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 21-2 record (91.3 percent) last week and has an 144-34 record (80.9 percent) this season.
Hartfield Academy (7-0) at Madison-Ridgeland Academy (6-1), Friday 7 p.m. (watch and listen at Hartfield.live and mrapatriots.live and 105.9 FM).
Defending MAIS Class 6A state champion Hartfield comes into this huge conference game with MRA with the longest active winning streak in Mississippi at 21 games. The Hawks went 14-0 last season and are 6-0 this season. Hartfield hasn’t lost a game since a 10-7 decision to Jackson Prep for the 2022 6A state championship. The Hawks have won 30 of their last 33 games over the past three seasons.
Included in those 30 victories are two wins over MRA. In fact, Hartfield had never defeated MRA in six meetings before a 31-28 win in 2022.
Conner Mullins kicked a 39-yard field goal on the game’s final play to give Hartfield a win over three-time defending 6A state champion MRA, which ended MRA’s 19-game winning streak against MAIS competition and a 26-game winning streak in regular season conference games. MRA had won 50 of its last 51 games against MAIS teams before that loss.
Hartfield scored 10 points in the last two minutes to pull off the historic victory. Running back Reed Jesiolowski, now a freshman at Southern Miss, had a school-record 292 yards and three touchdowns, the last one to tie the score at 28-28. Then, Hartfield linebacker Chris Jones, also a freshman at Southern Miss, intercepted a pass and ran 15 yards to put Hartfield within field goal range.
Then last year’s game was an instant classic.
Bralan Womack, the No. 1 rated safety in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports, was spectacular and led Hartfield to a heart-stopping, 63-56 victory over MRA.
Womack sealed the win when he made a great play on an interception at the Hartfield 2 with 16 seconds to play. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, a 98-yarder in the second quarter and a 99-yarder to start the second half and caught two TD passes. In addition to his game-saving interception, Womack had several pass breakups during the game.
Jesiolowski and wide receiver-defensive back Kenzy West were also key players in the win. Jesiolowski had 187 yards and one TD and caught a TD, both scores in the fourth quarter. West caught seven passes for 105 yards and one TD, ran for a 44-yard TD, intercepted one pass, and broke up several other passes.
MRA – which had five turnovers – had its share of offensive highlights. Quarterback John White, now as freshman at Southern Miss, passed for 365 yards and five TDs. Running back Charles Simpson, now a freshman at Mississippi College – had 165 yards and three TDs and caught 10 passes for 116 yards and two TDs. Wide receiver Case Thomas – son of former Clinton High and Alabama kicker Neal Thomas – had six catches for 158 yards and two TDs.
MRA was without one of its best players against Hartfield. Defensive back-kick returner Matthew Perkins had leg surgery earlier in the season. Perkins had two kickoff returns for TDs and was averaging 37.5 yards per return and had made 40 tackles.
Hartfield has 12 returning starters (seven on defense and five on offense) from last year’s state championship team, including four players with Division I offers: Womack (who has dozens of Division I offers, including all 16 teams in the SEC), West, and senior defensive linemen Reginald Vaughn (an Arkansas commitment) and London Simmons (an Alabama commitment).
In addition, Hartfield has two more players with Division I offers, junior running back KD Catchings and junior wide receiver-safety and Warren Central transfer Teryn Green. Catchings, the fastest player on the team, has DI offers from Western Kentucky and Arkansas State, and Green from Central Arkansas.
Hartfield’s stars have some spectacular stats.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound Womack has caught 16 passes for 457 yards (28.6 yards per catch) and six TDs, returned two kickoffs for a 54-yard average and one TD, returned three punts for a 34-yard average and one TD, and intercepted eight passes, and returned four for TDs.
Womack is questionable for Friday due to a wrist injury.
The 6-foot, 180-pound West has caught 16 passes for 377 yards (23.6 yards per catch) and six TDs, returned two kickoffs for a 71.5-yard average and one TD, returned six punts for a 37.3-yard average and two TDs, and returned a fumble for a TD.
Simmons (6-3, 290) and Vaughn (6-3, 270) have been dominating up front, leading the team with 31 and 27 tackles, 16 and 4 tackles for loss, 9 and 3.5 sacks, respectively.
The 6-2, 215-pound Catchings has 559 yards, averaging 14 yards per carry, and has scored 12 TDs this season. The 6-2, 195-pound Green has been a great addition, a solid wide receiver and a dependable defensive back.
Returning starting quarterback Cayman Tapper has done an outstanding job of running the high-powered offense and has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 1,148 yards and 18 TDs with only three interceptions.
The starters haven’t played but about two quarters per game since Hartfield has been ahead by several TDs by halftime. The Hawks’ closest game was the season opener, a 49-7 win against Heritage Academy.
Hartfield coach Craig Bowman – the 2023 PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Coach of the Year – is in his fourth season at Hartfield. He led the Hawks to their first state football championship in the 13-year school history in only the third year in the highest class. Hartfield defeated Prep 21-0 in the state title game, the first time since 2004 Prep had been shut out. It was also the first time a school in the highest class had finished 14-0.
MRA has 12 returning starters (six on offense and six on defense) from last year’s team, which finished with an 8-4 record and reached the MAIS Class 6A semifinals.
