Either way, once the play clock winds down at Robinson-Hale Stadium this Saturday night, the Patriots will be crowned Class 6A state champs.
On Saturday, the Madison-Ridgeland Academy (MRA) Patriots will take on the Jackson Prep Patriots in the MAIS championship.
Prep (10-2) is hoping to win its eighth straight title, while MRA (11-2) is looking to de-throne the Patriots and claim the title for themselves.
During the regular season, MRA defeated Prep 34-22.
MRA bested Prep during the 2018 regular season as well, only to fall to their Northside rivals in that year’s championship.
Head coach Herbert Davis, now in his sixth year at Madison-Ridgeland, reflected early this season on the importance of winning that final game.
“We’re where we want to be to compete for championships, but we have to prove it,” he said. “We have to win that big one.”
In 2018, the Patriots went undefeated during the regular season, clinching the district title and first seed in the playoffs, only to fall to Prep in one of the closest matchups for either team that season.
Said Davis, “That one hurt.”
MRA will rely on senior quarterback Philip Short. So far this year, Short has passed for a division-leading 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns and has averaged 226 passing yards per game.
He’s supported by a veteran receiving corps, including seniors Russ Sceroler, Tyler Starnes, Justin Williams, Joseph Perkins and Landon Fulcher.
Sceroler is one of Short’s favorite targets, with 36 receptions for 764 yards and six touchdowns; Starnes also has 36 receptions, for 599 yards and six touchdowns, according to Maxpreps.
Prep has three quarterbacks, seniors Jake Lange and Bennett Johnson and junior Riley Maddox, who have combined for more than 1,300 yards passing and nine touchdowns.
Prep’s strongest point is its running game, which is led by junior Matt Jones. Through 12 games, Jones carried the ball 177 times for 1,308 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s followed by Riley Maddox, who has rumbled for 194 yards for four scores.
The reigning state champs come into the game as underdogs, having fallen to MRA 34-22 on October 18.
With that loss, Prep fell to second in the district, but still earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the semifinals, Prep defeated Jackson Academy by a score of 28-14, holding the Raiders to three fewer points than during the regular season.
In its matchup last week, MRA overwhelmed Oak Forest Academy by a score 42-13. The Patriots scored 28 unanswered points in the first half, while giving up six in the third quarter and seven in the fourth.
So far this year, Madison-Ridgeland has outscored opponents 506-163, and allowed seven points or fewer in seven games.
Prep has outscored opponents to 408 points, while holding opponents to 191. The Patriots have had three shutouts.
The game is slated for 6 p.m., at Robinson-Hale Stadium, on the campus of Mississippi College.
In other news, Madison Central and Ridgeland’s seasons have come to an end, following the first rounds of the MHSAA playoffs.
Last week, the Madison Central Jaguars (9-3) fell to Olive Branch in a 24-7 decision in Class 6A play; the Ridgeland Titans (8-4) fell to Lake Cormorant 61-25 in the Class 5A playoffs.
PREP'S KEYS TO VICTORY:
-- Stop/slow the pass: Stopping Philip Short is a must to slow down MRA’s up-tempo offense. Only one MRA player has more than 500 yards rushing, a major Achille’s heel for the team.
-- Forget the past: Prep has won seven straight titles. Thinking about those past victories will not help win the eighth.
MRA's KEYS TO VICTORY:
-- Stop the run: Stifling Matt Jones and pressuring the passing game is key to forcing three-and-outs.
-- Stay focused: Don’t look past Prep to the trophy presentation. Stay focused and take the game one play at a time. defense a chance to rest.
