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 19-3 record (86.7 percent) last week and has a 145-50 record (74.4 percent) this season.
By Robert Wilson
Parklane (7-0) at MRA (6-1)
Madison-Ridgeland Academy has won the last nine meetings between the two teams and not only that MRA has scored 40 or more points in eight of those wins.
Parklane last won in 2017 with a 47-28 victory.
Parklane has already defeated one of the MAIS Big 4 – Jackson Prep – by knocking down 40 years of frustration with a 18-7 victory at Parklane earlier this year. The last win in that series was 1995.
Parklane would love to get some payback on MRA Friday night.
The Pioneers – who won the MAIS Class 5A star title last year by scoring 70 points on Leake Academy in the state champoiship game – are once again rolling, winning all seven games this season and are on a 15-game winning streak. In fact, Parklane has won 27 of its last 32 games over the past three seasons. Four of the losses were to Prep and MRA.
Parklane made the two hours trip to MRA to open last season and ran into a buzzsaw. MRA led 42-0 midway through the second quarter. MRA won 42-20.
MRA quarterback Samuel Stockett – making his first career start replacing John White (Mississippi’s all-time career passing leader who signed with Southern Miss) – completed 12 of 14 passes (85.7 percent) for 238 yards and five touchdowns in first half in an incredible offensive display.
Stockett passed for 3,239 yards and 33 TDs last season and has continued to excel this season. He has passed for 1,942 yards – best in Mississippi according to MaxPreps – and 15 TDs despite playing one of the toughest schedules in MAIS history.
MRA senior wide receiver Case Thomas – rated No. 50 in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports and a member of the Performance Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Elite 11 Team – has caught 45 passes for 841 yards (third best in Mississippi by MaxPreps) and 5 TDs this season. Thomas reached the 3,000-yard career receiving yards mark in the last game, a 27-26 victory over Baton Rouge Catholic.
MRA is averaging 41.8 points and 448.7 yards per game and has one of the best offensive lines in Mississippi, led by 6-foot-3, 295-pound junior Caleb Unger, a member of the Elite 11 like Thomas and is rated the No. 11 player in Mississippi and No. 23 inside offensive lineman in the country by 247 Sports.
Parklane has a pretty potent offense of its own, led by senior quarterback Braxton Hughes (1,297 passing yards and 14 TDs), senior running back Tanner Kyzar (718 yards and 12 TDs), junior wide receiver Davis Carruth – nephew of former Parklane, Alabama and NFL running back Paul Ott Carruth – (33 catches for 734 yards and six TDs), offensive lineman and Army commitment Roc Baskin, offensive lineman Alston Davidson, and tight end and South Florida commitment Kyle Rushing.
Kyzar had 217 yards and two TDs in the Prep win earlier this season.
Both coaches have won state titles at different schools.
MRA coach Herbert Davis has won six state titles (three at MRA, two at Brookhaven Academy and one at Pillow Academy). He is in his 29th career season, 12th at MRA.
Parklane coach Ron Rushing in his fifth season in McComb and won a state title in 2014 at Natchez Cathedral along with last year’s state title.
MRA is ranked No. 3 in Mississippi by MaxPreps while Parklane is ranked No. 21.
MRA has one of the strongest strength of schedules – the second toughest in the MAIS – in Mississippi while Parklane has the lowest strength of schedule of any team in the Top 50.
Don’t look at MRA to get off to a torrid start like last season, but the Patriots should take control in the second half.
MRA 42, Parklane 21.
Germantown (4-2) at Oxford (5-1)
Germantown has a chance to make school history Friday when it travels two hours north to meet Oxford in an MHSAA Class 7A, Region 2 game.
Since the Mavericks moved up the highest classification in 2019, they have not won the first two region games in a season and haven’t had a winning region record. Germantown has finished 2-5 in 2019, 0-5 in 2020, 2-5 in 2021, 3-4 in 2022, 2-2 in 2023 and 1-3 last season.
But with the 38-25 victory over Starkville last week, Germantown has plenty of confidence going into this week’s battle with the Chargers.
Germantown moved up nine spots to No. 14 in Mississippi and No. 9 among 7A teams in MaxPreps. Oxford – with its only loss a 20-13 decision to defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Tupelo – is ranked No. 7 in Mississippi and No. 7 in 7A.
Russell Mitchell – who is in his fourth year as head coach at Germantown – has been a part of seven state or national championship teams. Mitchell was the quarterback coach at Pearl River Community College in 2004 when they won the national junior championship. He was also the quarterback coach at PRCC for four consecutive state titles from 2003-2006. Mitchell was the offensive coordinator for Picayune High when they won the MHSAA Class 5A state title in 2011 and 2013. He was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach on Oak Grove’s MHSAA Class 6A state title team in 2020.
