Robert Wilson spent 23 years at The Clarion-Ledger/Jackson Daily News as a sportswriter with more than half of those years covering high school sports, mostly in the Metro Jackson area. He helped choose the All-Metro teams in various sports for more than a decade. Wilson rebirthed this team seven years ago with All-Metro Football Team with 50 players and a Coach and Player of the Year. With the help of high school and college coaches, Wilson selected the best players from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties.
By Robert Wilson
Ridgeland’s Todd McDaniel and Germantown’s King White – the 2025 Performance Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Coach and Player of the Year – took their respective teams to new heights this season.
McDaniel led Ridgeland to an 11-2 record and the MHSAA Class 7A semifinals and won more games this year than he had in the past two seasons, one of the biggest turnarounds in Mississippi this season.
White, a senior quarterback and Hinds Community College commitment, set school records with 2,435 passing yards and 26 touchdowns with only one interception and ran for 623 yards and 14 TDs and led Germantown to an 8-4 record and the 7A quarterfinals – the best record and deepest playoff run since the Mavericks moved up to MHSAA’s largest classification in 2019.
McDaniel – a Hazlehurst High graduate and four-year starter at defensive end for Alcorn State in the late 1990s – took a team with 11 returning starters to a turnaround season coming within one win of reaching the MSHAA Class 6A state championship game. Ridgeland’s only two losses were to eventual stae champion Warren Central (21-14 in the regular season and 45-42 in the 6A semifinals).
This season is the best at Ridgeland since Coach Kenny Burton led the Titans to a 13-1 record and the 5A semifinals in 2010.
Ridgeland had a 3-7 record in McDaniel’s first season and 6-5 in his second season.
Turning around a program is nothing new for McDaniel, who led Hazlehurst and Vicksburg to turnaround seasons.
“Year three at Ridgeland has been a testament to patience, development, and belief in young men,” McDaniel said. “When I arrived, we only had three returning starters. The cupboard was empty, and we went 3–7 in that first season. It was tough. We played a lot of young guys and took some lumps, but we knew those experiences would shape the foundation of this program.
“I told my principal, ‘Give me 18 months and you will see this program turn around.’ Just like I did at Vicksburg and Hazlehurst, we committed to coaching our kids hard, loving them even harder, and building consistency. With those young players growing in our offensive and defensive systems over the past three years, we went 6–5 last season and fully expected – with a strong offseason – to be competing for a championship this year.”
After graduating from Alcorn State, McDaniel got his first coaching job at Crystal Springs High where he was defensive coordinator and head track coach in 2001.
He returned to his alma mater in 2002 as defensive coordinator and helped his team win a state championship in 2005. Hazlehurst had a 48-8 record while he was defensive coordinator.
McDaniel became head coach at Wingfield in 2006 and guided the Falcons to a 6-4 record, their first winning season since 2000. Before he arrived, Wingfield had not won more than two games in each of the last five seasons.
After two seasons at Wingfield, McDaniel returned to his alma mater in 2008 where he went 10-3. 7-5 and 8-3 in his three seasons.
McDaniel left to do an internship with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL with then head coach and former Alcorn State star Leslie Frazier in 2011. In 2012, he was the interim head coach at Alcorn State.
McDaniel was the head coach at Terry in 2013 and led the Yellowjackets to a 5-6 record.
He came back to Hazlehurst in 2014 and finished 4-7. But he turned it around next season with a 12-1 record (an unbeaten regular season) and reached the 3A quarterfinals in 2015. McDaniel followed that up with a 12-1 record (another unbeaten regular season) and reached the 3A quarterfinals again, and then an 11-3 record and reached the 3A semifinals in 2017.
McDaniel left for Vicksburg and finished 4-8 in 2020, but improved to 7-5 and lost to West Point in the 5A second round in 2021, and improved to 10-3 and lost to West Point in the 5A semifinals in 2022 before going to Ridgeland.
McDaniel was the defensive line coach for Mississippi for the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game in 2018 and 2022 and the defensive coordinator for the South team in the Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star Game in 2017.
“My coaching journey started long before Ridgeland,” McDaniel said. “My father, Dr. Robert McDaniel, a former football coach and superintendent, taught me offensive and defensive line play from the time I was four years old. Every weekend he’d move the coffee table out of the way and teach me hand placement, footwork, and fundamentals. When you see my teams play, you see him. My toughness comes from my mom, Dr. Bettie McDaniel, a former principal and the toughest person I know. She taught me attention to detail and grit. My junior high and varsity coaches, Henry Dorsey and Emanuel Bridges, showed me what it takes to win. My brothers – Robert McDaniel, Jr., Terrel McDaniel, and Reginald McDaniel – keep me grounded and always tell me the truth, even when it hurts. (Former Hazlehurst head coach) Willie Brown introduced me to the Wing-T offense, which has consistently averaged 40 points a night. My wife, Janet McDaniel, has been by my side for over 25 years, every Friday night, every season, every step of the way.”
