Pillow Academy hopes the third time is truly a charm.
For the third straight year, the Mustangs stand one win away from playing for a state championship on the gridiron. They face Lamar School Friday night in Meridian in the State AAAA, Division II semifinals.
The winner advances to the state title game against the Simpson-Magnolia Heights victor Nov. 15 at Jackson Academy. PA (6-6) is seeking its first state crown since 2010 while the Raiders (8-3) are going for their third straight under Mac Barnes and their sixth overall.
“It’s about time to win one,” Pillow coach Tripp McCarty said of his team’s third straight trip to the semifinals. “We are certainly excited about this chance. It’s a special time for our program. I hope our kids will go out and make plays that Pillow fans will always remember.
“But we have got our hands full for sure. They are the two-time defending champs for a reason.”
Two years ago, Pillow played at Lamar in this very situation but walked away a 55-34 loser as the Raiders went on to win it all. The Raiders’ standout quarterback Joseph Hutchinson was a sophomore who had to fill in for Lamar’s injured starter in that playoff contest.
“That was really the start to what has been an incredible run for (Hutchinson),” McCarty recalls.
Hutchinson, a three-star prospect who is committed to Princeton, is expected to be at full health this time around. The 6-6, 200-pound pro-style signal caller is rated as the nation’s No. 50 drop-back passer in the 2019 class by 247Sports. He has completed 205-of-331 attempts for 33 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He has accounted for 39 of his team’s 54 TDs this season and 238 of the Raiders’ 375 total points.
As a junior, Hutchinson completed 213-of-340 passes for 3,090 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also has offers from Tennessee-Martin and Jackson State.
“As far as pure arm talent, he is the best quarterback in the state. He can put it anywhere at any time,” McCarty said. “You still have to be ready for the run, but when you’ve got a triggerman like they do, the offense has to go through him.
“That’s kind of like we are. We certainly like our (quarterback), too. This game will feature two of the best in (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools).”
Pillow will counter with a potent passing attack of its own, led by junior quarterback Shane Houston Stephens and junior wide receiver Jaden Simcox. Stephens, who has broken several single-season records this year, has completed 154-of-269 passes for 2,188 yards, 17 TDs and 11 interceptions. Simcox leads all pass-catchers with 533 yards and 10 TDs on 36 grabs.
If field conditions are sloppy as is expected, both teams may have to rely on the run a little more than they are used to. Both QBs are also factors in their respective running attacks.
Hutchinson has six rushing TDs and Stephens one.
Defensively, McCarty said, the Mustangs will have to tackle well and mix up coverages and blitzes.
“Tackling well will certainly be a key, and that’s something we have done pretty well as of late,” he said.
The Mustang defense hasn’t faced a passing team quite like this, but the unit does have 10 interceptions, with Floyd Melton IV, Sam Harris and Alex Lindsey each having two each.
Harris, a junior linebacker, leads the Mustangs in tackles with 94, while sophomore linebacker Lawes McCool and sophomore safety Christian Belk have 88 and 79, respectively. Senior rover Lake Giachelli has a team-high 2.5 sacks.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
