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 an 15-8 record last week (65.2 percent) and has a 136-40 record (77.3 percent) for the season.
Northwest Rankin (4-1) at Pearl (5-0), Thursday
Pearl is on the way to having the best turnaround season in Mississippi this year. The Pirates won only two games last season, and lost its last six games, but is off to an impressive 5-0 start this season, already doubling its win total of 2022.
Pearl is off its best start since Coach John Perry led the Pirates to the state championship and 16-0 season in 2017 and has won its first five games for only the second time since Coach Doug Merchant had back-to-back 9-0 and 6-0 starts in 1982 and 1983, finishing 10-2 and 9-2.
Justin Hunter, who was Perry’s offensive coordinator for his last six seasons, is in his fourth season at head coach. Hunter has been a part of three other state title teams, being an assistant at Louisville in 2007 and 2008 and Noxapater in 2009.
Hunter has a rising star in sophomore quarterback Jack Durr, who has passed for 1,048 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 261 yards and five TDs this season. The leading rusher is junior Antwuane Shoto with 390 yards and three TDs. The leading receivers are junior Kingi McNair with 450 yards and five TDs and senior Shaden McCollum with 293 yards and three TDs.
The most talented Pirate is 6-foot-4, 292-pound senior offensive lineman Taccofah Lewis, who is rated as the No. 36 best player in Mississippi in the Class of 2024 by 247 Sports and is committed to Memphis. He also has Division I offers from Southern Miss, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley, Tulane, Akron, Central Arkansas, Alabama State and Florida A&M.
Senior linebacker Ken Mangum, junior linebacker Kaleb Aterberry, senior defensive end Tre Chaffier and junior defensive end Tyler Jenkins led the Pirate defense.
Northwest Rankin is having its own bounce back season, winning only six games over the past two seasons, but are on their way to a tremendous year. The Cougars have already beaten three MSHAA Class 7A teams in Germantown, Clinton and Madison Central. Northwest Rankin lost to Clinton 35-14 and Madison Central 48-3 last season, quite a turnaround this year.
Devin Cooper is in his third season at Northwest Rankin after taking over for Toby Collum, who left for Madison Central. Cooper has really got the Cougars rolling this season.
Northwest Rankin’s offense is led by senior quarterback Wes White (876 passing yards and eight TDs), senior running back Dylan Lewis (478 rushing yards and seven TDs) and freshman wide receiver De’Shawn Dillion (441 receiving yards and five TDs).
The linebacker trio of junior Brooks Wallis, junior Daniel Watkins and senior Magnum Henderson has been solid along with senior defensive end Braylon Brown. Junior defensive back Octavius Hunt had 13 tackles and two interceptions, one for a TD, last week in the win over Brookhaven.
This is a terrific matchup for the Class 7A, Region 3 opener for both teams.
Northwest Rankin defeated Pearl 48-34 last season and Pearl gave up 49 points each to Oak Grove and Brandon to finish off last year’s nightmare of a season.
But the Pirates have made a dramatic turnaround and will show the Cougars just how far they’ve come Thursday night.
Pearl 28, Northwest Rankin 21
In other games (winners in bold):
Brookhaven (2-3) at Florence (3-3), Thursday
McComb (6-0) at Richland (4-2), Thursday
Petal (3-2) at Brandon (3-2), Thursday
Provine (4-2) at South Jones (2-4), Thursday
Terry (4-2) at West Jones (6-0), Thursday
Canton Academy (4-3) at Benton Academy (3-4)
Central Hinds Academy (4-3) at Winston Academy (4-3)
Cleveland Central (5-1) at Canton (0-5)
Columbus (1-5) at Callaway (2-4), Hughes Field
Forest Hill (3-3) at Pearl River Central (0-5)
Jackson Prep (6-1) at Presbyterian Christian School (2-4)
Jim Hill (1-5) at M.S. Palmer (2-3)
Lanier (2-4) at Raymond (2-3)
Leake Academy (2-5) at East Rankin Academy (2-5)
MRA (5-2) at Hartfield Academy (8-0)
Madison St. Joseph (3-5) at Cathedral (2-5)
McAdams (1-5) at Velma Jackson (5-0)
McLaurin (1-5) at Enterprise-Clarke (3-3)
Murrah (4-2) at Wingfield (1-5), South Jackson Field
Park Place Christian Academy (2-4) at Christian Collegiate Academy (4-2)
Pelahatchie (1-5) at Leake County (0-6)
Pisgah (2-4) at St. Andrew’s (3-3)
Puckett (5-1) at Raleigh (5-2)
Ridgeland (2-3) at West Lauderdale (3-2)
Starkville (5-1) at Germantown (3-3)
Starkville Academy (6-1) at Jackson Academy (5-2)
Tri-County Academy (6-1) at Clinton Christian Academy (5-2)
Tupelo (4-2) at Madison Central (3-2)
