Pillow Academy’s disappointing defensive effort was flushed on Monday.
“Our guys hit the ground running at practice on Monday to get back on track. I really liked what I saw from them in practice,” PA coach Tripp McCarty said.
He was referring to the Mustangs’ 50-41 loss to Class 3A powerhouse Greenville St. Joseph in which the Fighting Irish, loaded with a pair of Division I running backs, rolled up nearly 600 yards.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of teams will struggle to get those two guys on the ground, but I know our kids are moving forward,” he said.
The Mustangs (6-2) have already punched their ticket to the postseason, but how they finish the last two regular-season games will dictate their state playoff seeding in 5A. They can still get a fourth seed and a first-round bye — if they take care of business the next two Friday nights.
“It’s all still in front of us. Everything we want to accomplish is still out there,” McCarty said. “One thing’s for sure, we can’t win 3A, but we can win 5A. That’s where our focus lies moving ahead.”
The first step toward doing its part to secure that first-round bye begins Friday at home at Bill Davis Field against District 1 foe Magnolia Heights. The Chiefs are 6-2, 2-2 in conference play and coming off a 42-34 victory over Marshall Academy.
Magnolia Heights has now won four straight. The streak began with a 23-13 win over Washington School. It’s two losses came in back-to-back weeks (42-13 Heritage and 33-26 Starkville). By comparison, the Mustangs also lost to undefeated Heritage, 26-13).
The Chiefs are led by a strong running back and versatile quarterback
Mustangs in search of
bounce-back performance
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