“The biggest thing I’ve learned from Coach McDaniel is how to believe in the things you want and trust the process,” said Ridgeland senior quarterback and Pearl River Community College commitment DK Wallace, who ran for 1,450 yards and 22 touchdowns and passed for 871 yards and 10 TDs this season. “His motto in his first season with Ridgeland was ‘See It Through,’ and that’s what we did. We went from a 3-7 season to 6-5 to 11-2. Coach pushed us hard every season. He’s been with us no matter the record. That’s just the type of coach he is and that’s what I’ve learned the most, being able to see it through.”
Wallace along with junior running back Ashton Gordon (a team-high 1,494 yards and 17 TDs), junior fullback Johnathan Henningburg (1,164 yards and nine TDs), senior offensive tackle Mitavius McCane, senior linebacker Nigel Lockett (108 tackles, 35 for loss and 6 sacks despite missing four games due to injury), and junior defensive back Tre Collins (five interceptions and 10 pass breakups) and senior defensive back Kaden Qualls (one interception and 11 pass breakups) were key players for Ridgeland this season.
“Coach Todd is a great football coach, but is a better man,” said Vicksburg coach Chris Caley, who was McDaniel’s defensive coordinator for three seasons and has been head coach at Vicksburg for three seasons. “He is a great mentor, awesome husband and dad. I’ve learned so much for him as far as coaching and being a human goes. Coach Todd is all about helping people reach their next level. He knows how to build young men and programs. All you have to do is look at his track record.”
McDaniel – who has a 122-68 career record – has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in secondary education from Alcorn State and a specialist degree in school administration from Jackson State.
McDaniel was helped this season by assistant head coach-offensive line coach Scott Minchew, offensive coordinator-running backs coach Robert Johnson IV, defensive coordinator-defensive back Tim Steward, quarterbacks coach Jerry Fletcher, strength and linebackers coach Makeba Crowley, wide receivers coach Terron McIntyre, H-backs-tight ends coach Nick Cadle, wide receivers coach Richard Mays, and kicking coach Mike Snyder.
McDaniel started learning how to coach from his father, Dr. Robert McDaniel, when he was a little kid, and has been influenced by many family members and friends and mentors along the way.
“My coaching journey started long before Ridgeland,” Todd McDaniel said. “My father, Dr. Robert McDaniel, a former football coach and superintendent, taught me offensive and defensive line play from the time I was four years old. Every weekend he’d move the coffee table out of the way and teach me hand placement, footwork, and fundamentals. When you see my teams play, you see him. My toughness comes from my mom, Dr. Bettie McDaniel, a former principal and the toughest person I know. She taught me attention to detail and grit. My junior high and varsity coaches, Henry Dorsey and Emanuel Bridges, showed me what it takes to win. My brothers – Robert McDaniel Jr., Terrel McDaniel, and Reginald McDaniel – keep me grounded and always tell me the truth, even when it hurts. Willie Brown introduced me to the Wing-T offense, which has consistently averaged 40 points a night. And my wife, Janet McDaniel, has been by my side for over 25 years, every Friday night, every season, every step of the way.”
The regular season loss to Warren Central was a key moment in Ridgeland’s season.
“This season’s highlight for me didn’t come in a win – it came during a loss to Warren Central,” McDaniel said. “We fell behind 21-0 early. A few years ago, that would’ve been the end. But this time I watched our boys grow up in front of me. They fought back to 21-14 and nearly tied the game before a penalty wiped out the score. That night they learned how to fight. They learned how not to quit. That’s the sign of a program turning the corner.”
The 6-foot, 210-pound White was the key of Germantown’s explosive offense, which averaged 41.8 points and 434.3 yards this season. The Mavericks scored more than 40 points seven times, the highest was a 70-42 victory over Desoto Central in the 7A quarterfinals. Germantown lost to eventual champion Tupelo 35-28 in the 7A semifinals, tied with West Point for the most points scored against the Golden Wave this season.
He completed 21 of 28 passes for a career-high 395 yards and four TDs in a 45-28 victory over Starkville and 25 of 24 passes for 306 yards and three TDs and ran 18 times for 81 yards and two TDs this season. White’s total against Starkville was the second most passing yards in a game in school history. Tyler Shell passed for 422 yards against Presbyterian Christian School in 2012.
White was named the North Offensive MVP in the Bernard Blackwell North-South All-Star Game Saturday in Gulfport.
White’s top targets were senior Keyshaun Coleman (61 catches for 875 yards and nine TDs) and senior Lawson Branson (45 catches for 784 yards and 11 TDs) this season. Senior running back Ny Johnson had a team-high 1,039 rushing yards and 14 TDs. Junior Wells Higginbotham (6-foot, 260 pounds) and Everett Turnage (6-4, 320) anchored the offensive line.
