By Robert Wilson

First-year Ridgeland head football coach Bernard Euell was a teammate of Derrick Cagins at Mississippi State in the 1990s under Coach Jackie Sherrill. 

And this year, Euell has been coaching Cagins’ son Josiah.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive right tackle was a dominating force and helped open holes for the Ridgeland running backs to gain an amazing 501 rushing yards in a 34-29 victory over Callaway in a MHSAA Class 6A, Region 2 game at Hughes Field in West Jackson.

For his outstanding performance, Cagins has been named the Taste Restaurant/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week. 

Cagins helped Ridgeland senior Jeremiah Tillman gain 237 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown and senior Ashton Gorden gain 149 yards on 20 carries and three TDs. 

Cagins and the Ridgeland offensive linemen did it without its top returning player this season, 5-11, 240-pound senior Elliott Young, who missed the game with a shoulder injury. 

Cagins has helped Ridgeland to a 4-3 overall record and 1-1 in region play and a No. 14 ranking in MHSAA Class 6A and No. 96 in Mississippi by MaxPreps. 

“Josiah comes from a strong pedigree with his dad being a good player at Mississippi State,” said Euell, who won 85 games, had a MHSAA Class 2A state runner-up finish in 2023 (a school record 13 wins) and four state semifinal appearances, three in the last four years, in his 10 seasons at Velma Jackson before Ridgeland. “He is a hard working kid. He doesn’t complain and is a doer. Josiah strives to get better every day. This is his first year at Ridgeland. He came from Terry. He has fit in well. Everyone likes him. He’s nice and friendly until he gets on the football field. Then, Josiah’s gets aggressive. He has good feet. Josiah is a complete lineman. We also use him in the heavy package on defense.”

“Josiah’s drive and work ethic are exceptional, both on the field and in the weight room,” Ridgeland offensive line coach Nick Cadle said. “That same dedication extends to the classroom where he understands the importance of being a student-athlete. His background as coach’s son is evident in the way he approaches the game. Josiah is willing to do whatever if takes to help his team succeed. He contributes on both sides of the ball. His versatility  makes him a well-rounded player. Josiah is the kind of young man every coach wants on their team – committed, selfless, and consistently willing to put forth the effort necessary to help the team succeed. As far as our success last Friday, we had some guys we depend on hurt on the offensive line and running backs. We had players step up and fill in those voids and performed very well. It was a complete team effort.”

Cagins is the son of Derrick and Valerie Cagins. Derrick played football, basketball, baseball and track at East Marion High and played football at Mississippi State. Valerie was in the band at East Marion and graduated from Southwest Mississippi Community College and Southern Miss and earned her master’s degree from Jackson State. Cagins’ oldest brother, Devonte’, played football at East Marion and graduated from Southern Miss. Another brother, Derrick, Jr., played football at Terry High and is a freshman at Southwest Mississippi CC. His sister, Kirsten, played softball and basketball at Terry, played one year of softball at Rust College and graduated from MSU. Cagins’ uncle, Fredrick, played quarterback at East Marion and Grambling for legendary coach Eddie Robinson.

Ridgeland plays at Canton, 6-1, Friday night in a region game at Canton.

Robert Wilson selects a football player of the week each week from teams from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties. To contact Robert, text him at 601.506.2276.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

WEEK ONE: Junior Wilson, Central Hinds Academy 

WEEK TWO: Langston Branson, Germantown

WEEK THREE: Rod Murray, Murrah

WEEK FOUR: Luke Essary, Jackson Prep 

WEEK FIVE: De’Montre Strange, Velma Jackson

WEEK SIX: Tyrone Robinson, Brandon

WEEK SEVEN: Aayden Spires, Callaway

WEEK EIGHT: Riley Bianchini, Madison St. Joseph