By Robert Wilson
Hartfield Academy’s Mr. Everything – Bralan Womack – is back healthy again.
Just ask Jackson Prep.
The senior wide receiver-defensive back-return specialist and Auburn commitment had his best game of the season with 156 yards and two touchdowns on six carries (an average of 26 yards per carry), four catches for 40 yards, a team-high seven tackles and an interception return for 40 yards to lead No. 2 seed and two-time defending MAIS state champion Hartfield to a 48-21 victory over No. 3 seed Jackson Prep in the Class 4A, Division I semifinals Friday hight at Hartfield in Flowood.
For his outstanding performance, Womack has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week.
Womack – rated the No. 2 player in Mississippi and the No. 1 safety and No. 12 player in the country by 247 Sports – gained most of his yards from the wildcat position, taking a direct snap and running. He scored on runs of 87 and 79 yards in the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound Womack, who has been slowed by several injuries for the majority of the season, has caught 39 passes for 868 yards and six TDs, ran 11 times for 206 yards and three TDs, averaged 33 yards on four punt returns, returned one kickoff for 15 yards, made 26 tackles, had one interception for 40 yards, and broke up one pass in nine games this season. He missed the Tupelo and Jackson Prep games and missed most of the Lamar School game in the regular season. Hartfield lost to Tupelo and Prep.
“Bralan was a dominating presence for all four quarters in the semifinal,” Hartfield coach Craig Bowman said. “He’s battled injuries all season and not been full speed and so now he wants to be able to perform at his highest level for his teammates. He knew it was his last game on campus at Hartfield and he put together a performance that we won’t forget. Bralan is not just an elite player. He’s an elite person. And I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to be around him for so many years.”
In August, Womack chose Auburn over Florida, Texas A&M and defending national champion and current No. 1 Ohio State. He also had offers from 35 Division I offers, including 13 from SEC.
He had 39 tackles, 8 interceptions, 2 pass break ups, and 4 touchdowns, caught 54 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 TDs, had 5 punt returns for a 22.5-yard average and 2 TDs and had 3 kickoff returns for a 42.7-yard average and 1 TD and helped Hartfield to a 12-2 record and its second straight Class 6A state championship last season as a junior. He was the first team all-purpose back selection on the 2024 Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team.
Womack had 26 tackles, 7 interceptions for 89 yards and 2 TDs, 1 fumble recovery for a 52-yard return, and caught 32 passes for 562 yards and 10 TDs and helped Hartfield to a 14-0 record and its first MAIS Class 6A state championship in school history two years ago as a sophomore. He also averaged 54.8 yards on four kickoff returns and 2 TDs and averaged 30.1 yards on nine punt returns and 2 TDs.
Womack was a first team defensive back on the All-Metro Jackson team, the only sophomore on the first team defense.
He is expected to graduate in December and enroll at Auburn in January.
Womack is the son of Nicole and BJ Womack. Nicole and BJ are graduates of Mendenhall High and Copiah-Lincoln Community College. BJ played football, basketball and baseball at Mendenhall and football at Co-Lin. Womack’s only sibling, Ma’Nia, is a junior outfielder-designated player for Auburn. Womack’s sister, Ma’Nia, plays softball for Auburn. She transferred from Ole Miss and was an All-State player at Hartfield. Womack’s cousin is the late Steve McNair, who was an All-State defensive back at Mount Olive (his 15 interceptions in a season and 30 for a career are state records), an All-American quarterback at Alcorn State, finished third in the Heisman Trophy as a senior and played 14 years in the NFL, and was the NFL co-MVP in 2003. Another cousin is Steve’s brother, Fred, who played quarterback at Alcorn and in the Canadian Football League, was a former Alcorn head coach and is now the interim head coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge.
Hartfield, 6-5 and winners of five straight games, meets No. 4 seed Jackson Academy, 10-1, for the state championship Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mississippi College’s Robinson-Hale Stadium in Clinton. JA defeated Hartfield 41-22 in the regular season.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a football player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by texting Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
PREVIOUS WINNERS:
WEEK ONE: Gage Crapps, East Rankin Academy
WEEK TWO: Knolyn Bryce Archie Bailey, Lanier
WEEK THREE: Caleb Unger, MRA
WEEK FOUR: Samuel Stockett, MRA
WEEK FIVE: Waylan King, Callaway
WEEK SIX: Tripp Smith, Madison Central
WEEK SEVEN: Trevon Willis, Velma Jackson
WEEK EIGHT: King White, Germantown
WEEK NINE: Knolyn Bryce Archie Bailey, Lanier
WEEK TEN: Hayden Hunt, Tri-County Academy
WEEK ELEVEN: Jakobi Ratliff, Jim Hill
WEEK TWELVE: JaMarcus Byrd, Forest Hill