In addition, MRA has added several key transfers who have improved the Patriots’ overall talent level. Senior defensive back and Arkansas State commitment DJ Watkins from Madison Central (he played at Jackson Academy last season), senior defensive back AJ Parker from JA, 6-3, 300-pound senior offensive lineman Kailand Stewart from Yazoo County, 6-3, 305-pound sophomore offensive lineman Clay Lawson from Richland, and junior running back-kicker Jason Jenkins from Hartfield.
MRA has won 54 of its last 66 games (81.8 percent) and 61 of its last 67 games (91 percent) against MAIS teams. The Patriots won three straight MAIS Class 6A state championships from 2019-2021 and appeared in five consecutive state title games from 2018-2022.
MRA junior Samuel Stockett has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,915 yards and 25 TDs with only five interceptions. Stockett was White’s backup for the last two seasons. White set a Mississippi career passing record with 15,529 yards in his five-year high school career. He also threw for 177 career TDs, second all-time in Mississippi history. White passed for 3,557 yards and 42 touchdowns last year as a senior.
Stockett passed for a career-high 433 yards and six TDs – the majority in the first half – in the win over Oak Grove.
MRA has one of the most talented receiving groups in Mississippi. Blessed with speed, instinct, great hands, and precise route running, the Patriots are tough to cover.
Thomas leads the group with 32 catches for 539 yards and eight TDs. Then there is junior Will Bizot (21-363-2) and senior Jack Polles (12-273-4), who have both made big plays this season, and don’t forget about speedy senior Jake McMillan, who caught a 52-yard TD against Oak Grove.
The offensive front has been excellent, led by returning starters, 6-2, 280-pound sophomore offensive lineman Caleb Unger (eight Division I offers) and senior offensive lineman Sebastian Griffin.
Senior linebacker Jackson Toler – nephew of former All-SEC Ole Miss wide receiver Ken Toler – leads the team with 56 tackles. Junior defensive lineman Cade Gentry (6-3, 235) has a team-high four sacks.
This game will feature more players – six – on the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Preseason Elite 11 Team than any game this season. Hartfiel has four, Womack, West, Simmons and Vaughn. MRA has two, Thomas and Watkins.
MRA coach Herbert Davis – a Brookhaven Academy, Co-Lin CC, and Mississippi College (bachelor’s degree) and Delta State (master’s degree) graduate – has won 243 games and six state championships (three at MRA, two at Brookhaven Academy and one at Pillow Academy) in his 28th season as a head coach. He is the only football coach in Mississippi history to take five schools (MRA, Brookhaven Academy, Pillow Academy, Heritage Academy and Winston Academy) to state championship games. Davis has won 109 games in 11 seasons at MRA.
MRA has definitely played a tougher schedule.
The Patriots lost 60-36 to Arkansas Class 7A public school power Pulaski Academy, ranked No. 3 in Arkansas by MaxPreps. MRA defeated defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Oak Grove 51-13, the most points scored against Oak Grove since 2009. MRA also defeated MAIS Class 6A Parklane Academy 42-20 in the season opener, and Parklane is considered one of the favorites to win the state title in its class. Oak Grove is ranked No. 12 and Parklane No. 24 by MaxPreps.
In comparison, Hartfield’s opponents have a combined 25-24 record and the highest ranked opponent in MaxPreps’ rankings is Class 5A Heritage Academy at No. 88.
MRA’s tougher schedule and home-field advantage will be the difference.
MRA 28, Hartfield 21.
In other games (winners in bold):
M.S. Palmer (2-3) at Jim Hill (0-6), Thursday, Hughes Field
Pearl (2-3) at Northwest Rankin (3-2), Thursday
St. Andrew’s (4-2) at Pisgah (5-1), Thursday
Velma Jackson (4-1) at McAdams (0-6), Thursday
Warren Central (2-3) at Ridgeland (3-2), Thursday
Brandon (4-1) at Petal (4-2)
Callaway (2-4) at Columbus (2-3)
Canton (4-1) at Cleveland Central (5-0)
Enterprise-Clarke (4-2) at McLaurin (2-4)
Florence (3-2) at Brookhaven (4-1)
Germantown (5-1) at Starkville (5-1)
Leake County (3-3) at Pelahatchie (2-4)
Madison Central (4-1) at Tupelo (6-0)
Murrah (6-0) at Perry Central (3-3)
Pearl River Central (1-4) at Forest Hill (1-4), South Jackson Field
Raleigh (6-0) at Puckett (4-2)
Raymond (1-3) at Lanier (6-0), Hughes Field
Richland (1-5) at McComb (1-4)
South Jones (4-2) at Provine (1-5), North Jackson Field
West Jones (5-1) at Terry (5-1)
Benton Academy (0-6) at Canton Academy (4-3)
Cathedral (3-5) at Madison St. Joseph (1-4)
Christian Collegiate (2-4) at Park Place Christian (3-4)
Clinton Christian (2-6) at Tri-County Academy (7-0)
Discovery Christian (2-5) at Kemper Academy (2-5)
East Rankin Academy (2-6) at Leake Academy (4-3)
Heritage Academy (3-3) at Hillcrest Christian (1-6)
Jackson Academy (6-1) at Starkville Academy (3-4)
Presbyterian Christian (4-2) at Jackson Prep (7-0)
Winston Academy (5-2) at Central Hinds Academy (4-3)
