WEST POINT — Chris Craven is excited to be back in the playoffs.
But the Oak Hill Academy football coach isn’t satisfied with returning to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) playoffs after a one-year absence. He also doesn’t want the Raiders to settle for a six-win season when there are bigger opportunities out there.
Ninth-seeded Oak Hill Academy (6-3) will take the first step in that direction at 7 tonight when it takes on eighth-seeded Tri-County (6-4) in a first-round game in Flora.
Oak Hill Academy is coming off a 21-0 loss to District 1 champion Marshall Academy. A win tonight would set up a matchup against the winner of the game between top-seeded Marshall Academy and 16th-seeded Sylva-Bay Academy.
As enticing as that matchup sounds, especially after staying with Marshall for the entire game, Craven and the Raiders want to take care of what is in front of them first.
“It is one and done, no matter who you are,” Craven said. “You look at a bracket and teams and say, ‘Oh, well they ought to win this one.’ There were a few that chalked up wins Friday I didn’t figure. There is the potential for that to happen in the playoff as well.”
Oak Hill Academy trailed 6-0 at halftime, but Marshall Academy at the end of the second quarter and on its first possession in the third quarter to seize the momentum. Still, Craven said there were plays to be made. He said the Raiders will have to catch touchdown passes that could go for touchdowns and execute their blocks because the margin for error gets smaller in the postseason.
Craven also said Oak Hill Academy can’t afford to give up any big plays. He believes the Raiders’ defense will do its best to keep the team in the game. Craven said Oak Hill Academy will need that kind of effort because he isn’t sure if running back Jonah Caskey will be available tonight. Senior Dylan Scott stepped in and played well, as did fullbacks Collins Brown and Ethan Bryan.
This week, though, the turnovers — only one last week — and missed opportunities — two dropped passes in the end zone — will be magnified. But Craven feels the close loss to Marshall Academy will help his team’s confidence going into the biggest game of the season.
“All five of the teams in our district are in the playoffs,” Craven said. “That says something about the level of competition in our league. Tri-County is a very formidable opponent. They have played for the state championship the last couple of years. They are big and physical and got some decent backs and a good quarterback. We just have to go down there and play a really great game. We have to put our best foot forward, not just our foot, but we have to put everything best.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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