Heritage Academy coach Sean Harrison is proud of his team’s ability to block out the noise no matter the opponent.
“Friday nights don’t matter as far as who’s on the other side,” Harrison said. “Every Friday night’s an opportunity to go out and get better.”
This week, that mentality will have to apply to Thursday nights as well, as the Patriots’ regular-season finale against Washington was moved up a day because of weather concerns.
The Generals (2-7) and the Patriots (10-0) have played five of the same opponents this season, with Washington losing all but its matchup with Bayou, but that doesn’t mean Harrison’s team can afford to overlook its opponent.
“They’re not a team that we just show up and play,” Harrison said. “We’re gonna have to go out and play our game and do what we’re supposed to do and execute. We don’t need a dogfight with them.”
Washington, Harrison said, has a strong quarterback and a couple good receivers, but the Generals lack strength where the Patriots have it: along the offensive and defensive lines. That’s a matchup Harrison likes to see.
No matter how the Pats fare Thursday, they’re assured a first-round bye in the MAIS Class 5A playoffs and a home game Nov. 8. As the current No. 1 seed, they’ll be hosting again on Nov. 15 “unless something crazy happens,” Harrison said.
So though Heritage Academy has at least one more guaranteed home game in the playoffs, the Pats’ seniors will be playing their final regular-season home contest Thursday, and Harrison is sad to see them go.
“This year everybody knew that this year could be the year, and they kept that focus on this year,” Harrison said. “This group means a lot to me.”
Noxubee County (5-4) at Choctaw County (6-3)
For Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young, Thursday’s road district game at Choctaw County is about control.
Control of the clock on offense. Control in the trenches on defense. And what Young called “full control” of the No. 1 seed in Class 3A, Region 4, for Thursday’s winner.
The Tigers are 2-0 in their region games this year; so are the Chargers. Young said Noxubee County is already guaranteed a playoff spot in its five-time region, but Thursday’s game will be huge in deciding the region’s top team.
And on the road against a solid opponent, it won’t be an easy game for the Tigers, either.
“They’re a great team running the ball offensively,” Young said. “They’re fast on the defensive side of the ball.”
The same things Young has stressed all year will be keys to a big road win Thursday: controlling possession, finishing drives and limiting turnovers on offense; winning in the trenches, gang-tackling running backs and playing physically on defense.
“It’s gonna take playing great ball in all three phases of the game,” Young said.
West Lowndes (7-2) at Okolona (3-5)
Last week’s 31-17 loss at No. 2 Noxapater told West Lowndes coach Anthony King something important about his team.
“Noxapater let us know that we weren’t physically strong,” King said. “They were physically a lot stronger than we were.”
Spending time in the weight room has been critical for the Panthers this week as they prepare to take on Okolona in a road game on Thursday that has implications for the Class 1A playoffs.
“Okolona always has good athletes,” King said. “They lost quite a bit of seniors, so they’re kind of young, but they’re also dangerous.”
If the Panthers can beat the Chieftains, they’ll earn an automatic playoff berth. West Lowndes’ chances of hosting a playoff game are all but gone with the loss to Noxapater, but the Panthers are still fighting for the No. 3 seed in Region 2. If they can win this week and beat Tupelo Christian Prep, King said, they’ll secure the third spot and would likely play Baldwyn, the No. 2 team in Region 1, in the first round. A win there would likely set up a rematch with Noxapater.
If the Panthers get the No. 4 seed, they’d face Biggersville, the top team in Region 1. King said he was encouraged by Biggersville’s loss to Tupelo Christian Prep with the Panthers still battling TCPS for playoff position.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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