Heritage Academy head football coach Sean Harrison is used to facing a pass-heavy attack when the Patriots face Lamar School.
That won’t be the case Thursday when the Pats (5-1) head to Meridian to take on the Raiders (4-2), though.
“This is the first Lamar team in a long time that is actually running the ball more than they throw it,” Harrison said.
That means a different challenge for Heritage Academy, which has won five straight games. While the Pats will still have to depend on their secondary — “one of the best in the state,” Harrison said — putting the clamps on the Raiders’ rushing offense will be paramount.
“I feel like if we go stop the run, I think we’ll be successful,” Harrison said.
Coming off a bye, the Patriots will face what Harrison said is the best defensive front they’ve played all year, resulting in a tough challenge for his offensive line.
“They’re gonna have to play at a high level,” he said.
Columbus (1-4) at Grenada (2-2)
After a two-point loss at Center Hill last Friday, Columbus High School hopes for a different outcome in this week’s MHSAA Class 5A, Region 1 road game.
The Falcons are 1-1 in district play after beating New Hope on Sept. 25 and hope to surpass .500 in the region at Grenada on Thursday.
The Falcons were soundly defeated, 35-6, by the Chargers in Columbus last year, but an improved offense has coach Joshua Pulphus hopeful for a win.
Grenada is 1-1 in district play with a 38-11 win over Saltillo and a 35-14 loss to Lafayette.
With games against the Commodores and defending champion West Point still to come, Friday’s contest might be a must-win if the Falcons hope to finish in the top four in the district and make the Class 5A playoffs.
Saltillo (0-4) at New Hope (1-4), 7:30 p.m.
New Hope can get back into the win column after two straight losses with a victory over Saltillo at home at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Tigers, who were shut out 27-0 by West Point last week after their loss to Grenada, are winless so far in 2020.
New Hope is 0-2 in Region 1-5A play after losses at Columbus and at Lake Cormorant.
The Trojans pulled off a 19-16 win at Saltillo last year.
Caledonia (1-3) at Mooreville (2-3)
Caledonia coach Michael Kelly says his team needs to get the bad taste out of its mouth.
Caledonia lost a heartbreaker to Shannon in last Friday’s district opener, so Kelly hopes to get things turned around when his team visits Mooreville this week.
“We need to get this thing back to 1-1 in division,” Kelly said.
Standing in Caledonia’s way are the Troopers, who return quarterback Dawson Phillips and several talented receivers on a pass-happy offense.
“They’re a gritty bunch,” Kelly said. “They’re a scrappy bunch. They come ready to play every Friday night.”
While the game has been moved up to Thursday because of weather, the same, of course, holds true. Kelly just hopes his team can achieve a victory that will help its playoff standing down the road.
“We need to get a win that’ll make our kids feel good and be good for seeding in the playoffs,” Kelly said.
Lake Cormorant (3-1) at West Point (4-1)
West Point has won four straight games since losing to Starkville, the state’s No. 1 team, on Sept. 4.
The Green Wave hope to extend that streak to five on Thursday against Lake Cormorant.
West Point earned a 27-14 win over the Gators on the road last year en route to its fourth consecutive state championship.
West Point has district wins over Lafayette and Saltillo, while Lake Cormorant lost to Center Hill before its win over New Hope.
West Lowndes (2-3) at Smithville (1-3)
West Lowndes coach Anthony King knows that in MHSAA Class 1A, the stronger team will win most of the time.
So far, the Panthers haven’t been the stronger team in too many of their games.
A 25-12 loss at French Camp Academy last week revealed that lack of strength to be West Lowndes’ biggest problem, King said. By the second half, his players were too tired and outmanned to tackle French Camp star quarterback Calvin Johnson II, and it resulted in a loss.
So King knows his team needs more time in the weight room to achieve the success it did last year.
Part of that success was an 18-6 home upset of No. 2 Smithville en route to a playoff appearance, and the Panthers will again face the Seminoles on Thursday. This year’s game will look different: it’s on the road for West Lowndes this time, and Smithville has struggled to a 1-3 record so far this season.
But King knows his team can’t afford to underestimate the Seminoles.
“Smithville has a lot of tradition, and those guys can play hard,” he said.
Bayou Academy (3-4) at Starkville Academy (4-2)
To keep its offensive success going, Starkville Academy can’t afford a lapse at any position, coach Chase Nicholson said.
If star running back CJ Jackson, who has put the Volunteers on his back all season, has an off night, it could hamper the Vols’ passing game or their offensive line. If Starkville Academy’s receivers or the O-line don’t play up to their potential, Jackson could struggle.
“You’ve got to deal with all of those things and make sure everybody’s taking care of business and doing their job,” Nicholson said.
Starkville Academy certainly took care of business against Bayou Academy last year in Cleveland with a 44-0 win, and the Vols hope to repeat that performance on Thursday in Starkville.
Nicholson said Bayou hasn’t lost much talent from last year’s team, and several of the Colts’ talented freshmen are now sophomores.
While last year’s contest wasn’t close, Nicholson said the Vols can’t take Bayou — historically a good team — lightly.
“They’ve got coaches with some great experience, and they really play hard,” he said. “It’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
Ben’s Ford (La.) Christian (5-2) at Columbus Christian Academy (1-6)
Columbus Christian Academy has struggled to start the season, but the Rams’ only win so far was a big one against MAIS Class 2A, District 2 opponent Kemper Academy.
Columbus Christian could get another big district win Thursday against Ben’s Ford Christian School (Louisiana) in Steens.
The Eagles have won two straight after a 50-40 loss to Claiborne Academy on Sept. 18. Columbus Christian lost 48-18 to Delta Academy last week in Marks.
Carroll Academy (6-0) at Oak Hill Academy (2-4)
Oak Hill Academy hopes to build on last week’s 47-20 win over Rossville Christian Academy (Tennessee), but that won’t come easy for the Raiders.
They’ll take on undefeated Carroll Academy, which is coming off a 22-14 win over Winona Christian last week.
Carroll also owns wins over Kirk Academy, Hillcrest Christian, Benton Academy, Newton County Academy and Indianola Academy.
Alabama: Pickens Academy (4-2) at Jackson Academy (7-0)
After two straight losses, Pickens Academy has another difficult opponent in undefeated Jackson Academy on Friday in Jackson, Alabama.
The Pirates have a pair of consecutive 41-13 losses to Abbeville Christian and Southern Academy with a bye in between.
Jackson Academy is coming off a 41-14 win over Macon-East Montgomery Academy last week.
Friday: DeSoto (Ark.) School (7-0) at Hebron Christian (2-5)
Hebron Christian School is the only local school that will still be playing football Friday.
The Eagles have a tough assignment, too, in the unbeaten DeSoto School (Arkansas) in Pheba. DeSoto is coming off a 38-30 win over Sharkey-Issaquena Academy last week.
Hebron lost last Friday to Unity Christian Academy, 30-8.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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