Veteran sportswriter and high school football expert Robert Wilson is doing the Germany Law Firm, PLLC/Mississippi Scoreboard predictions column each week during the high school football season on teams from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin County. Wilson had a 23-5 record (82.1 percent) last week and has a 219-64 record (77.3 percent) this season.
By Robert Wilson
Hattiesburg (7-2) at Terry (8-1), Thursday
Metro Jackson high school football fans remember Terry star running back Anthony Dixon, one of the best running backs in Mississippi history.
Dixon gained 2,683 yards and scored 31 touchdowns to lead Terry to an 11-2 record and the MHSAA Class 6A semifinals as a senior in 2005.
Dixon went on to lead Mississippi State in rushing for four seasons and set a school record with 1,391 yards as a senior. He was a sixth round NFL draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers and played six years in the NFL with the 49ers and Buffalo Bills.
The Terry Bulldogs are having their best year since Dixon took his team to the playoffs three consecutive seasons.
Kris Thigpen, in his sixth season as head coach, has gradually built the program from a 2-10 record in his first season.
And Thursday night, Thigpen has his team with an opportunity to win the MHSAA Class 6A, Region 3 championship.
Terry’s only loss is to West Jones and has a 3-1 region record, tied with West Jones and behind Hattiesburg at 4-0.
“This may be the biggest game at Terry since the 2006 South State championship game against Wayne County,” said Thipgen, who won a state championship as a quarterback for Taylorsville in 2002 and has been an assistant coach at North Forrest, Collins (a part of state title team in 2014), and Ridgeland and also a head coach at Coffeeville for one season. “Our players and coaches have done a great job of buying into my vision and executing it. We have a great group of seniors that I’ve been with for all four years. Several of our guys will sign and play at the next level. We’re definitely trending in the right direction from a football standpoint. Hattiesburg presents a huge challenge. They’ve been here before but our team is hungry, our team wants to be remembered, and our team wants to win this region championship.”
Terry senior running back and Georgia State commitment Ronde Baker – rated the No. 46 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports – has 908 yards (8.7 yards per carry) and 14 TDs this season. Junior quarterback Brady Busby has thrown for 1,195 yards and 14 TDs with only one interception and junior linebacker Micha White has 42 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and nine sacks and leads a defense that hasn’t allowed any points at home this season.
Terry needs to beat Hattiesburg by 11 or more points to win the region title. Anything less would drop Terry to the No. 2 seed or possibly the No. 3 seed.
Hattiesburg senior wide receiver and Tennessee commitment Tristen Keys is rated the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 4 player in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports. He has 33 Division I offers, including 13 from the SEC. Keys has 17 catches for 346 yards and four TDs in four games this season. He missed the first half of the season due to an injury.
Hattiesburg has averaged 40 points a game since Keys came back from his injury. Look for another big night for the Tigers.
Hattiesburg 35, Terry 14
In other games (winners in ALL CAPS):
Canton (4-5) at WARREN CENTRAL (7-2), Thursday
CLEVELAND CENTRAL (5-3) at Provine (2-8), Thursday, Hughes Field
Clinton (4-5) at MADISON CENTRAL (5-4), Thursday
HOLMES COUNTY CENTRAL (7-3) at Florence (4-5), Thursday
Jim Hill (2-8) at WEST JONES (8-2), Thursday
Meridian (2-7) at BRANDON (4-5), Thursday
Murrah (1-9) at GERMANTOWN (6-3), Thursday
Northwest Rankin (5-4) at PETAL (7-3), Thursday
Pearl (3-6) at OAK GROVE (7-3), Thursday
RIDGELAND (8-1) at Greenville (4-5), Thursday
GEORGE COUNTY (4-5) at Forest Hill (1-9), South Jackson Field
NESHOBA CENTRAL (4-5) at Callaway (5-5), Hughes Field
Vicksburg (4-5) at LANIER (9-1), North Jackson Field
Richland (6-4) at LEAKE CENTRAL (8-2)
Pisgah (5-5) at RALEIGH (9-1)
Velma Jackson (4-5) at NORTHSIDE (8-1)
Pelahatchie (5-5) at BAY SPRINGS (7-3)
MARSHALL ACADEMY (8-2) at Central Hinds Academy (3-6)
North Delta (2-8) at CANTON ACADEMY (4-6)
