Friday Night Writes: Clinton @ Madison Central

The "jungletron" will be unveiled at tonight's game against Clinton.

Tonight, the jaguars of Madison Central will meet the Clinton Arrows at Jaguar Stadium. Excitement surrounds this game not only because many label it a rivalry game, but also because of the unveiling of what has become affectionately known by the student body at Madison Central as the "jungletron". Whatever the cause, the excitement surrounding the circumstances of this game can only mean one thing: an exciting atmosphere for an exciting game. Clinton is so excited that they dressed in orange and blue for their pep rally (Please don't ask me for the logic behind that.). Clinton is extremely ready not only for this game but also to win. Why? It has been exactly 2192 days since Clinton has beaten Madison Central. That's quite some time. Enough with the interesting pictures and stats. There ought to be some good football played tonight.

Clinton comes into this game with a first-year head coach. MC is going to test the Arrows' new head coach Judd Boswell and his team with an aggressive style of play. Madison Central is looking to run a balanced attack on offense tonight to keep the Arrow defense on its heels. The Jags will more than likely use a steady diet of outside runs combined with read options and some play-action passing. The CHS team, not normally known for their defense, will have to force and capitalize on turnovers, which have given the Jags some fits in recent weeks. On offense, the Jags will have to control Senior QB Cale Luke, who has both thrown and rushed for over 300 yards on the season. Historically, dual-threat quarterbacks, like Luke, have given the Jags some trouble on defense (see former Olive Branch QB Todd Mays). To stop Luke, the Jags must tackle better than they did against West Monroe, or else MC is in for a very long night.

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central's offense- Jake Schwartz's running ability and toughness has to be key tonight for the jags. Schwartz's throwing ability could allow him to pick apart almost any defense in region 2; however Coach Hall doesn't like to be one-dimensional (at least this year). Look for Jake to have a breakout night after his offense handles a mediocre Clinton defense. Key Player: Jake Schwartz
• Madison Central's defense- It's all about one person: Cale Luke. Make him cough up the football; he already has 5 fumbles this season (Luke has also thrown 5 interceptions). Luke has accounted for 73% of Clinton's total offense. If you stop Luke you will stop the Arrows. The main problem for MC's defense, though, is big plays. Every team MC has played has had several long touchdown plays (except Starkville); you cannot allow that to happen. Key Unit: Linebackers
• Clinton's offense- If Clinton wins the battle in the trenches, they can win this game. Clinton will look to utilize Cale Luke on nearly every down.  Clinton, who I'm sure watched film of the West Monroe game, knows that if they play tough, they will be rewarded. Key player: Cale Luke
• Clinton's defense- Jake Schwartz can beat you with his feet or his arm; plus you can't forget about Brandon Moore, Brandon Collins, or Doug Ball either. This is a tough task. The Arrows will have to play quick defense to keep MC from moving the football. Defensive backs will have to make tackles and stop Schwartz's arm all at once. But if Clinton can force turnovers, they have to like their chances in this game. Key Unit: Defensive backs

Prediction: Ultimately, I think MC, who has faced superior opponents than CHS, will be too much for the Arrows to handle. In my opinion, Clinton does not have the defense nor the offensive firepower to keep up with the Jags tonight. It will more than likely be another 365 days before Clinton has another chance to end their winless streak against Madison Central. Clinton 20, Madison Central 41.  

In Case You Missed It: West Monroe (LA) @ Madison Central

1. I'll start out of synopsis of what happened last Friday night by saying this: West Monroe is clearly one of the top teams in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana, if not in the southeast. Yes, it's pretty obvious to me that Madison Central was thrashed (56- 28 to be exact), but let me be very clear. Madison Central is not the only team that would lose badly to West Monroe; they just happened to be the only team in the state that had the guts to play them (Coach Hall said in his post-game radio interview that he plans to make this game a annual rivalry.). In fact, I'll make a bold statement about the Louisiana powerhouse. West Monroe would beat any team in the state of MS, period. So to all of my fellow media members (I count as the media, don't I?), if you think that losing to Olive Branch (6A champion), Petal (6A runner-up), and West Monroe (LA 5A champions) is worth forgetting this Madison Central team, you might want to read what I just put in parenthesis next to those high schools. By no means has this team achieved its potential, but has it lost to teams that would automatically qualify this season as a "down season"? I certainly don't think so.

