Jonathan Livingston, Friend Walker, Andrew Gordon, John William Walker, Connor Young, Kameron Howard , Will Crowder, Marco Leflore, Jake Pratt, Rolen Fanning, Clark Bergin, Noah Eiland, Harrison Martin, Caleb Le, Sargeant Moriarity, Keith Thompson, Sam Bishop, Justin McMillan, Carter Thompson,
Austin Morgan, James Machost, Dylan Tobias, Holden Caraway, Bralan Anderson, Larry Johnson, Charlie Whittington, Noah Buford, Jack Huckabay, Garvan Leo, Conner Scott, Robert Eriator, Evan Arthur White, Jai Moss, Ethan Gilmore-Ratliff, Head Coach Johnny Nichols, Assistant Coaches Daryl Owens, Jordan Nichols, Richard Morgan, Terrance Nelson, Dan Roach
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School will be washed in white this Friday night for homecoming on the campus in Ridgeland. The Saints will be out to “white out” the Tigers from McLaurin in their final non-conference game before region play begins.
St. Andrew’s is coming off an impressive win last week at McAdams, 31-6, that got the team back to the .500 mark at 2-2. The Saints spent the last two seasons as an independent school in football because of low numbers on the roster that meant, with no region affiliation, there was no opportunity for a post season. Now the Saints are fully loaded, back in the MHSAA in Class 2A Region 6, with an opportunity for the playoffs.
“Our kids are super excited to be back playing in a conference with a chance at a postseason after spending the last two years as an independent,” said St. Andrew’s Head Coach Johnny Nichols. “They aren’t playing any harder, as they had a great commitment to play for the love of the game and school pride, now it just kicks things up a notch. They compete every snap to win each play and let the chips fall where they may.”
McLaurin, from class 3A, limps in this week on a three game losing streak and has been outscored 160-60 this season in losses to Puckett (47-0), Richland (54-13) and Wilkinson County (40-18). Last year the Saints marched all over the Tigers at McLaurin 50-21.
“We had great success against them last year and I believe we have a great chance this week if we can simply execute the way we have so far this year,” said Nichols. “They are going to try to pound the football on offense against us and try to take away our passing game on defense. It should be a great challenge for us.”
Offensively, the Saints are not flashy. They don’t put up big stats or have any “stars.” They simply play hard-nosed, team football. St. Andrew’s is led by quarterback Friend Walker. The senior signal caller has thrown for a modest 506 yards, with one touchdown to four interceptions. Walker has rushed the ball well with 31 carries for 143 yards and five touchdowns.
“He did much better last week against McAdams. He’s done a good job progressing. We throw the ball a lot but when we see they don’t rush as many and drop eight in coverage, we adjust and go to the ground game,” said Nichols. “We’ve made a point in game planning to spread the field and let him run a little bit when they drop in coverage. He’s understanding what we are trying to do.”
Last week was a great example of adjusting to the opponent. The Saints rolled up 205 yards on the ground, their most single game yards of the season. Nichols said they tweaked things at halftime to run power plays. They went heavy on one side of the offensive line and the linemen just plowed the way for the running backs. They went for 40 first half plays to just 27 in the second half. They owned the time of possession and won it going away.
Leading the running game is junior Connor Young with 29 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown. He broke loose for a 51-yard run last week.
“He understands what we’re trying to do in both the run and passing game. He so strong, they tied him up at the line of scrimmage last week and broke free of four or five defenders. He also starts at outside linebacker for us and really never comes off the field,” said Nichols.
Freshman Evan Arthur White was converted from an offensive lineman to a running back over the summer and has blossomed. He went from wearing #75 to #17 and has led the team in carries with 44 for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
St. Andrew’s will add another weapon to the backfield this week with the return of Jonathan Livingston. The senior was just cleared to play this week after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in soccer. Nichols says he is the fastest of the three backs, especially when catching passes out of the backfield. Livingston’s return should keep this committee fresh and much more dangerous.
The wide receivers are led by sophomore John William Walker with 20 catches for 154 yards. This week he is moving from the slot receiver position to out wide as the offense really looks to spread the defense out. Walkers other favorite target is junior Andrew Gordon who has nabbed 11 catches for 145 yards.
Defensively, senior linebacker Carter Thompson has been a machine. Thompson is coming off a 15 tackle performance against McAdams, giving him a team leading 49 tackles.
“He is having an unbelievable year. Carter played his 9th grade year and just came back this year. His twin brother Keith tore his ACL in the jamboree and I think Carter is playing for him as well,” said Nichols. “We put him in position to go sideline to sideline because of his speed. He just gets to the ball.”
Another force to be reckoned with is defensive end Larry Johnson. The senior is a four-year starter, stands 5’11”, 259 lbs. and plays both offense and defense.
“Larry just battles every play and is so strong,” said Nichols. “He is a great vocal leader and brings out effort in his teammates.”
McLaurin comes in on its heels being outscored by 100 points in four games. The Tigers will try to establish the run first and foremost. They ran for 194 yards last week against Wilkinson County, but only passed for 16 yards. Their defense was gashed for 259 rushing yards.
Coach Will Hedgepeth pins his offense on a freshman running back, Jamari Horton. He had a formidable 17 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown last week.
The Tigers do have size with big tight end Seth Harper who carried the ball six times for 63 yards and a touchdown last Friday. Harper is a senior who also plays linebacker on defense and will be a large challenge for St. Andrew’s to try to contain. Also on the defensive side, keep an eye out for junior defensive back Noah Johnson who pulled in two interceptions against Wilkinson County.
Homecoming is always a celebration, with former players, alumni, family and friends all coming home to share memories. This year will be no different for the Saints and for a night in late September, they’re hoping for a blizzard-like “White Out” win to give everyone something to talk about for years to come.
Keys to Victory:
For St. Andrew’s: On offense, keep McLaurin confused by running the ball out of passing formations. Quarterback Friend Walker has thrived, even with defenses dropping into coverage to take away the pass. If McLaurin decides to sell-out on the run, there could be some big plays down the field.
Defensively, stop the run. The Tigers are who they are on paper. No matter the score they are committed to the ground game. Shut that down, and the Saints will have an excellent shot at getting to the homecoming dance early.
The Series: St. Andrew’s leads 13-6.
Last Match-Up: St. Andrew’s won 50-21 in 2022.
AT A GLANCE:
St. Andrew’s Saints
Class/Division: MHSAA 2A Region 6
Record: 2-2 overall
Head Coach: Johnny Nichols
Assistant Coach: Dan Roach
McLaurin Tigers
Class/Division: MHSAA 3A Region 5
Record: 1-3 overall
Head Coach: Will Hedgepeth
