The eyes of the nation will be on Madison-Ridgeland Academy this Saturday as the Patriots play host to the Oakland High School Patriots, the No. 1 ranked team in the state of Tennessee. The game will be televised on ESPN2 to a national television audience as part of the GEICO High School Football Showcase. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and was moved to Saturday to allow high school football fans around the country an opportunity to see these two premiere programs play.
This will be the first-ever televised game for MRA, which has built a strong reputation in Mississippi and the entire southeast region. The Patriots went undefeated in 2020 with a perfect 13-0 record to win the MAIS 6A Championship, giving MRA back to back state titles.
Saturday will be the third ESPN2 game for Oakland High School, a Class 6A public school powerhouse located in Murfreesboro. The Patriots played nationally televised games in 2014 and 2016. Oakland capped off a perfect 15-0 season last year to win the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) 6A Championship, its second in three seasons and fifth overall.
MRA Head Coach Herbert Davis has built a rising powerhouse in his Patriots and says the school has earned this honor to play in front of the nation.
“This is a like a championship week for us. All the buzz around school, the media attention. It’s exciting and we’re happy for it, but we just want our kids to worry about getting better. Our job as coaches is to get them to clear out the noise and get better,” said Head Coach Herbert Davis, following the Patriots win last week over Natchez Cathedral School.
The national spotlight is not only chance to highlight the football program, but the entire school. “What a great opportunity this will be to showcase everything MRA has to offer to people all around the country thanks to ESPN2,” said MRA Athletic Director Richard Duease.
While this is the third national game for Oakland, the luster is not lost on their head coach. "It's a testament to the program we've built here and the talent pool of players to be honored with a nationally broadcast game," Oakland coach Kevin Creasy recently told the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.
MRA comes into the game with a 1-1 record, after an impressive 56-7 road win against Natchez Cathedral last week. It was a tremendous bounce back for the Patriots after dropping the season-opener to Greenville Christian in a 58-
32 shootout. The Patriots did most of the damage against Cathedral in the first half storming out to a 35-7 halftime lead, behind 348 yards of total offense (207 passing, 141 rushing). The defense held the Green Wave to just one yard rushing and 97 total yards in that first half. The second half had a running clock and most of Coach Davis’ starters got the rest of the night off.
This is, once again, a very explosive Patriots offense. Coach Davis likes to go fast, spread the defense out and keep them on their heels by mixing in the run to a potent passing game. Leading the offense is sophomore transfer John White. White has settled in quickly, throwing for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in the opener against Greenville. He meticulously moved the Patriots up and down the field against Cathedral, setting up short rushing touchdowns, all while splitting snaps with fellow sophomore Ethan Mallett.
Senior wide receivers Street Toler and Davis Dalton have picked up right where they left off as stars from last year’s championship team. Toler amassed close to 150 yards and caught three touchdown passes from White in the opener. Dalton went over 100 yards as well. Toler and Dalton are sure-handed, crisp route runners that will be a key to MRA’s success against Oakland.
The running game for MRA will help keep Oakland’s defense off balance as junior J.J. Latham, senior Tylor Latham and freshman Quincy Phillips have all found the endzone with red zone touchdowns through two games.
Defensively, MRA got a tremendous boost by getting senior linebacker Stone Blanton back in the line-up. Blanton did not play in the opener against Greenville, but led a dominating performance over Cathedral. The defense gave up just one touchdown in the game on a 50-yard pass after a failed onside kick. Senior defensive lineman Will Hornback spent a lot of time in the Green Wave backfield with tremendous explosiveness off the snap. The defense really seemed to have been sparked by the return of Blanton, which should be able to build on the momentum. Senior linebacker Braeden Watters is a big hitter and really complements Blanton, along with junior linebacker Jeffrey Polk and a solid secondary in two way players Noah Short, J.J. and Tylor Latham.
“We were very effective using a three-man front. We got really good push into the backfield and really got better as the night went on. We know (against Oakland) we are going to have to go to another level,” said Davis.
Oakland High School opened up its season with a 42-7 win last week against Hendersonville, TN. The Patriots extended their winning streak to 16 games as Georgia commitment Jordan James rushed for two touchdowns and added a 45-yard TD reception.
James, a senior running back, is the engine to the Oakland offense. Last year he rushed for 1,752 yards on 82 carries and scored 26 touchdowns. He averaged 135 yards per game.
James’ fellow senior running back Antonio Patterson also scored a touchdown in the opening game. Patterson is also a force to be reckoned with as he rushed for 1,242 yards and scored 17 touchdowns during the championship run last season.
New quarterback Kade Hewitt also showed versatility against Hendersonville with a 40-yard touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown.
This match-up has the makings of a classic. A cross-state showdown between two elite programs, one private, one public, a national TV audience on ESPN2, and an overflowing stadium on Old Canton Road in Madison. Both these teams have already won with the exposure and honor of having a stand-alone game on a Saturday. This game won’t mean much in the standings on paper, but it is certainly one the MRA players, fans and entire school will never forget.
Keys to Victory for MRA:
On offense: Consistency. Coach Davis says they are working hard to simply be consistent. There are so many weapons on this offense, it’s hard to pinpoint any one particular player that needs to stand-out. Certainly Quarterback John White will have to be smart with the football and not throw interceptions. His receivers, in Toler and Street, can make things happen whether it’s off a quick slant or a deep post route. Also look for J.J. and Tylor Latham to give Oakland fits out of the backfield.
On defense: Push…It will be essential for MRA to disrupt the running lanes. Will Hornback will for sure see double teams, which should provide big opportunities for linebackers Braeden Watters and Stone Blanton to stop the running backs before they can get started.
The Series: This is the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Last Week: MRA defeated Natchez Cathedral 56-7, Oakland defeated Hendersonville (TN) 42-7.
MRA AT A GLANCE
Class/Division: Class: 6A. District 1 (MAIS)
Head Coach: Herbert Davis (8th season)
Assistant Coaches: Danny White, Hayden Davis, Jacob Land, Matt Walker, John Weaver, Kenny Williams
2020 record: 13-0, MAIS 6A State Champions