2. With all of that said, Madison Central definitely deserves some of the flack that they're catching. There are some major problems on defense and special teams. There have always been assignments missed and coverages blown in high school football, but tackling has been horrendous and is, in my opinion, the biggest problem that the defense and special teams has had this year. Bad tackling, or more candidly, lack of tackling, leads to these kinds of stats: West Monroe's QB had three long runs for touchdowns on Friday night (56,56, and 61 yards). Tackling must get better if the jags have plans of beating better teams in the playoffs. For what it's worth: West Monroe's 56 points is the most points Madison Central has given up in school history. Also, penalties. You know it's a bad night when it seems like every 1st down starts with 1st and 15.

3. Now it's the offense's turn to listen to me complain. No one doubts MC's offensive prowess, but, in the past weeks, people have started to question MC's ability to sustain long drives. That is not to say that the jags haven't had long drives or aren't capable of long drives, but big plays caused by defensive miscues have frequently bailed out the offense. Other than that, turnovers or punts have ended drives. Frankly, I think a lot of this is due to the quality opponents the jags have played.

4. Now, not all is bad. Among other things going well for the jags, Doug Ball has emerged as a go-to speed back, especially this past week against a stout rebel defense.  On the year, Ball is averaging nearly 11 yards a carry. Here's how I see this: Give the man the football some more, duh.

5. And lastly, Keith Williams had a ridiculously good night. 6 catches for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. With stats like that, Williams' will most definitely get more and more looks from college scouts. In the meantime, vote for him to win the Blitz16 Player of the Week here: http://www.wapt.com/blitz-16-player-of-the-week. I'm sure that he'd appreciate it, plus he deserves it with those kind of numbers.

Friday Night Writes: West Monroe (LA) @ Madison Central

NOTE: Like the Madison Central football team, I took a week off last week. Because I didn't write a "In Case You Missed Friday Night" column, here's a quick review of the MC @ Petal game: Nearly everyone knows that football is a 2-half game. The Jags simply did not play 2 halves of football. Petal did, and, consequently, they won. If MC had played the second half like they did the first half, the jaguars would have won by 17+ points; they dominated the first half.

In a rematch of a defensive standoff last year, Louisiana powerhouse West Monroe will visit Jaguar Stadium tomorrow night to seek revenge for a 14-13 loss handed to them at their home field last year. Junior RB Steven Jones is the spark of this West Monroe power running game offense, and the WM fundamentally-sound defense gives up about 27 points a game, a number that is neither astounding nor horrific. West Monroe will not overpower you with its offense or with it's defense, but rather the rebels will force you to play a complete game, something the jags struggled with last week. Offense, defense, and special teams. The rebels play every down solidly and they rarely make stupid mistakes. Coach Don Shows, who has lead West Monroe to 8 state championships and 2 "national championships" (which are merely a matter of opinion because there are many national high school polls), teaches his teams to play solid football.

Pertaining to strategy for this game, basic football technique will be very important. To play the brand of football the jags want to, MC will have to play relatively mistake-free. The defense will have to play tough defense yet must still be sensitive to the play-action pass. The offense will have to keep the fumbles and interceptions to a minimum, which they had trouble doing against Petal. Special teams will have to keep contain on returners. Giving up easy touchdowns on special teams is the easiest way to lose a football game. The Rebel's defense has the size advantage over the jags, but this creates a mismatch. The jag's offense, based on speed and spreading the football around, will be quicker than WM's defense. The question is to what degree will this mismatch help the Jag's offense?

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central's offense- Keep WM's larger, slower defense tired. Create mismatches to get the ball to an open player. Make the rebels run sideline-to-sideline and keep them off balance by not only utilizing your passing game but also mixing in the running game. O-line, keep WM's front 7 off of Jake Schwartz. Key Player: Jake Schwartz
• Madison Central's defense- MC's defensive line will have to be stout but also agile. Their linebackers will have to tackle well. And their defensive backs need to watch for the play-action pass. Key Unit- Defensive Line
• West Monroe's offense- Pound the football. If West Monroe has any advantage, it's size. Use it. Key Unit- Offensive Line
• West Monroe's defense- Get ready to substitute players into the game. You suit up 137(!!!) players. Get ready to use some of them. You're starting 11 on defense will be tired during this game. Key Unit- 2nd String Defense

Prediction: This prediction is an abnormal one because I can see two plausible outcomes that both hinge on the turnover battle. If the Jags win the turnover margin, Madison Central 24, West Monroe 17. If the Rebels win the turnover margin, West Monroe 13, Madison Central 10. 

