson
• Starkville defense- If you are going to play man-coverage against the Jag's spread offense you have to do two things. 1) Defensive backs, lock down MC's receivers. 2) Defensive line and linebackers, get to MC's quarterback and make him feel the pressure. Key Unit: Defensive Line 

Prediction: I was already leaning towards picking MC by a good 10 points before Gabe Myles was ruled out. Now I think the number is somewhere between 13 and 20. Everything about this game screams mismatch to me. The potency of MC's passing offense and the front-heaviness of Starkville is a bad combination for the yellow jackets. Starkville 13, Madison Central 31. 

In Case You Missed Friday Night: MC @ Olive Branch

1. The Bobby Hall Spread- Guys. This offense is for real. With a true passing threat and receivers that can hang onto the ball, Madison looks like a team that can beat you through the air and on the ground. Schwartz threw for 200+ yards and 1 TD with a 72% completion percentage and only one interception (a tip-drill pick). On the ground, the jags used more of a committee approach. Doug Ball, Brandon Moore and Brandon Collins ran for around 130 yards (Schwartz added nearly 100 yards to this total). This offense is going to be fun to watch and more importantly hard to stop.

2. Trahan Transition- Going into this season, many people wondered how legitimate MC's defense would be this season. If I could give you an answer to that question after one game, I would tell you that the jaguars are well on their way to having an excellent season. Obviously, no one was happy about giving up 31 points to OB, but the jags probably won't see another offense as potent as Olive Branch (and certainly "stable" officiating circumstances would help any defense, but I digress). Among those who impressed me was Gemarte Jackson, a defense end, who got excellent penetration into a somewhat-porous OB offensive line quite often.   With a few more games under this defense's belt, this defense could look like one of the best in the state.

3. Olive Branch is Back!- No. I'm selling this statement big time. Sure OB will be a top 2 team in their region, but I remember what the 2011 Olive Branch team looked like (arguably better than many South Panola teams during that great run). And this team, even with the legitimate excuse of first-game jitters, is no where near the caliber of a team as last year's conquistadors were. The O-line looked like a colander and Sam Craft had an abysmal 39% completion percentage. Wide receivers dropped what would have been several wide-open catches. Plus, the defense looked like last year, which isn't a good thing for the 'Quistors (please take me seriously even though I just used that nickname). I could be wrong about this team because I certainly didn't think that last year's OB team would be 6A champs at this time last year, but I just have a gut feeling about this team and how they will fare in the playoffs.

4. Officiating- Many will expect me to make a statement about the officiating of the game. I won't. However, I will allow the MHSAA website to make a statement on officiating: "Players who have practiced long hours deserve competent officials who have a complete understanding of the letter, as well as the spirit of the rules and administer them consistently and fairly." I couldn't agree more with that statement.

Friday Night Writes: Madison Central @ Olive Branch

Well, it's that time of year again. The guys are strapping up their chinstraps. The band is learning a new marching show. The newspapers are assigning writers to the important games. High school football starts tomorrow night in Mississippi, a week earlier than normal. And there is no bigger game than the one that will take place 23 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The returning 6A state champions, Olive Branch, take on the Madison Central Jaguars in a rematch of the North State Championship last year. In what is probably the fastest growing rivalry in 6A football, Madison Central has just had no luck. The Jags lost by 4 and 5 points, respectively, in their 1st and 2nd game against Olive Branch last year. However, if there was ever a year for the Jags, it's this year. They've come in flying fairly under the radar, ranked 8th by the Clarion Ledger. And no one really wants to bet on the Jags because they haven't broken through yet. This year Bobby Hall is taking all of his critics to school. MC is breaking out the brand-new spread offense (GASP!). That's right boys and girls. Madison Central will more than likely throw the ball more than 4 times in a game. Generally speaking, this offense is more suited to Madison's personnel and would, consequently, raise their chances to win this ball game. BUT, not so in this case.

Have you seen Olive Branch's new quarterback? Because if you're a jag fan, you better hope that Bobby Hall knew about Sam Craft before me (I found his highlights tonight).

Think smaller, faster, more agile, Chris Relf with a cannon of a right arm. OB's coach, Scott Samsel, got himself an excellent quaterback to replace Todd Mays. However, if I saw one weakness in that highlight reel, it was his arm. Yes, the highlight reel only showed completed passes, but it's a highlight reel, what did you expect? Craft tends to leave the ball in the air longer than to be desired when he throws the ball. In other words, it takes more time for the ball to get from point A to point B slower than a coach might want, giving the defensive backs of the other team more time to get to the ball. 

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central offense- It's pretty simple. Keep up with OB's offense and you will have your chance to win the game. Key Player: Jake Schwartz
• Madison Central defense- If the offense's job was simple. The defense's job is the opposite of simple and then some. But what job is that exactly? Slow down the Conquistador's offense and Sam Craft. Contain Craft and make him throw the ball, then it's all up to MC's defensive backs. Key Player: Brion Ballard
•  Olive Branch offense- Just do your thing and do it well. No one stopped you all last year, chances are that many won't this year wither. Key Player: Sam Craft
• Olive Branch defense- Stop MC's new offense. Sounds easy? No one's done it yet. Key Unit- Defensive Line

Prediction: Since this is the first game of the year, I will not predict a score of this game. There isn't nearly enough information on either team to predict a semi-accurate score. If Madison can contain and control Craft's ability to run, the Jags will win. If they can't, MC will lose. The outcome of this game, in my mind, revolves around the success of OB's offense, and that makes MC the underdog in my opinion. Either team could win by less than a touchdown. 

Buckle up for this game, it's sure to be a great one. 

