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 19-7 record (73.1 percent) last week and has a 87-30 record (74.4 percent) this season.
By Robert Wilson
Tri-County Academy (3-1) at Leake Academy (3-2)
These teams, which met in the MAIS Class 3A state championship game last season, had different results in last week’s games.
Tri-County, which lost to Leake 25-24 for the state title, bounced back from a loss to MAIS Class 4A Jackson Prep two weeks ago with a convincing, 35-7 victory over Wayne Academy last week.
Meanwhile, Leake led Heritage Academy 30-7, but lost 44-36 as Heritage quarterback Joshua Tate had an amazing 558 combined passing and rushing yards and six combined TDs last week after Leake had won three games in a row.
Tri-County is ranked No. 1 in MAIS Class 3A and No. 48 in Mississippi and Leake is No. 4 in MAIS Class 3A and No. 111 in Mississippi by MaxPreps.
Last year’s state championship game between these two teams was an instant classic.
Leake quarterback George Wilcox, now playing for Holmes Community College as a freshman, was spectacular, passing for 219 yards and running for a career-high 184 yards and three touchdowns and Caden Stovall kicked a 27-yard field goal attempt in the game’s final play. Leake avenged a 52-18 loss to Tri-County during the regular season.
These two schools are two of the most successful small school football programs in Mississippi.
Leake won its second state title in school history last season, the other one was in 2020, and Rebels have four runner-up finishes.
Tri-County has won 32 of its last 35 games, with two of those losses to Prep, and has won three state titles and two state runner-up finishes in the past five seasons.
Leake coach Brian Pickens has won 191 games in his 25th season at Leake.
Tri-County coach Philip Wasson has won five state championships (three at Tri-County and two as Washington School) and has three state runner-up finishes in his 21st career season.
Leake needs to slow down Tri-County junior running back Cade Hunt (443 yards and seven touchdowns this season) and senior quarterback and Terry High transfer Brady Busby (642 passing yards and seven TDs).
Tri-County needs to slow down Leake’s offense, led by junior quarterback Majure Chandler (1,343 yards and 12 TDs), senior running back Garrett Adcock (691 yards and nine TDs) and senior wide receivers Easton Page (820 yards and five TDs) and Gage Warren (327 yards and six TDs).
Tri-County 35, Leake 21
Brandon (3-1) at Starkville (4-0)
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 in MHSAA Class 7A and No. 7 Mississippi by MaxPreps, go for their fourth straight victory after a season opening loss at Tupelo, ranked No. 1 in Mississippi and No. 92 in the country by MaxPreps.
Starkville, ranked No. 5 in MHSAA Class 7A and No. 5 Mississippi by MaxPreps, has defeated Brandon in the last two meetings, 22-14 last season at Brandon, and 48-32 in the 2022 7A state championship game.
Both teams have new head coaches, who both played at Mississippi State and played high school ball in the Metro Jackson area.
Brandon is led by longtime assistant coach Eugene Clinton, a former MSU defensive back who was promoted to interim head coach midway through last season when Lance Pogue resigned, then was named permanent head coach after the season. Clinton was assistant coach at Provine for eight seasons and Brandon for 10 seasons before being promoted last year.Clinton played at Provine.
Brett Morgan took the Starkville job after two seasons as head coach at West Point where he had a 24-4 record and had a MHSAA Class 5A state runner-up finish last season. The former MSU defensive back and quarterback was also an assistant coach there for 15 years and was a part of eight state championship teams and four state runner-up teams. Morgan played at Warren Central High.
Brandon has several players in the 247 Sports ratings – senior running back and Michigan commit Tyson Robinson (No. 10 player in Mississippi and the No. 20 running back in the country in the Class of 2027 with 33 Division I offers, 12 from the SEC), senior quarterback and Illinois commitment Sladen Slack (No. 29 player in Mississippi and the No. 69 quarterback in the country in the Class of 2027), senior running back and Jackson Academy transfer Kingston Mays (No. 40 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2027). junior linebacker Travion Washington (No. 8 player in Mississippi and No. 21 linebacker in the country in the Class of 2028), junior wide receiver and Jackson Prep transfer Josh Parker (No. 4 player in Mississippi and No. 20 wide receiver in the country in the Class of 2028). and junior defensive back and Jackson Prep transfer Kam Roberts (No. 11 player in Mississippi and the No. 54 cornerback in the country in the Class of 2028).
