By Robert Wilson
Tri-County Academy has had more success in football in its class than any other team in Mississippi for the past four seasons.
Consider these eye-popping numbers:
The Rebels have won three state championships and one state runner-up finish in the past four years.
Tri-County has won its last 19 consecutive games (the longest active streak in Mississippi) and 25 consecutive MAIS games (the last loss to Greenville St. Joseph in the 2022 state championship game).
The Rebels have a remarkable 51-4 record – a 92.7 winning percentage – in the last four years.
Tri-County coach Philip Wasson – who has been extremely successful himself, even before coming to Tri-County, with five state titles (three at Tri-County and two at Washington School) and has played in seven championship games as he starts his 20th season as a head coach in his career – has five returning starters on defense and four on offense.
“We have a lot of shoes to fill,” Wasson said. “I feel like we’re a physically stronger team. Our kids love the weight room. We’re going to have to have a a lot of 10th graders step up and play some key roles Our focus is on winning game one of the season.”
Tri-County is known for its stingy defense, and this year should be no exception.
“Both all state defensive ends return, senior Bryce Brooks and junior Crews Albritton (the MAIS Class 4A Player of the Year),” Wasson said. “Senior defensive tackles Brian Bergeron and Leif Dearman, junior defensive tackle Houston Mullins, senior defensive back Peyton Patridge, senior outside linebacker Colton Jones and junior outside linebacker John Hudson Bates return for us. We will be young in a few defensive spots. We will be small on defense but really quick at all spots.”
Tri-County will have a new quarterback for the first time in four years. Bryce Warriner, who threw for 5,964 yards and 71 touchdowns and ran for 1,271 yards and 18 TDs in his outstanding career, 1,366 yards and 15 TDs last season, is playing at East Central Community College this season.
“Senior Cooper Johnson is going to be the quarterback,” Wasson said. “Cooper played running back and receiver last season. He will add a true dual threat to our offense. Our strength will be our offensive line (sophomore left tackle Chase Wasson, Coach Wasson’s son, senior left guard Brantley Rivers, senior center Parker Hancock, sophomore right guard Jaxton Rivers and junior right tackle Dalton Maddox). Senior running back Hayden Hunt, sophomore running back Cade Hunt, senior receivers Peyton Partridge and Hunter Hilderbrand and sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Washburn will play key roles for us.”
Hunt finished with 1,803 rushing yards and 23 TDs, including 149 yards and two TDs in the state championship game, last season as a junior. Patridge caught a 45-yard TD pass with 1 minute to play before halftime to ignite Tri-County in the championship game last year.
Tri-County also lost to graduation wide receiver-defensive back and East Central CC signee Brayden Walsh – a member of the Performance Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard All Metro Jackson team last season – who had 451 receiving yards and 7 TDs and had 68 tackles and 1 interception last season. Walsh had a game-high 13 tackles in the championship win over Bowling Green, La. Also, leading tackler, linebacker Walker Hilderbrand (113 tackles, nine sacks), graduated.
“To continue our success, we have to spend every minute of practice improving on the little things,” Wasson said. “Our coaches do a great job of preparing our players to compete, making sure they play hard, and ensuring they have fun.”
The Tri-County roster has 38 players, including 15 seniors.
“This year our seniors must be strong leaders and set the standards for the underclassmen by showing them how we do things,” Wasson said. “I believe one of the biggest reasons we win games is because we don’t just believe in ourselves – we believe in each other. We push each other, hold each other accountable, and we’re driven by a shared determination not to let each other down.”
“Our coaching staff demonstrates the ability in preparing us for each season,” Brooks said. “Each year, our senior players contribute significantly to the team’s success, and one of our challenges every season is finding the guys to step into their roles. Regardless of the circumstances we face, our team always finds a way to stay consistent in exceeding everyone’s expectations. Additionally, the support from our community is unmatched. Flora may be a small town, but no matter what the community is always there for us through everything.”
“It all starts in junior high; we were all coached very hard, and we were all familiar to a winning atmosphere,” Patridge said. ‘We’ve had around six players starting on the varsity since our sophomore year, so we have the experience we just need a couple of young players to fill some roles.”
“I believe our success comes from how close we are as a team,” Johnson said. “We’re like a family, and that bond shows when we play, practice, and even day to day life. A lot of us seniors have been together since K3, so that connection is something you just can’t beat. We also have a ton of support from our families, friends, and our great school. Everyone puts in the work, whether it’s practice, games, or academics. For a three-peat, we’ve got to keep the same work ethic, stay consistent, and keep believing in each other all the way through the playoffs.”
“I feel like it’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication to win another title,” Hunt said. “We have all been playing with each other for a while now, so we know what it takes to do it. We’ve been successful because our great coaches and the experiences that we’ve had on the field.”
Tri-County will be competing in the newly formed Class 3A, District 2 with the MAIS reclassification this season. The Rebels are in the district with Central Hinds Academy, Leake Academy, and Riverfield, La., Academy. Tri-County will also play MAIS perennial power Jackson Prep, last year’s Class 6A state runner-up, for the first time in school history Sept. 12 at Prep in Flowood.
Tri-County opens the season against Class 3A St. Aloysius April 29 at Tri-County in Flora as it goes for its 20th consecutive win.
Said Wasson: “We all want to play in the big 3A state championship.”
