Heritage Academy football is entering a new era: the Lance Pogue era.
The former Jackson Academy head coach has made his way to Columbus, joining a program that went 12-1 last year en route to the MAIS Class 5A state championship.
Pogue hopes to build on that, and his first test as head coach is against a familiar foe for both him and Heritage: Lamar School.
“It’s our first game out,” Pogue said. “There are so many concerns, so many unknowns, but you get to a point in the preseason that you’re ready to go play someone else, and we’ve reached that. I’m excited to put them out there and let them play.”
The two last played during Week 1 of the 2021 season, a 42-16 win for Heritage Academy, but heading into Friday’s game, Lamar has a slight advantage. The Raiders have played a game already, losing 24-22 to Starkville Academy last Friday.
Lamar struggled in 2021, going 0-6 out of the gate before rebounding toward the end of the regular season for a 3-8 finish.
“Hopefully, we can get out there and stick to how we’ve been practicing and put that plan into place,” Pogue said.
Oak Hill Academy (0-0) at East Rankin Academy (0-0)
Oak Hill Academy and East Rankin Academy have new history as the two programs were set to play each other last season for the first time.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 put a damper on that as Oak Hill was forced to forfeit the game, but this time around, the Raiders have been patiently awaiting this rematch to show what they bring on the football field.
“I know that they’re a 5A school,” Oak Hill head coach Bill Rosenthal said. “They’re big, they stretch out, they like to run the ball, they throw the ball well too … For us, I’m really confident in our ability to run the ball. We just need to be more physical on defense.”
Oak Hill is coming off a 5-6 season that featured a loss in the second round of the playoffs, a 56-14 blowout at the hands of Tri-County Academy.
The Raiders have been pushing hard in practice during the preseason in preparation for Friday’s season opener. Their opponent, East Rankin, was a team last season that struggled mightily to score, having averaged just 7.6 points per game as an offense compared to giving up over 29 points a game on defense.
“Our plan for Friday is to go out and establish the run, not turn the ball over and not commit penalties,” Rosenthal said. “I would love for us to throw and catch the ball, run better routes than what we’ve been running.”
Christian Collegiate Academy (0-0) at Columbus Christian Academy (0-0)
Columbus Christian Academy’s 2021 season opened up against a new opponent: Christian Collegiate Academy. The two duked it out on the football field in a close game.
The Rams emerged victorious with a 34-30 win, one of just two wins for them on the season and this year, the schedule begins the same way.
“Looking at film and the returning players that they have, I feel like this will be a really tough test to begin the season,” Columbus Christian head coach Jeremy Brock said. “They got a good bit of speed and skilled players, but we feel confident that we can win this game.”
Christian Collegiate is a strong team that put up some big offensive numbers in 2021, scoring 37.1 points per game, including a 66-0 shutout of Discovery Christian last September.
Friday’s game is expected to be no different, a shootout between two fast-paced and high-octane offenses that will be pushing the tempo early and often to jump out to a big lead.
“There’s been a whole lot of buzz since school started,” Brock said. “Myself and our coaching staff, we’re excited to see our guys under the lights and see how we compete against somebody other than ourselves.”
Tunica Academy (0-0) at Hebron Christian (0-0)
On Friday night, Hebron Christian is going to party like it’s the turn of the millennium because that’s the last time the Eagles took on Tunica Academy.
This renewed matchup is definitely a new one for all those involved on the field, but it brings with it success. Hebron is 2-0 against Tunica all time, the most recent game being a 20-7 win in 2001.
“They’re excited to go play,” Hebron Christian head coach David Foster said. “I keep telling them this is what you practice for the whole time is to play a game. I believe it when we suit up. We’ve had good practices all week.”
Tunica saw its fair share of struggles in 2021, going 3-7 while allowing a program-record 416 points during the season, or 41.6 points per game.
Now in his second season, Blue Devils head coach Daniel Sousa is looking to change the tides of the program, but Hebron has been champing at the bit for this season. The Eagles weren’t able to play varsity football in 2021, but they’re re-energized for Friday.
“We’ve worked on our matchups to prepare for them,” Foster said. “We’re going to go out and do the best we can and just see what happens.”
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