Veteran sportswriter and high school football expert Robert Wilson is doing the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard predictions column each week during the high school football season on teams from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin County. Wilson had a 254-75 record overall (77.0 percent) last season.
MRA at Parklane Academy (Thursday)
Madison-Ridgeland Academy begins its road to try to return to the top of the MAIS Class 6A mountain after being knocked off by Jackson Prep last season in the championship game. MRA had won the state title three years in a row before losing to Prep last year.
MRA might have the most accurate quarterback in Mississippi in senior and Southern Miss commit John White.
The 6-foot, 204-pound Whitecompleted 58 percent of his passes for 3,175 yards (highest in MAIS and fifth highest in Mississippi) and 28 TDs with eight interceptions last season as a junior. He completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,935 yards and 39 TDs and 14 interceptions and helped MRA to an 11-3 record and its third straight 6A state title as a sophomore two years ago.
White is on the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Elite 11 team for the second straight season. He was one of three sophomores to make the All-Metro Jackson team first team two years ago.
White has 11,510 career passing yards, a MAIS record, including 7,110 in two seasons at MRA and 4,400 yards in two seasons at Winona Christian as an eighth and ninth grader. Myles Brennan is the Mississippi record holder with 15,138 career yards at St. Stanislaus from 2013-16. White is sixth in the career list behind Brennan, Ty Keyes from Taylorsville (14,525 from 2017-2020), Dylan Favre from St. Stanislaus (12,559 from 2007-2009), Jack Abraham from Oxford (12,027 from 2012-2015) and Keon Howard from Laurel (11,532 from 2012-2015).
MRA’s other Elite 11 player is 6-1, 285-pound offensive center Joe Koury, who is a transfer from Madison Central. He was a first-team All-Metro selection last season and brings experience to the MRA’s offensive front.
Senior Matthew Latham and junior Matthew Perkins are expected to be major contributors on both offense and defense. Other key players are senior offensive lineman Shane Sanderson and senior defensive end Ford Clark.
MRA will be without head coach Herbert Davis, who is in the hospital with an infection. Associate head coach/defensive coordinator Danny White will replace Davis as head coach for the Parklane game.
Parklane is starting its first year after going from MAIS Class 6A to Class 5A. Coach Ron Rushing has about a dozen seniors – including talented players like wide receiver Brewer Carruth and linebackers Walker Anderson – who have been starting since their sophomore season. Also, MRA better keep an eye on 6-3, 230-pound senior linebacker and Louisiana Lafayette commit, who transferred from MHSAA Class 4A South Pike two years ago.
Parklane broke a four-year conference losing streak when the Pioneers defeated Presbyterian Christian School 46-14 last season. They should have a better chance of winning in 5A. Rushing is a state championship coach, winning a state title in 2014 at Natchez Cathedral. He coached at Brookhaven Academy before coming to Parklane.
MRA has won 13 of the last 14 meetings – the only loss in 2017 – and will roll again. MRA defeated Parklane 45-21 last season, the most points Parklane allowed all season. This one will be about the same point spread.
MRA 31, Parklane 7.
Hartfield Academy at Heritage Academy
MAIS Class 6A Hartfield will take a handful of Division I level players on its trip to Columbus to face 5A Heritage.
Three Hartfield players – senior running back-wide receiver-return specialist and Southern Miss commit Reed Jesiolowski, senior linebacker-defensive end and Southern Miss commit Chris Jones and junior defensive lineman and SEC prospect Reginald Vaughn – made the preseason Elite 11 team.
The 6-4, 217-pound Jesiolowski had 916 yards on 125 carries (7.3 yards per carry) and 13 TDs, 34 catches for 427 yards and 7 TDs and 3 kickoff returns for 178 yards (a 59.3-yard average) and 1 TD and as a junior last season.
The 6-foot-1, 221-pound Jones had 75 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 1 interception in 10 games as a junior last season.
The 6-3, 250-pound Vaughn – who transferred from Madison St. Joseph – had 89 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 force fumbles and 1 touchdown as a sophomore last season. Vaughn has Division I offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Jackson State, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Penn State, Texas, Louisville, Georgia State, and Tulsa.
