Conference titles aren’t won or lost in late September, but Friday’s battle of unbeatens is practically that.
“Our kids know what’s at stake, and they have worked hard to prepare for our toughest challenge to date,” said Pillow Academy coach Tripp McCarty, whose Mustangs play at Heritage Academy Friday night.
Pillow is 1-0 in District 1-5A while the Patriots are 2-0 in league play. The winner will walk away with a strangle hold on first place and control its own destiny the rest of the way.
“Of course, this is the game a bunch of people have been pointing toward since Week 1,” Heritage coach Sean Harrison said. “I am proud of how hard the kids on both sides have worked to put themselves in this position. It should be a lot of fun.”
Heritage claimed the top spot among Mississippi private schools when the new Associated Press state high school football poll was released Tuesday.
Thirteen Mississippi media outlets were polled on the top five teams in each class and the top 10 overall.
Heritage (5-0) vaulted Madison-Ridgeland Academy, which had held the top spot among private schools since the beginning of the season, thanks to MRA’s loss to Philadelphia on Friday. The Patriots received 10 of 13 first-place votes, MRA got two and third-place Jackson Prep (4-1) got one. Greenville St. Joseph (5-0) was fourth and Pillow Academy (5-0) was fifth.
Both teams grabbed the MAIS spotlight with early wins against bigger schools, with the Patriots taking out Jackson Prep, 24-15, and the Mustangs taking down Jackson Academy, 26-21.
After some key offseason pickups, the Patriots established themselves as the top 5A team in the state with the impressive victory over Prep.
Harrison and McCarty agree the two teams are similar.
“Both teams have big senior classes full of kids who have played for three years now,” Harrison said. “Both have good, big lines up front, good quarterbacks and receivers and are fast, physical on defense. In a lot of ways, I think we are mirror images of one another.”
The Patriots are led by a balanced offensive attack — averaging 197 through the air and 140 on the ground per game. Senior quarterback Carter Putt has completed 55 of 102 passes for 986 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. His go-to guy is senior Jared Long, a 6-foot-4, 186-pound senior, who averages nearly 18 yards per reception.
“We single up some on (Long) and mix in some double coverage, but we also have to keep an eye on their big ol’ running back (Ki Smith). Smith, a 5-10, 208-pound senior, averages 10 yards per carry and 120 yards per contest.
“Limiting their rushing yards will be a key for our defense. I think they are up to the challenge because they face a big, physical line everyday in practice,” McCarty said. “This will be a tough, physical game.”
PA is a little undersized at linebacker, so McCarty is anxious to see how his guys respond to the challenge of taking on a 200-pound running back.
Pillow will counter the high-scoring Patriot attack with its own explosive offense. The Mustangs average 41 points per game, thanks to the strong right arm of senior quarterback Shane Houston Stephens and a bevy of talented play-makers to spread the ball around to.
Stephens has completed 94 of 64 passes for 1,001 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. He is only 85 yards away from setting a new school career passing mark. The current mark was set by Stewart Patridge, with 4,655 yards.
Stephens is also benefiting greatly from an experienced offensive line that averages 6-3, 262 pounds. He has been sacked just once.
The big boys up front will be tested by a big, fast defensive front for the Patriots, anchored by nose guard Dylan Phillips.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
