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 16-8 record (66.7 percent) last week and has an 232-55 record (81.7 percent) this season.
Centreville Academy (6-5) at Tri-County Academy (10-0), Friday 7 p.m. (watch and listen on livestream on fan.hudl.com and listen on WYAB, 103.9 FM).
The winningest high school football coach in Mississippi history – Centreville’s Bill Hurst – and his team stand in the way as Tri-County starts the MAIS Class 4A playoff journey toward a second straight state championship.
Hurst has a 434-155 career record, a 73.7 winning percentage, in 48 seasons. He has won nine MAIS state titles, the first one in 1976 (his second season as a head coach), and the last one in 2014. Hurst tooktwo years off from coaching (1994 and ’95) to watch his son Brian play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College. According to MaxPreps, Hurst has the 12th most wins among active coaches in the country and the 25th in all-time wins in the country as of August 2023.
Hurst missed the first five games this season after having back surgery but is back coaching.
Tri-County has the longest active winning streak in Mississippi at 16 games as the Rebels start the playoffs. Tri-County received a first-round bye. The Rebels have won 22 straight games against MAIS opponents, the last loss was to Greenville St. Joseph in the 2022 state championship game. Tri-County’s only loss last season was a 40-35 decision to MHSAA Class 1A power Taylorsville, the first time Tri-County had played a public school in football in school history.
Tri-County won its sixth state championship in school history and second one in three seasons last year and have been to the state title game three straight seasons. The Rebels won 12 games for the third straight season last year and has a 48-4 record – an amazing 92.3 winning percentage – over the last four years.
Tri-County hasn’t lost a MAIS home game since a 19-18 decision to Adams County Christian during the 2021 regular season and has won 15 consecutive home games against MAIS opponents.
Tri-County ended Centreville’s season last year in the semifinals with a 45-0 victory, one of the worst losses in Hurst’s career.
The Rebels are led on offense by senior quarterback Bryce Warriner, senior wide receivers Brayden Walsh and Hayden Smith and junior running back Hayden Hunt, senior running back Rhett Gray and junior running back Cooper Johnson. Senior linebacker Walker Hilderbrand and Walsh at safety are key defensive players.
Warriner has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 1,094 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Smith has caught 25 passes for 219 yards and 2 TDs and Walsh has caught 23 passes for 374 yards and 5 TDs. Hunt has 132 carries for 1,390 yards and 20 TDs, Gray has 74 carries for 496 yards and 11 TDs and Johnson has 52 carries for 481 yards and 9 TDs.
Hilderbrand leads the team with 92 tackles and seven sacks. Walsh has 51 tackles and one interception.
Tri-County coach Philip Wasson has won four state titles, two at Tri-County and two at Washington School and has been in six state championships in 19 career seasons.
Centreville’s top players are wide receiver John Austin Sterling (Hurst’s grandson), junior running backs Garrett Jeansome and Liam Schwartz, senior center-defensive end Landon Bignear, senior tackle EJ Gordon, junior linebacker Matt Wells, and junior defensive back Preston Redmond.
Tri-County 28, Centreville 7.
In other games (winners in bold):
Callaway (4-6) at Neshoba Central (4-5), Thursday
Canton (7-2) at Holmes County Central (6-3), Thursday
Madison Central (7-2) at Clinton (4-5), Thursday
Meridian (4-6) at Pearl (2-7), Thursday
Murrah (8-2) at Jim Hill (1-9), Thursday, Hughes
Northwest Rankin (5-4) at Brandon (8-1), Thursday
Provine (1-9) at Florence (5-4), Thursday
Terry (6-3) at Forest Hill (2-7), Thursday, South Jackson
Vicksburg (0-9) at Ridgeland (5-4), Thursday
Sumrall (1-8) at Lanier (7-2), Hughes Field
Raymond (3-5) at Forrest County AHS (5-4)
Richland (2-8) at Columbia (7-3)
Amite County (3-6) at Pisgah (9-1)
St. Andrew’s (5-5) at Bogue Chitto (5-4)
Pelahatchie (3-7) at Loyd Star (8-2)
Mount Olive (0-9) at Velma Jackson (8-1)
Presbyterian Christian (5-5) at Jackson Academy (8-3)
Madison St. Joseph (2-7) at Hartfield Academy (9-2)
Columbia Academy (6-6) at Central Hinds Academy (6-4)
Greenville St. Joseph (6-4) at Canton Academy (6-4)