“King worked his tail off and earned every bit of recognition he’s received,” said Germantown coach Russell Mitchell, who finished his fourth season as head coach at the Madison County school. “Witnessing his development over the past two seasons has truly been a joy. He had 26 touchdowns and only one interception and increasing his completion percentage by 10 percent was the biggest mark of his improvement over his junior to senior year. King also only had one lost fumble this entire season. He did an exceptional job taking care of the football and leading our offense. King’s competitive spirit is second to none and that’s what really separates elite quarterbacks in my opinion. He is a team first guy. He’s be the first to tell you how well his offensive line blocked and what great playmakers he had around him this season that helped make our offense so productive. He’s also an awesome student and treats people right. King volunteers with the youth at his church (Body of Christ in Jackson). He had a great year against stop competition. I’m thrilled that he’s being recognized with this honor.”
“I think the biggest thing was playing turnover free,” White said. “I had a lot of turnovers last year (12 TDs, 7 interceptions and 5 fumbles) and I knew to be successful this year I’d need to clean it up. We were successful this year because we played of each other and embraced our brotherhood. We built a bond together throughout the team and everyone bought into it. We had playmakers on both sides of the ball that made plays when it counted all throughout the year.”
“King is a great person on and off the field,” Germantown senior running back Ny Johnson. “He’s a great leader when we are on the field by running the offense and making sure we all have our heads straight. King is a straight A student who found a great balance between school work and football. Overall, he’s definitely one we all look to for guidance and he’s a great leader and quarterback.”
Germantown defeated Madison County rival Madison Central 21-17 at Germantown, the first win over Madison Central in school history, before a record estimated crowd of 7,500 at Germantown.
Germantown had lost to Madison Central in all seven meetings, including a 45-14 decision in the 7A quarterfinals to end Germantown’s season last year. The teams first met in 2019. Before 2019, Germantown was in a smaller classification.
White passed for 135 yards and ran for 111 yards and two TDs, both in the fourth quarter, to lead Germantown to the come-from-behind win.
Madison Central scored to take a 17-14 lead with 6 minutes, 14 seconds to play, but White brought the Mavericks back. On the first play of the next drive, White ran 74 yards and then he ran for a 3-yard TD for a 21-17 Germantown lead with 4:53 to play in the game.
“King really put the team on his back in the fourth quarter of the Madison Central game,” Mitchell said. “His refuse to lose attitude was on full display when he broke several tackles on a 70-yard run that set up the go-ahead touchdown.”
“My favorite moment was beating Madison Central,” White said. “It was something we had been looking forward to all year and we capitalized on the moment and made history. We had a great support system cheering us on. They made noise all night and that’s what kept us going all game. The big run was a major moment in the game. Ny had a major block that allowed me to get the sideline. Keyshaun made a great block down the field running his man off end and I followed them down the field and kept my feet moving. The offensive line were a major part in my touchdown run. They blew the defensive line off the ball and I followed (5-9, 225-pound senior) Cam (Parter) and (senior fullback) Reed (Burrell) into the end zone. Throughout the game we stayed together as a team and trusted one another. Defense played great all night long, getting key stops with a big turnover to shift the momentum.”
In addition to Hinds, White had offers from Coahoma CC, East Central CC, Mississippi Delta CC, Pearl River CC, Northeast Mississippi CC, and Southwest Mississippi CC.
White is the son of Trey and Jocelyn White. Trey played football and powerlifting at Madison Central. He was on the 1999 state championship football team and on the 1998 and 1999 state championship powerlifting team. He attended Mississippi State. Jocelyn attended Thornwood High in Chicago. White has two older sisters, Nashare, 24, and Janiah, 19, and one older brother, Carl White IV. Nashare attended Madison Central. Janiah attended Madison Central and went to Germantown her senior year. She ran track, qualifying for the state every year. Carl played wide receiver for Madison Central and was Mr. Southern Miss and graduated from Southern Miss. King’s grandfather, Carl White Jr., played linebacker for Noxubee County in the 1960s and received football and academic scholarships to Jackson State before being drafted. He served the Vietnam War and received a Bronze Air Medal, and a Purple Heart.
“I look up to my dad and my brother,” White said. “They both encourage and push me to be a good athlete but an even better person off the field.”
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Player of the Year
2024: Kenzy West, Hartfield Academy
2023: Gavin Griffin, Velma Jackson
2022: Luke Rogers, Brandon
2021: Davis Dalton, MRA
2020: Zy McDonald, Ridgeland
2019: Will Rogers, Brandon
Coach of the Year
2024: Tommy Kelly, Lanier
2023: Craig Bowman, Hartfield Academy
2022: Dameon Brown, Callaway
2021: Sam Williams, Brandon
2020: Toby Collums, Northwest Rankin
2019: Herbert Davis, MRA