In addition to those three standout players, Hartfield talented sophomore defensive back Braylen Womack has offers from two-time defending national champion Georgia and Tennessee.
Hartfield had nine players in the MAIS futures game last year. In addition to Jesiolowski, Jones and Womack, Hartfield had 6-4, 350-pound lineman Antonio Ross, 6-2, 265-pound lineman London Simmons, 6-foot, 270-pound lineman Jordyn Evers, wide receiver Kenzy West and defensive back Bralen Steele. The ninth player, kicker-punter Conner Mullins, transferred to Brandon High.
Heritage has its third coach in three seasons. Sean Harrison and then Heritage quarterback Mack Howard led the Patriots to a MAIS Class 5A state championship in 2021. Harrison was promoted to head of school and longtime successful coach Lance Pogue went from Jackson Academy to Heritage last season. Pogue led Heritage to a 10-2 record and the 5A semifinals. He resigned after the season. Heritage’s new coach is Tobias Smith, a Columbus High graduate who was an offensive lineman at Mississippi State. Smith was an assistant coach at Heritage in 2018 and comes to Heritage after being offensive coordinator at West Lowndes High. Also, former MSU All-American cornerback and second round NFL draft pick Johnthan Banks is Heritage’s new defensive coordinator. Banks, who is tied for the MSU school record with 16 career interceptions, played five years in the NFL. He comes to Heritage after being an assistant at New Hope High.
Heritage played one 6A team last year, losing to 6A state champion Jackson Prep 55-7 in the second game.
Hartfield 35, Heritage 7.
Bayou Academy at Jackson Academy
Coach Aubrey Blackwell begins his second season at JA after a career coaching high school in Alabama.
Blackwell, who took over for Lance Pogue, came to JA from Alabama where he had a 57-26 record in seven seasons as a head coach, six at Montgomery Catholic and one at Benjamin Russell High in Alexander City.
He led the Raiders to a 9-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last season. Blackwell is trying to get JA back to the 6A state title game, something it hasn’t been to since 2013. JA hasn’t won a state championship since a three-peat under David Sykes (2009-2011).
JA has four players with Division I offers: senior wide receiver and Arkansas State commit Kiandre Terry, junior defensive back DJ Watkins (offered by Louisiana-Monroe, Austin Peay, Liberty, Kent State, and Texas A&M-Commerce), 6-3, 280-pound sophomore defensive lineman Dereon Albert (offered by Auburn, Liberty, Austin Peay, Louisiana-Monroe, Kent State, Tulane, and Texas A&M-Commerce) and junior linebacker AJ Parker (offered by Kent State). Terry caught 27 passes for 515 yards and three TDs in 10 games after transferring from Terry High. Watkins had 53 tackles, 5 interceptions and 12 pass deflections last season as a sophomore. Albert had 96 tackles, 24 for loss, and 8 sacks last season as a freshman. Parker had 113 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks last season as a sophomore.
JA has five more returning players were in the MAIS Futures Game last year: senior linebacker Colby Archie, senior defensive lineman Nicholas Harris, senior tight end Ford Childress, senior offensive lineman Newell Eatherly and senior defensive back CJ Banks.
Bayou coach Flip Godfrey, in his fourth season at Bayou, has had a successful career and in his 33rd season overall, seven at North Sunflower, 13 at Canton Academy and nine at Madison St. Joseph. After leaving St. Joe, he worked in the sporting goods business for several years before becoming athletic director and then head coach at Bayou. Godfrey won two state championships at Canton Academy.
Bayou has 14 returning starters (seven on offense and seven on defense) from last year’s team, which finished 4-7 and lost to eventual champion Oak Forest, La., in the first round of the 5A state playoffs. Bayou’s top players are senior offensive lineman Alex Lopez, senior defensive back Carson Jenkins and junior slot John Howard Gilbert.
Bayou played one 6A team last year and lost to Hartfield 41-0.
JA 35, Bayou 7.
