By Robert Wilson
Madison-Ridgeland Academy junior quarterback John White only played the first half in the 48-6 victory over two-time defending MAIS state champion Greenville Christian School Thursday night, but anyone who was watching saw his pin-point accuracy and sound decision making that he has carried over from last year’s sophomore season when he was selected the best quarterback in Metro Jackson.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Southern Miss commitment completed 14 of 20 passes – five passes were dropped – for 162 yards and two touchdowns and led MRA to a 34-0 halftime lead.
For his performance, White has been named the first Junction Deli Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week for the 2022 season.
Despite losing his top two receivers – Priority One Bank Metro Jackson Player of the Year and Southern Miss signee Davis Dalton and sure-handed Street Toler – to graduation last year, White was at the top of his game in the season opener for the three-time defending MAIS Class 6A state champions.
“John is a year wiser, he’s better at reading defensive coverages and picking up blitz pressure,” MRA coach Herbert Davis said. “He’s getting better at anticipation. John was very accurate in the game, missing only one ball and that one by only 5-6 inches. If we hadn’t had those drops, John would have had well over 200 passing yards in the first half. His decision making was great too, knowing when to throw, where to throw it and when not to throw it.”
White is the No. 9 player in Mississippi, No. 1 quarterback in Mississippi and No. 49 quarterback in the country in the Class of 2024 by 247 Sports Composite rankings. In addition to Southern Miss, White has been offered by Division I schools Liberty, Florida Atlantic, Toledo and Alabama A&M.
White, the first team quarterback on the Priority One Bank Metro Jackson Team last season, completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,935 yards for 39 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions and led MRA to a 11-3 record and the MAIS Class 6A state championship. White was one of three sophomores on the Metro Jackson first team last year and one of two juniors on this year’s Preseason Elite 11 team. White transferred from Winona Christian School after his freshman year.
MRA has now won 11straight games and 42 of its last 43 against MAIS competition, the only loss to Greenville Christian in last year’s season opener. Greenville Christian defeated MRA 58-32 to end MRA’s 19-game winning streak and a 22-game home winning streak. Greenville Christian went on to have one of the greatest seasons in MAIS history and finished ranked No. 74 in the nation by MaxPreps. MRA has won 31 of its last 34 games, all three losses to three state champions from Mississippi (Greenville Christian), Tennessee (Public school Class 6A and nationally ranked Oakland) and Arkansas (Class 2A Pulanski Academy) last season. MRA is playing Oakland and Pulanski this season.
MRA plays host to MAIS Class 5A Natchez Cathedral Friday at MRA in Madison. MRA defeated Cathedral 56-7 last season.
