While first-year Columbus High School football coach Eric Rice hasn’t been a part of the last two Columbus-Horn Lake games, he knows what to expect.
After a few minutes of watching film, it’s obvious the Eagles like to run the ball early and often.
The Columbus High front four will face one of its stiffest tests at 7 p.m. Friday when the Falcons and Eagles play in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 1 game in Horn Lake.
“They run the ball and they run it with authority,” Rice said. “That’s the identity of the team. They know what they are doing.”
Horn Lake (6-0, 2-0 region) is ranked No. 2 in the state by Southern Elite Sports Network and The Associated Press this week.
It is unchartered territory for the Eagles.
In 2016, then-sophomore Tyler Grim out dueled then-senior Kylin Hill as Horn Lake stunned Columbus 44-35. That was considered an outlier for the upstart program.
Grim ran for 285 yards and four touchdowns in the win. A year later, he ran for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-2 victory at Columbus.
The good news for Columbus is Grim has transferred to a high school in Tennessee. The bad news is Horn Lake has seen 15 players combine for 1,514 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Raydarius Jones has thrown for 705 yards and six touchdowns for an offense that is averaging slightly better than 45 points per game.
A track meet won’t be in the best interest of Columbus (0-6, 0-2). The Falcons were shut out for the first time this season last week in a 14-0 home loss to Tupelo.
“It’s all about finishing,” Rice said. “When we have scoring chances in the red zone, we have to convert. We have done a better job of moving the ball here the last couple of weeks. We simply have to complete our scoring opportunities.”
Behind a pair of two-touchdown rushing performances from junior Devarkas Ramsey, the Falcons topped 300 yards in losses to Vicksburg and DeSoto Central. Columbus gained 144 yards against Tupelo. The step back on offense came as a shock to Rice and his coaching staff.
“It was one of our best defensive efforts of the season, so it was a shame to play that well on that side of the ball and not get a win,” Rice said. “To the kids’ credit, they continue to play hard and continue to do everything we ask. It can be difficult when you haven’t had that breakthrough yet. It’s make the sacrifice that much more difficult.”
Horn Lake parlayed its victory against Columbus into a 9-3 season in 2016. However, the Eagles bowed to the Falcons when playoff invites came out due to a tiebreaker. A year later, Horn Lake finished 9-3 again before falling to Starkville in the second round of the North State playoffs.
While the Horn Lake program is enjoying its best moments, the Eagles still need to earn the legitimate label of “contender.” The coaches picked the Eagles to win the region, which would be a major first step. An undefeated regular season is a possibility.
On the other side, the Falcons want to earn a tangible reward for all of their hard work.
“We are close to putting together some success,” Rice said. “If we can win the first one, it would change the mind-set and mentality a little bit. We are teaching learning how to win again. It’s been a hard lesson.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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