Veteran sportswriter and high school football expert Robert Wilson is doing the Germany Law Firm, PLLC/Mississippi Scoreboard predictions column each week during the high school football season on teams from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin County. Wilson had a 20-6 record (76.9 percent) last week and has a 86-35 record (71.0 percent) this season.
By Robert Wilson
Madison-Ridgeland Academy (4-1) at Jackson Academy (4-0)
This is the game many of the MAIS football fans have been looking forward to this season.
Both teams have many talented athletes, several who are committed to or offered by Division I schools, and are highly rated in Mississippi and in the country.
JA has junior offensive lineman Caden Moss (No. 1 rated player in Mississippi and No. 4 rated offensive lineman in the country in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports), senior defensive lineman and Tennessee commitment Dereon Albert (No. 8 player in Mississippi and No. 28 defensive tackle in the Class of 2026), senior linebacker and Tennessee commitment TJ White (No. 3 player in Mississippi and No. 5 linebacker in the country in the Class of 2026), and senior wide receiver and North Carolina commitment O’Mari Johnson (rated No. 17 player in Mississippi and No. 35 athlete in the country). Moss, Albert and White are members of the Performance has Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Football Elite 11 Team.
No school in Mississippi has three players in the Top 20 in the Class of 2026 like JA and only defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Tupelo has three in the Top 24.
JA senior quarterback Josef Walker is rated as the No. 7 dual threat quarterback in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by qbhitlist.com.
MRA has two players – senior wide receiver Case Thomas and junior offensive lineman Caleb Unger – who are members of the Preseason Elite 11 Team and both are rated in Mississippi and have Division I offers.
Thomas – rated as the No. 50 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports and the son of former Clinton High and Alabama kicker Neal Thomas – has Division I offers from Jackson State, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Akron and Kennesaw.
Unger – rated as the No. 11 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2027 and the No. 20 inside offensive lineman in the country – has 20 Division I offers, including Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley.
Unger is part of possibly MRA’s best unit – its offensive line, considered one of the best in Mississippi. In addition to the 6-foot-3, 295-pound Unger at left tackle, there’s junior right tackle Brody Brown (6-foot-3, 229 pounds), senior right guard Heed Burnham (6-3, 292), senior center Morgan McCrory (6-foot, 215), junior left guard Clay Lawson (6-3, 304), junior tight end Tripp Carroll (5-11, 195), and senior tight end Will Jones (6-3, 188).
Two superb quarterbacks in Walker and MRA senior Samuel Stockett should be fun to watch and see if the opposing team’s defenses can slow them down.
Walker has completed 77.5 percent of his passes for 610 yards and 6 touchdowns without throwing an interception and has run for 120 yards and two TDs.
Stockett has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards (No. 1 in Mississippi, according to MaxPreps) and 13 TDs with 4 interceptions.
Both Walker and Stockett have outstanding receivers. Senior and Clinton transfer Jaydann Hollins has 12 catches for 298 yards (24.7 yards per catch) and 2 TDs. He was big last week in the win over Hartfield with an 60-yard TD catch and an 83-yard punt return for a TD. Thomas has been terrific for MRA the last two weeks with 14 catches for 394 yards and 4 TDs. He leads Mississippi with 623 yards this season, according to MaxPreps.
MRA sophomore running back Colson O’Cain has 378 yards and 10 TDs. JA junior running back Kingston Mays has 290 yards and seven TDs.
MRA – ranked No. 3 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – has played a tougher schedule and has the toughest schedule in the MAIS according to MaxPreps. JA is ranked No. 17 in Mississippi and No. 2 in the MAIS by MaxPreps and the fourth toughest schedule in the MAIS.
MRA hasn’t won a state title since a three-peat from 2019-2021 and JA hasn’t won a state title since a three-peat from 2009-2011.
While JA has Albert on the defensive line and White at linebacker, MRA might have the best defensive back in the game Friday with senior defensive back Jack Ridgway, who has three interceptions, two returned for TDs, and blocked a punt this season.
MRA has won four straight games since a 28-24 loss to Ravenwood High, one of the top teams in Tennessee, in the season opener.
JA is off to a 4-0 start for the fourth consecutive year and is trying to be 5-0 for the first time since 2018.
This will be a battle between two outstanding teams and veteran coaches (MRA’s Herbert Davis won his 250th career game last week and JA’s David Duggan has 38 years of college coaching experience).
MRA has dominated this series over the past seven years, winning 10 consecutive games since a 30-7 JA victory in 2017, The closest game in that 10-game streak for MRA was last year’s 24-14 win.
MRA will continue its winning streak over JA in a tight one.
MRA 31, Jackson Academy 28.
In other games (winning team in CAPS):
Jim Hill (1-3) at FLORENCE (1-3), Thursday
Mendenhall (3-1) at CALLAWAY (3-1), Thursday, South Jackson Field
Central Hinds (4-1) at BROOKHAVEN ACADEMY (3-1)
CLINTON (3-1) at Petal (2-2)
CLINTON CHRISTIAN (0-4) at Christian Collegiate (0-5)
Discovery Christian (0-4) at MANCHESTER ACADEMY (0-4)
Forest Hill (1-3) at LANIER (4-0), South Jackson Field
GERMANTOWN (2-2) at Pearl (1-3)
HARTFIELD ACADEMY (1-3) at Jackson Prep (2-3)
HOLMES COUNTY CENTRAL (3-1) at Canton (3-1)
McLaurin (0-4) at ST. ANDREW’S (0-4)
Murrah (0-4) at PROVINE (1-3), Hughes Field
Natchez (2-2) at RIDGELAND (4-0)
NORTHWEST RANKIN (2-2) at Brookhaven (3-1)
Park Place Christian Academy (2-2) at EAST RANKIN ACADEMY (3-2)
Pelahatchie (1-3) at SEBASTAPOL (1-3)
Puckett (1-3) at BOGUE CHITTO (1-3)
Raymond (1-3) at TERRY (3-1)
Richland (3-1) at PISGAH (4-0)
STARKVILLE (3-1) at Brandon (2-2)
VELMA JACKSON (2-2) at Leake Central (2-2)
Warren Central (3-1) at MADISON CENTRAL (2-2)
Washington School (4-0) at TRI-COUNTY ACADEMY (4-0)
Winston Academy (0-5) at CANTON ACADEMY (1-3)