Updated: You can watch the game live here at 7:30: http://www.quistorsports.com/?page_id=323

6A-Region 4 Preview

6A football is the pinnacle of high school football for rather obvious reasons: more players, larger talent pools, etc. In the weeks leading up to this season, we have looked at Region 1, Region 2, and Region 3 and now finally Region 4 of 6A football in Mississippi.

6A-Region 4

1. Biloxi- Before I talk about Biloxi, I want to preface this region with this: Region 4 is WEAK. With that said, Biloxi is not weak. The Indians return a quarterback that threw for over 2,000 yards and ran for over 1,000 yards as a junior in Jaylen Woullard. Those statistics put him in good company. Last year, Woullard joined  Anthony Alford and Todd Mays as the only 3 QB's to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 too. Biloxi also returns Devoriae Martin, a running back who ran for 1,000+ yards last season. Biloxi's road to the playoffs are already paved due to the weakness of the region. However, that only hurts Biloxi in the end. Record: 10-1;7-0 (Loss: Long Beach)
2. Ocean Springs- Here's the tale for the Ocean Springs Greyhounds: Last year, Ocean Springs was a good team. Even the stats tell that story. This year, the Greyhounds are going to have to be better. Actually, Ocean Springs is going to have to be a great deal better in order to usurp the Biloxi Indians. And it starts with the usual suspect, quarterback. Wes Windham (1,600+ passing yards last season) must have a standout season to jump BHS in the Region 4 standings. Biloxi and Ocean Springs are, in reality, the only two teams in Region 4 that have a chance of being a player in the 6A playoffs. Record: 10-2; 6-1 (Losses: Picayune and @ Biloxi)
3. Gulfport: 8-4; 5-2 (Losses: @ South Panola, Oak Grove, @ Ocean Springs, Biloxi)
4. D'Iberville: 8-4; 4-3 (Losses: @ Long Beach, Biloxi, @ Ocean Springs, @ Gulfport)
5. George County: 6-6; 3-4 (Losses: Moss Point, Wayne County, Biloxi, Gulfport, D'Iberville, @ Ocean Springs)
6. Harrison Central- 2-9;1-6 (Wins: Stone, St.Martin or Hancock)
7. Hancock- 2-10; 1-6 (Wins: Pearl River Central and either St. Martin or Harrison Central)
8. St. Martin- 1-11;1-6 (Win: Either Harrison Central or Hancock)

6A-Region 3 Preview

6A football is the pinnacle of high school football for rather obvious reasons: more players, larger talent pools, more money, etc. In the weeks leading up to the beginning of the season, we have looked at Region 1 and Region 2 of 6A football in Mississippi and we will continue to look at the other regions of 6A football in MS.


6A-Region 3

1. Meridian- The defending 6A-Region 3 champions are back. And I'll be 100% honest with you. I can't find a single stat for Meridian last year, which makes the case for Meridian this year tough. But I can find a stat that encases this team for the past 8 years: Meridian is 85-17-1 in the past 8 seasons. Bet your bottom dollar that Meridian has reloaded and is just as good, if not better than last year. Record: 12-0;7-0
2. Brandon- This is my surprise pick of this region. Brandon surprised many people last year and coach Brad Peterson has people in Brandon finally believing in their football team again. And here's the deal guys: Brandon went 8-5 last year with a freshman quarterback. With the maturing of a palpably talented quarterback, Brandon has a true threat again on offense. Gardener Minshew has the gifts and opportunities this season to take BHS farther than it has been in quite some time. Record: 9-3;5-2 (Losses: Northwest Rankin and @ Meridian, and either Petal or Oak Grove)
3. Oak Grove- Okay, you knew it was coming. So I'll ask the question. Just how much is having Brett Favre as your offensive coordinator worth? Only time will tell, but we CAN say this. Even before he was an offensive coordinator, his offense LOVED to sling the rock around the field. Their last quarterback is now a walk-on quarterback at Mississippi State (He threw for 1,700+ yards last year.) Oak grove did a good job of making sure that they wouldn't lose all of that production when Steven Swindle left. The new guy, Kirk McCarty, had nearly 500 yards passing last year as a back-up. So, if you knew that Brett Favre played QB in the NFL for nearly 500 years (which you did, unless you live under a rock) and that his team ALREADY liked to throw the ball, common sense might tell you that his team is going to throw the ball nearly all game. Think "Olive Branch" last year, except no running game at QB, which is fine because a passing threat like that automatically opens up a running game. This offense has the potential to take over 6A football in a few years, but several slip-ups are expected and will most likely end any talk of winning this region this year. Record: 10-2;5-2 (Losses: @ Meridian and either @ Petal or Brandon)
4. Petal - Want to know just how deep this region is? Here you go. The 6A runner-up from 2011 is in 4th place and I highly doubt anyone can argue for them to be any higher. Petal had a highly successful season last year, but this year may hold a different ending. The key to last years team was the highly touted quarterback Anthony Alford, a Southern Miss signee/minor league baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays organization and he is gone. The main reason I think that Petal has lost its contender status for this region? No one from south state would be able to replace Alford's production from last year. No one. It's simply not possible to write about how much Alford meant to that team. Leadership and point production are the two hardest things to replace on a team, and I'm not quite sure Petal can replace either one of those things. Record: 9-3; 5-2 (Losses: Madison Central, @ Meridian and either @ Brandon or Oak Grove)
5. Hattiesburg: 6-5; 4-3 (Losses: @ Murrah, @ Meridian, Brandon, @ Oak Grove, and Petal) 
6. Natchez: 6-5; 3-4(Losses: Meridian, @ Petal, Hattiesburg, @ Brandon, and Oak Grove)
7. Terry:2-9; 1-7 (Wins: Raymond, @ Forest Hill)
8. Forest Hill:2-9;0-7 (Wins: Wingfield and Callaway)