Starkville’s only rated player is 6-4, 270 pound senior defensive lineman Ladanuel Jordan, rated as the No. 20 player in Mississippi in the Class of 2027 by 247 Sports.
Starkville 28, Brandon 21
Petal (4-0) at Clinton (1-3)
The winningest active high school football head coach in Mississippi brings his team to the Metro Jackson area Friday night.
Marcus Boyles has won 320 games and five state championships in his 30-year career with stops in Taylorsville, Pearl, Wayne County, Meridian and is in his second stint in Petal. He has lost only 87 games for outstanding winning percentage of 78.6 percent.
Petal is coming off one of the biggest wins in Mississippi this season when the Panthers defeated defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Gulfport 40-39 in overtime when junior quarterback Caiden Belton scored on a two-point conversion to win the game and end Gulfport’s 13-game winning streak.
Petal has the highest rated player in the game and one of the top rated running backs in the country in 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior Acely Brown. He is rated as the No. 5 player in Mississippi and the No. 11 running back in the country in the Class of 2028 by 247 Sports. Brown has offers from 18 Division I schools, including 12 from the SEC (including Ole Miss and Mississippi State), four from the Atlantic Coast Conference, one from the Big 10 and Notre Dame.
Clinton’s 6-3, 315-pound senior offensive lineman Graham Willams was a member of the Taste Restaurant/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Elite 11 Team. He has eight Divison I offers, including Southern Miss, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley. Graham has helped open holes and blocked for junior quarterback Jayden Jones, who has passed for 556 yards and four TDs and ran for 290 yards and seven TDs this season. Jones had a big game in the win over Pearl with 63 rushing yards and four TDs and 94 passing yards and one TD.
Petal needs to keep away from Clinton senior defensive back Trevion Casnel, who has made 30 tackles, broke up a team-high four passes and has one interception this season. He had 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss, in the win over Pearl.
Petal 28, Clinton 21
In other games (winning team in ALL CAPS):
Provine (1-3) at MURRAH (1-3), Thursday, Hughes Field
Bogue Chitto (1-3) at PUCKETT (3-1)
BROOKHAVEN (4-0) at Northwest Rankin (2-2)
Callaway (2-2) at MENDENHALL (4-0)
CANTON (4-0) at Holmes County (2-2)
FLORENCE (0-4) at Jim Hill (1-3), Hughes Field
LANIER (3-1) at Forest Hill (0-4), South Jackson Field
Madison Central (2-2) at WARREN CENTRAL (4-0)
Newton (2-2) at VELMA JACKSON (2-2)
Pearl (1-3) at GERMANTOWN (2-2)
PETAL (4-0) at Clinton (1-3)
Pisgah (2-2) at RICHLAND (3-1)
RIDGELAND (3-1) at Natchez (4-0)
ST. ANDREW’S (1-3) at McLaurin (2-2)
SEBASTAPOL (1-3) at Pelahatchie (1-3)
TERRY (2-2) at Raymond (1-3)
Cathedral (4-1) at JACKSON PREP (4-1)
CENTRAL HINDS (3-2) at Carroll Academy (0-6)
Christ Covenant (5-0) at NEWTON COUNTY ACADEMY (3-3)
EAST RANKIN ACADEMY (2-3) at Park Place (2-2)
JACKSON ACADEMY (5-0) at Madison St. Joseph (0-5)
Kirk Academy (1-5) at CANTON ACADEMY (4-1)
MRA (4-1) at Brookhaven Academy (4-0)
Pillow Academy (4-1) at HARTFIELD ACADEMY (2-2)
PRENTISS CHRISTIAN (3-3) at Discovery Christian (4-2)