Mitchell has Germantown’s offense clicking on all cylinders this season with four consecutive games scoring more than 40 points. Germantown lost to Warren Central 52-41 and defeated Neshoba Central 49-28, Pearl 55-0 and Starkville 45-28.
Germantown senior quarterback King White – this week’s Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Football Player of the Week – has completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 1,468 yards and 14 TDs without an interception (133 passes) and ran for 297 yards on 62 carries and 8 TDs without a fumble this season.
Germantown senior wide receiver and Tulane commitment Keyshawn Coleman – rated as the No. 23 best player in Mississippi in the Class of 206 by 247 Sports – has caught 36 passes for 498 yards and 4 TDs this season. Senior running back Lawson Branson – a member of the Preseason Elite 11 Team – has caught 23 passes for 435 yards and 6 TDs.
Germantown’s 5-foot-9, 225-pound senior center Cam Porter and 6-4, 220-pound senior tight end Will Harris lead the offensive line, which has helped produce an average of 410.5 yards per game (257.3 passing and 157.2 rushing) this season.
Oxford coach Chris Cutcliffe – son of former Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe – has a 82-34 record in his 10th season in Oxford. He led the Chargers to the state championship in 2019 and a state runner-up finish in 2020.
Oxford junior quarterback Drew Dean has passed for 1,314 yards and 11 TDs with only 2 interceptions this season. Senior Kingston Gregory has caught 33 passes for 486 yards and 4 TDs.
The most famous backup quarterback among Mississippi high schools is sophomore Knox Kiffin, son of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. He has played one game and is 4 for 7 for 109 yards. Kiffin already has Division I offers from SMU, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Sacramento State, Murray State, Georgia State, FIorida International and East Carolina. He visited LSU last weekend.
Oxford senior cornerback and Vanderbilt commitment Collin Flanigan is rated the No. 43rd best player in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
Oxford senior offensive lineman and South Alabama commitment Elliott Chaney (6-5, 285) is rated as the No. 61st best player in Mississippi in the Class of 2026 by 247 Sports.
The two teams have played each other in the playoffs for the past two years. Germantown won 43-34 in the first round of the MHSAA Class 7A playoffs last season at Oxford and Oxford won 47-44 in two overtimes in the first round two years ago at Oxford.
There should be a lot of points scored again Friday night.
Oxford 35, Germantown 31
In other games (winning team in ALL CAPS):
Callaway (4-3) at RIDGELAND (5-1), Thursday
HATTIESBURG (4-2) at Forest Hill (1-6), Thursday, South Jackson Field
HOLMES COUNTY CENTRAL (5-2) at Lanier (7-0), Thursday, Hughes Field
LAKE (4-3) at Pelahatchie (2-4), Thursday
Central Hinds Academy (4-3) at TRI-COUNTY ACADEMY (6-1)
CLEVELAND CENTRAL (3-2) at Florence (2-4)
Clinton (4-2) at STARKVILLE (4-2)
Copiah Academy (6-1) at JACKSON PREP (4-4)
Discovery Christian (1-6) at CENTREVILLE ACADEMY (7-1)
EAST RANKIN ACADEMY (5-3) at Puckett (`1-6)
FOREST (5-2) at Raymond (2-5)
GEORGE COUNTY (2-4) at Jim Hill (1-6), South Jackson Field
Germantown (4-2) at OXFORD (5-1)
HARTFIELD ACADEMY (2-5) at Heritage Academy (6-1)
HUMPHREYS ACADEMY (7-1) at Christ Covenant School (3-4)
MADISON CENTRAL (3-3) at Murrah (1-6), Hughes Field
Madison St. Joseph (1-6) at JACKSON ACADEMY (6-1)
Manchester Academy (1-6) at CLINTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (1-6)
NESHOBA CENTRAL (3-3) at Canton (3-3)
NORTHWEST RANKIN (3-3) at Pearl (2-4)
PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (3-4) at Christian Collegiate (0-8)
Petal (5-2) at BRANDON (3-3)
Philadelphia (0-6) at VELMA JACKSON (3-4)
PISGAH (4-3) at St. Andrew’s (2-5)
Provine (2-5) at VICKSBURG (4-3)
Richland (5-2) at MENDENDALL (3-4)
RIVER OAKS, LA. (6-0) at Canton Academy (2-5)
SEMINARY (3-4) at McLaurin (0-7)
Terry (6-0) at WEST JONES (5-2)
