Friday Night Writes: Murrah @ Madison Central (Blitz Edition)

Ok. I am going to have to be very honest right now. See the word "blitz" in the title? I put that in there for two reasons: A) Its sounds and looks pretty cool. B) I thought it might be a cool way to say that this is a shortened, condensed version of Friday Night Writes. So consider this paragraph the condensed, fancy intro paragraph. This was fun, right? We should do this again.

Here are the basics (in no order whatsoever; in numbered form to save me time from typing awkward transition sentences).
1) Murrah comes into this game as the underdog. However, make no mistake. This is a very dangerous team. If MC can't stop Murrah from making big plays, this could be a very long night.
2) Murrah is lead by their star wide receiver (How often can you say that?), Malik Dear. You should know a few things about Dear. He's a very special playmaker who comes along very rarely at any school. The sophomore has accounted for 16 (!) touchdowns so far this season (6 receiving, 8 running, and 2 passing). Yes, you read that correctly. Dear has an arm, so watch for Murrah to pull out all the stops tonight.  MC knows that they have to watch this guy.
3) Now obviously, if a WR is the star of a team, there is a very capable quarterback taking the snaps. Vonnie Howard could have a breakout night if the Jags are too focused on stopping Dear.

Keys to the Game

• Madison Central offense: Just keep the ball moving. Keep your defense off the field. Murrah has the offensive firepower to keep up with you, so you'll have to score and score a lot. Key Player: Jake Schwartz
• Madison Central defense: Control Dear. Sure, Murrah has other playmakers, but none are as dangerous as the sophomore sensation. I'm going to stop saying "Don't give up big plays" because I've come to expect that you always will, but just don't give up too many, okay? If the defensive line can stay in Murrah's backfield, controlling Murrah's run game will not be too big of a problem. Key Unit: Defensive Line
• Murrrah offense: Give Dear the ball as often as possible. Every time you give him a touch, your chances to win this game increase. Don't turn the ball over, because MC has the ability to score. Key Player: (If it wasn't obvious already) Malik Dear
• Murrah Defense: We know that you probably won't be able to stop Madison Central a lot, but if you can make some turnovers, you can give your offense a chance to win this game. Key Unit: Secondary

Prediction: This has the potential to be a very close game, and if Malik Dear gets loose that could happen even moreso. But (I said this about the Clinton game too) I think that MC's quality of nonconference opponents, is the difference here. I'm predicting a close game for about 3 1/2 quarters, but MC will pull away at the end. Murrah 30 Madison Central 41

In Case You Missed Friday Night: Clinton @ Madison Central

1. The Jags got their season back on track this past week, beating the Clinton Arrows 35-17. A quick observation on the game: While 35-17 seems like a normal "good team beats worse team" score, it's not. The Jags dominated every side of the football, and Clinton had no hope of winning by halftime. I detail just how complete this victory was below.
2. We'll start on defense. In what has become a strength of the defense the past week, the defensive line had another stellar performance. Frederrick Ross and Gemarta Jackson combined for 3 sacks as the Jags defensive line became a mainstay in the Arrow backfield. The linebackers came through with another solid outing; Brion Ballard had key tackle after key tackle. Ballard racked up 10 total tackles while Dee Johnson had 8. The defense stepped it up big time after being picked apart by West Monroe, as that game is starting to seem like more of an afterthought now.
3. The offense looked well-oiled this past Friday night; Clinton could not find a way to stop Schwartz and co. In fact, the only team that stopped MC was MC itself. The Jags accounted for an astounding 505 total yards on offense and ran 72 plays in offense (a rather large amount for a high school football team). Coach Bobby Hall truly has an array of offensive weapons that can all dissect a defense to choose from: Jake Schwartz, Doug Ball, Daniel Goodspeed (or as many, including the referees, know him "Moose"), Keith Williams, Xavier Watson, and Kelvin Williams. If this offense can continue to produce, MC's chances to win and win big increase drastically.
4. Now not everything is rosy. The Jags again gave up big plays. This, if anything, has become the Achilles's Heel for Madison Central. MC gave up a kick-off return to their own 3 yard line immediately after a game-opening touchdown drive. Schwartz also threw a pick-six on the Arrow's goaline. Bottom line: You just spotted the other team 14 points. You can't spot teams like South Panola and Olive Branch 14 points. That will be the difference in the game.
5. I did some research the other day and found out this interesting fact: The jungletron (see picture in post below) is actually larger than 2 NCAA FBS schools: Bowling Green and Texas State.

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.  

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.

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

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?