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.

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) 

6A-Region 2 Preview

6A Football is the pinnacle of high school football for rather obvious reasons: more players, larger talents pools, more money, etc. In the weeks leading up to the beginning of the season, we have looked at Region 1 of 6A football in Mississippi and we will continue to look at the 3 other regions of 6A football.

6A-Region 2

1. Madison Central- This is an easy pick in my mind. Top to bottom, the talent at Madison Central is incomparable to that of any other school in Region 2. Madison's real fight this year will be outside their region (see non-region schedule: Olive Branch; Starkville; Petal; West Monroe, LA). The transferring of Jamarion Robert to MRA should prove somewhat tricky (the degree of which has yet to be determined). Former Madison Central and Auburn University offensive lineman Chaz Ramsey has now taken the Tight End coach job at MC, which is pretty cool if you ask me. It doesn't hurt that Madison Central has the best special teams unit in the nation (at least that's what MC kicker Patrick Rahaim tells me, but he is a tad biased). This is looking like a complete team, just ask offensive lineman Leonard Swilley, "Y'all really don't know what's coming. All I've got to say is 'Get ready'". Record: 11-0 or 10-1; 7-0 (a letdown game somewhere in non-region schedule possibly)
2. Northwest Rankin- Although NWR has lost offensive firepower, coach Pete Hurt isn't going to let that stop his team from attempting to grab the top ranking in this region. With QB Reid Humphries out from Tommy John surgery and RB Ramone Nash transferring to MRA (weird how so many players are "transferring" to MRA, hmm...), the cougars will have to play stout defense to allow newcomers some slack. New QB Benton Yancey is not incompetent, however. And the new lead RB Curtis Hicks has impressed many current players with his ability to run the ball. But, as is the same case with Olive Branch, how much of last years production can this year's team replace? My answer: A lot. Kicker Cason Gooch thinks that this year's atmosphere around coach Hurt's program is "Incredible. Very exciting." Record: 11-1; 6-1 (Loss: @ Madison Central)
3. Murrah- The Mustangs are a team on the rise in Region 2. And for Murrah, it's all about getting one player the ball, Malik Dear. Dear had 994 receiving yards, 434 rushing yards, and over 100 yards as a punt/kick returner in his freshman year. Yes, you heard that correctly. Malik Dear had over 1,500 all-purpose yards AS A FRESHMAN. If this man doesn't have over 2,000 all purpose yards this year, he's hurt. That is the only reason this player cannot achieve that number. Murrah is slowly closing the gap between itself and the top of the region. Record: 8-3; 5-2 (Losses: Madison Central, Northwest Rankin, and either @ Provine, @ Callaway, or @ Jim Hill) 
4. Clinton- Clinton's decline in football the past several seasons has stemmed from a mediocre offense and lackluster defense. Sure, Clinton makes playoffs nearly every year, but it just seems like the team is normal. Just mediocre. Just right in the middle of everything. Skill players. Offensive lineman. Defensive players. Coaches. Everything: just in the middle. Lets take a closer look; on offense, no returning passer or rusher over 500 yards. On defense; Clinton's best player,Cornerback Cedric Jiles, a MSU signee, is gone. Someone is going to have to step up here or else another 5-7 season is on the horizon. Record:6-5; 4-3 (Losses: @ Meridian, @ Brandon, @ Madison Central, @ Murrah, Northwest Rankin)
5. Jim Hill: 6-5; 2-5 (Losses: Either @ Callaway or Provine, @ Clinton, Northwest Rankin, Madison Central, Murrah)
6. Greenville-Weston: 3-8; 2-5 (Wins: Gentry, @ Vicksburg, Warren Central)
7. Vicksburg: 3-8; 1-6 (Wins: Richwood (LA),  @ Lawrence County, Warren Central)
8. Warren Central- 1-10; 0-7 (Win: Callaway)

6A-Region 1 Preview

6A football is the pinnacle of high school football for rather obvious reasons: more players, larger talent pools, more money, etc. During these upcoming weeks we will be looking at all 4 of the 6A HS football regions, predicting records, and analyzing the top teams from each region.

