By Robert Wilson
The next star quarterback in Mississippi could be playing at a small private school in a tiny community in Leake County.
Meet sophomore George Wilcox, who plays for Leake Academy in Madden.
He is 6-foot-2, 220 pounds with a rocket arm. All he did Friday night was throw for a career-high 542 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s right – nine TDs. One short of the Mississippi record.
Wilcox threw for TD passes of 5 yards and 63 yards to Matthew Nowell in the first quarter, 58 yards and 3 yards to Nowell and 94 yards to Matthan Weaver and 1 yard to Majure Chandler in the second quarter, 25 yards and 43 yards to Ben Jackson in the third quarter and 50 yards to Jackson in the fourth quarter in Leake’s 62-36 victory over Silliman, La., in first round of the MAIS Class 5A playoffs. Wilcox completed 20 of 34 passes (58.8 percent) without an interception.
Wilcox didn’t break any Mississippi records, but he was getting close. He was one TD pass from tying the Mississippi record of 10, held by Clifton Davis III of North Panola in 1990. Wilcox is now tied in second place with Dawson Phillips of Mooreville, who threw for nine TD passes in a single game in 2021. Wilcox now holds the MAIS record.
Wilcox’s passing yards is 51 short of Philip Short’s MAIS record of 593 yards for Madison-Ridgeland Academy in 49-33 victory over Jackson Prep for the Class 6A state championship in 2019.
Two players in Mississippi history have thrown for more than 600 yards in game – Forest Williams had 646 for Amory in 2011 and Dawson Phillips had 637 for Mooreville in 2021.
Wilcox has now completed 164 of 282 passes for 2,709 yards and 28 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 11 games for 5-6 Leake this season. Leake plays at Starkville Academy Friday in the second round of the 5A playoffs.
Wilcox played in a few games as a varsity player last season as a freshman but played mostly on the ninth grade team at Leake.
Wilcox isn’t the first standout athlete from Leake from his family. Allen Kaye Wilcox, George’s older sister, was a starter on Leake’s Overall Tournament championship team three years ago. Emmi Harkins, Wilcox’s first cousin, was an All-Star in basketball and softball at Leake and played softball two years at East Central Community College.
“George is a super kid who understands the game,” said Leake coach Brian Pickens, who is also the head of school. “He has a big arm and he’s accurate. George and our young receivers have continued to improve as the year has gone along. Throwing the football takes timing and these guys have worked hard. Our offense is built around his strengths. George would always get a group of guys after we worked out to go throw and get better. He’s self-motivated. George is levelheaded. He’s not going to get rattled. George takes instructions well.”
