Veteran sportswriter and high school football expert Robert Wilson is doing the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard predictions column each week during the high school football season on teams from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin County. Wilson had a 4-2 record (66.7 percent) last week.
TRI-COUNTY ACADEMY (0-0) AT SIMPSON ACADEMY (0-0), FRIDAY, 7 P.M.
Tri-County started off its state championship season last year with a surprising, 47-6 victory over Simpson at Tri-County in Flora. Most expected a close game or even a Simpson victory. Both programs were coming off runner-up finishes from the previous season.
Quarterback Bryce Warriner completed 23 of 32 passes for 225 yards and two TDs, running back-middle linebacker Rhett Gray had 110 yards on 22 carries and four TDs and had a team-high five tackles, and wide receiver-defensive back-return specialist Jacob Clearman caught 10 passes for 101 yards and one TD, returned five punts for 79 yards and punted twice for a 41-yard average and returned an interception for 42 yards in last year’s win over Simpson.
It was a dominating performance.
Tri-County’s win was a sign of how great the Rebels’ season would be as they finished 12-1 – its only loss a 40-35 decision to MHSAA Class 1A semifinalist Taylorsville (the first time Tri-County had played an MHSAA school) – and won its sixth state championship in school history and second one in three seasons.
Tri-County has been to the state title game three consecutive seasons. Tri-County won 12 games for the third straight season and has a 38-4 record – an amazing 90.4 winning percentage – in the last three years.
Tri-County’s offensive line paved the way for 225 rushing yards and led the Rebels to a 26-13 victory over Bowling Green, La., for the MAIS Class 4A state championship at Jackson Academy in Northeast Jackson.
Several of the players who were responsible for the state title win and the tremendous season last year are back this season as Tri-County tries to go back-to-back.
Warriner passed for 2,336 yards and 26 TDs and ran for 564 yards and 11 TDs. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 151 yards and one TD and ran for 68 yards in the state championship game. Warriner broke his own school record of 2,262 yards from two years ago. He had a school record 30 TDs two years ago.
Warriner is one of 14 returning starters from last year’s state championship team, six on offense and eight on defense. Warriner, wide receivers Brayden Walsh and Hayden Smith, running back Gray, offensive lineman Cooper Green and Brian Bergeron return on offense. Middle linebackers Walker Hilberbrand and Gray, outside linebackers Johnson and Walsh, defensive tackles Green and Bergeron, cornerback Peyton Patridge and defensive end Bryce Brooks.
Tri-County must replace Mr. Everything – wide receiver-defensive back-return specialist Jacob Clearman – who graduated. Clearman had an outstanding season (1,094 receiving yards and 14 TDs) and also made big plays running the ball and on defense. He was the second-team all-purpose player on the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson team last season. Clearman was the only player on the 50-player team from a non-MAIS Class 6A team and from the smallest school on the team.
Also back in head coach Philip Wasson, who won his fourth state title (two at Tri-County and two at Washington School) and has been in six state championship games in 18 career seasons. Wasson, who has a 142-69 career record (67.2 winning percentage) as he enters his 19th season, including a 54-11 mark (83.1 winning percentage) as he enters his sixth season at Tri-County.
Simpson had a good season also and lost to Adams County Christian School 47-29 in the MAIS Class 5A state championship game. The Cougars finished 8-5, with four of those losses to state champions, two to ACCS and on to Tri-County and one to 6A state champion Hartfield Academy.
Simpson is looking for its first state title since 2013 and has four state runner-up finishes in the past seven seasons.
Simpson has 16 returning starters, nine on defense and seven on offense. Braden Duncan, Ben Kennedy, Branson Maddox, James Henry Robinson, Eli Brewer, Kade Walker, Parker Pinkerton, Chase Adcock and Chanse Funchess on defense, and Conner Cone, Hayes Berry and Parker Pierce on offense and special teams.
Berry is the starting quarterback, replacing two year returning starter and senior Barrett McKenney, who is out after thumb surgery for at least midseason.
Todd Mangum starts his fourth year as head coach at Simpson and the 22nd season in his career. He has a 127-61 record, a 67.5 winning percentage, and has coached at McLaurin, Seminary, Collins, Ocean Springs, Wayne County and Wayne Academy before coming to Simpson. He started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Simpson in 1986. Mangum won the MHSAA Class 5A state title in 2015 at Wayne County.
These two teams are considered two of the most successful football programs in the lower classes of the MAIS.
Tri-County leads the series 11-2 and hadn’t met in over 20 seasons before last year’s game.
Tri-County won’t beat Simpson as bad as last season – one of the most perfect performances by a Wasson team in his successful coaching career – but the Rebels should get out of Simpson County with another win.
Tri-County 28, Simpson 21.
In other games (winners in bold):
Ben Ford (La.) at Park Place
Canton Academy (1-0) at Carroll Academy
Central Hinds Academy at Cathedral (0-1)
Greenville St. Joseph (1-0) at Clinton Christian (1-0)
Hartfield Academy (1-0) at Brookhaven Academy (0-1)
Jackson Prep at Copiah Academy
Leake Academy at Jackson Academy (1-0)
MRA (1-0) at Magnolia Heights
Oak Forest (La.) Academy at East Rankin (0-1)
Wilkinson County Christian at Hillcrest Christian