6A-Region 1

1. South Panola- In South Panola's mind, last year was their gift to the rest of the teams in 6A football. Key phrase there? "In South Panola's mind". No one here at the Good-Win! Sports Blog is quite sure how South Panola's team will react to that "disaster" season of last year. While we're pretty sure they won't play like they did on their 89-game win streak, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. And a quick glance at their roster from last year will make you give them even more. The Tigers return 6+ (+ means plus whoever else became a sophomore and whoever "transferred" to South Panola) 290+ lbs. players on their teams. These numbers show that South Panola will be BIG next year. REALLY BIG. It seems to me that SP will be getting back to their game: shoving the football down your team's throat until they give up a touchdown. With an athlete like Tony Conner, they have even more ways to move the ball down the field. Good luck stopping these guys. Another unique characteristic about S. Panola? They play defense. Not many high school football teams play defense as successfully as South Panola. Look for these men to become the favorites again this year. Record: 11-1, 7-0 (Loss- Hoover, AL)
2. Olive Branch- Not very often is the returning 6A champion not favored in their own division. That is the situation that OBHS returns to 6AR1 football in. In my mind, Olive Branch's team last year was better than any of South Panola's teams during their reign of dominance over MS high school football. However, that team was anchored by an explosive offense that consisted mainly of seniors. With the likes of Todd Mays, Jaylen Miller, D'Arthur Cowan, and most of their offensive line leaving, how much of that point production can be replaced? More than 60% of their scoring offense has left OBHS in the last graduating class. Moreover, can their defense improve? Olive Branch's defense was putrid and porous at best last season. Here's how I see it: The more OB's defense can improve, the less coach Scott Samsel has to replace on offense. This year's season for the conquistadors hinges on the success of their defense. As far as how I see their season going, I think the defense will improve but not to the point that it will counteract the losses of Mays, Miller, and Cowan. Record: 10-2, 6-1 or 5-2 (Losses: South Panola, and either Madison Central, Southaven, Memphis University School, or Tupelo) And if you're into Olive Branch football, watch this.  http://www.maxpreps.com/video/watch.aspx#!videoid=dc223abe-d648-e815-417c-bcb9a2affc4a
3. Southaven- If scores can be any indication of how close a football team is to the top, Southaven is close.They had losses at Olive Branch (49-41), at Tupelo (28-27), and at Northwest Rankin (28-20). All away games. Those games flip to home games this year, which will allow Southaven to finally jump Tupelo for good in the 6AR1 standings. Record: 9-2, 5-2 (Losses- South Panola, Olive Branch) 
4. Tupelo- Closely behind Southaven is Tupelo. This team just can't seem to put it together. Last year they seemed to lack any support from their offensive line. Years past it was the lack of any defense. And with Southaven clearly rising, we have to wonder what might go wrong for Tupelo this year. It doesn't help that 4-star Running back/ Linebacker Ashton Shumpert has left the team either. Record: 6-5, 4-3 (Losses: Lafayette, Starkville, @ Southaven, South Panola, @ Olive Branch)
5. Columbus: Record: 7-4, 3-4 (Losses: @ Tupelo, Southaven, @ South Panola, Olive Branch) 
6. Horn Lake: 5-6, 2-5 (Losses: @ Hernando, @ South Panola, @ Olive Branch, Columbus, @ Tupelo, Southaven)
7. Grenada:4-7, 1-6 (Wins: Kosciusko, Winona, Desoto Central, and either @ Oxford or @ Charleston) 
8. Desoto Central: 3-8, 0-7 (Wins: @ Potts Camp, Lake Cormorant, North Panola) 

Leadership in Following: Jake Schwartz

This is the first part in a series that will highlight the football players of Madison Central High School for their marks made on and off of the field.

Remember Madison Central's huge victory over South Panola, 28-14? Think hard and you might remember that towards the 4th quarter, quarterback Drew Rowell was fighting back tears from severe shoulder injuries. Think even harder and you might remember that there was a young man, dressed out in full uniform, standing right next to him, consoling him in his pain. "Come on Drew. This is your team, you need to lead them to victory." Drew Rowell continued to play that night and led his team to their biggest victory in school history since 1999. What might surprise you about this story is the player that was encouraging Drew was the backup to Drew. Jake Schwartz had everything that a high school football player wants, playing time, within his grasp. And he chose to encourage his predecessor to finish the game. 

