By Robert Wilson
His name is Arthur Wilson, Jr., but everyone calls him Junior. He is anything but junior on the football field, especially last week in the Central Hinds Academy season opener.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior running back-wide receiver-linebacker produced 212 yards and three touchdowns and had eight tackles to lead MAIS Class 3A Central Hinds to a 35-7 victory over defending MAIS Class 2A state champion Centreville Academy Friday night in a non-conference game at Central Hinds in Raymond.
Wilson gained 150 yards on two carries and scored on runs of 96 and 54 yards and caught three passes for 62 yards and a 52-yard TD.
Five total touches for an average of 42.4 yards.
For his outstanding performance, Wilson has been named the first Taste Restaurant/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week this season.
“Junior is on another level,” second-year Central Hinds coach Ben Durham said. “For his size, he has tremendous agility and speed. We just look for him to have a huge season. Defensively, Junior is super physical and has really progressed on the technique side. Offensively, we just want to move him around. Junior can catch it or run it. He is just a complete mismatch with most defensive backs. If he gets the ball in space, he is tough to bring down. Junior is a great kid.”
Wilson, used primarily as a wide receiver and linebacker last season, had caught 16 passes for 258 yards and three TDs and ran for 227 yards, a 12.6-yard average, and scored four TDs and had 105 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks for 5-7 Central Hinds last season as a junior.
Wilson has offers from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, East Central CC, Hinds CC, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, and Pearl River CC.
Wilson averaged 19 points and 20 rebounds for Coach James Crain and the Central Hinds basketball team last season as a junior.
Wilson is the son of Raejasmine Powell and Arthur Wilson, Sr. Raejasmine attended Crystal Springs High and Copiah Lincoln CC. Arthur played football and basketball at Crystal Springs High and attended trade school for welding. Wilson has five sisters and two brothers. All four of his older sisters were cheerleaders in high school. His younger brother is a sophomore and plays football and basketball for Crystal Springs High.
Central Hinds plays at Christian Home Educators Fellowship Friday in Baton Rouge.
Robert Wilson selects a football player of the week each week from teams from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. To contact Robert, text him at 601.506.2276.