Drew and Jake's relationship began somewhat roughly, but to understand how that started, we need to know Jake and Drew before they were quarterbacks together at Madison Central. Jake Schwartz was a highly anticipated dual-threat quarterback playing for the 9th grade team at Rosa Scott when he got the call up from Bobby Hall to backup then senior QB Peyton Johnson. Drew Rowell, at the time a 10th grader, was successfully running the veer over at St. Andrew's. The next football season their paths would collide. Drew, the elder of the two, was looked to to run coach Hall's newly inserted veer offense. However, Schwartz knew the system better. The dilemma for Hall was obvious. Which player should he choose? The older-option based QB Rowell or the younger more knowledgeable Schwartz. Schwartz made the decision for him. Schwartz took Rowell aside and helped Drew learn the playbook. From that point on, a rough relationship became more like a friendship everyday. Rowell started for the next two years, ultimately because of the unselfish act of a 9th grader. The story above would be no shock to anyone who knows Jake Schwartz. Like most relationships that Jake has made, this was one built on selflessness, teamwork, and encouragement. These are intangibles that any coach would take over height, strength, or speed. 

But do not think these things come easy to Schwartz, who runs a 4.8 second 40-yard dash. There are days when Jake wakes up and doesn't want to go lift weights. There are days when Jake wants to skip training all together. But he won't allow himself to do these things to his teammates, who give their all, day in and day out. (Jake, however, was quick to point out that there is nothing special about that on a team full of hard-working players.) All QB's are looked up to (whether officially or not) as the leader of the team. He tries his hardest to be a "same-level" kind of leader by leading by example and providing encouragement to his team. Schwartz told me straight up, "A leader MUST be encouraging. Or else he will lose the respect of his peers." 

As for his game, have no doubt, it is his turn to lead this team, whether that means handing the ball off or slinging the ball 50 yards down the field. And on this year's team, Jake Schwartz feels like this is the year for Madison Central. "There is something different about it. Just the entire atmosphere and attitudes here. Everyone is excited." 

Thanks to Jake for sharing his story and his time! Any thoughts/comments/questions? 

Ashton Shumpert Update: 7/3/12

A 4-star running back/safety (scout.com and 247sports.com) from Itawamba Agricultural High School, Ashton Shumpert took some time to talk to me this afternoon. A big thanks to him for giving me some of that time (he's a pretty busy guy, ya know?).

(Photo courtesy of NEMS360.com)

While talking to Ashton, I had the feeling that I had caught him at just the right time to talk to him. I was right. Ashton has been hitting the gym HARD this summer. He's squatting 405 and benching 225 about 5 times. Everyone who knows anything about life knows that that hard work, will translate into a better product on the field. He thinks IAHS can surprise some people this fall. "I believe we can go as far as we want." Shumpert told me, "Everyone needs to play every down as hard as they can and everything will take care of itself."

On his college recruitment, Shumpert told me that "everybody is pretty much even, so it basically is wide open." Although its anyone's guess where he will end up, Shumpert did note that in-state schools Mississippi State and Ole Miss were pursuing him the hardest. I asked Ashton if he had grown up watching and pulling for either of those schools. Get this: Ashton Shumpert did not watch college football until he was a freshman in high school. That's the year that he told himself that if he worked hard enough, he could be a special football player. He also noted that his "special love for the game" is a major reason for his well-developed skills. Shumpert told me that he will most likely end up playing RB at the college level because of his ability to develop holes in the offensive line for himself as well as his ability to use moves that he uses in the second level of the defense. I also asked him about the Ole Miss recruiting tactic controversy (although I should point out, MSU isn't too far behind) and how that affects his attitude towards those schools. "It doesn't change it really."


Good-Win! Sports Blog- " I'm getting the feeling that you aren't going to set a timetable on your commitment, are you?"
Ashton Shumpert- "No, I'm not. I'm going to ride it out as long as I can."
G-W!SB- "Just trying to make the best decision?"
AS: "Yeah. And have a little fun with it too. It's a great time."

Good luck to Ashton this fall with his senior year as well as his college recruitment (I'll wish him a good time too).

Any thoughts/comments/question? Thanks for reading!