The month of October is known for chilling temperatures, Halloween scares and weekly monster match-ups in MAIS Class 6A. This week we’ve got a big one for the C-Spire Game of the Week as Jackson Prep (8-0) puts its undefeated record on the line on the road at Hartfield Academy (7-1). These two teams are steadily building a rivalry as they sit just four miles apart on Lakeland Drive. They met twice last year with the Hawks winning 30-17 in the regular season and 21-0 in the 6A State Championship. The Patriots won both meetings in 2022 in the regular season and in the semi-final round of the playoffs enroute to winning the state title.
“Hartfield is still on top and the team to beat. They are the defending champs and our guys understand that,” said Jackson Prep Head Coach Doug Goodwin. “While we are off to a good start this year, we can’t get complacent. We tell the team we have got to get better each day.”
The respect is mutual from Hartfield Head Coach Craig Bowman.
“This has become a really good rivalry. They are just a couple of miles away and our communities overlap. The last three years have been really good football games. We won two, they won two and we won two. Prep is always ready for us. It’s gonna be a fight and an amazing atmosphere,” said Hartfield Coach Craig Bowman.
Last week the Patriots pummeled Presbyterian Christian 56-10. It was an odd 3-3 score at the end of the first quarter before Prep started hitting on all cylinders and rang up 44 points in the second quarter. Senior defensive back Major Quin had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown followed on the next drive by senior linebacker Will McMaster nabbing a 20-yard pick six. Quin, who also plays wide receiver, hauled in a Billy Puckett pass and went 92-yards for a touchdown. The defense forced a safety and senior Gardner Young returned the ensuing free kick 75 yards for a touchdown making it 47-3.
“We started a little slow last week, but we sure picked it up,” said Goodwin. I’ve been proud of our defensive aggressiveness and effort. They all run to the ball very well and are playing as a team.”
The Prep defense is only giving up an average of nine points through the first eight games while the Patriots are averaging just over 43 points each week. That is a great formula for success as they sit at 3-0 in the district and have their eyes set on a first-round bye for the playoffs.
Hartfield will be hard pressed to slow down the Patriots offense. Quarterback Billy Puckett is a true dual threat. Puckett is completing 75 percent of his passes for nearly 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 300 yards and seven touchdowns. Puckett’s runs are not scrambling from pressure but designed keepers based on what the defense is showing.
“Puckett is a big concern for us. It’s going to be a tall task for our defense because he is so mobile. He moves well in the pocket and can take off, check it down quickly to throw underneath or throw it deep,” said Coach Bowman.
Puckett is part of a three headed rushing attack alongside senior Cole Gideon and junior Thomas Hewitt Oswalt. The trio has combined for 1,000 yards and 16 scores.
“Our offensive line has protected really well, both pass and run blocking. We expect, based on watching tape, that they (Hartfield) are going to blitz a lot. We are going to continue running a lot of formations to give them a bunch of different presentations to mix up what we are going to do,” said Coach Goodwin.
The Hawks lost their first game in nearly two years in a high scoring 44-35 battle against Madison Ridgeland Academy last week. Hartfield fell behind 21-0 after the first quarter. The Hawks did battle back to take a 28-24 lead in the third quarter before the MRA Patriots pulled away and iced the game in the fourth quarter.
Senior Quarterback Cayman Tapper was 13-27 for 321 yards, four touchdowns and two costly interceptions. Junior wide receiver Braylan Womack had a huge night with four catches for 209 yards, an average of 52 yards per catch, and four touchdowns. Senior star receiver Kenzy West didn’t have a great night on the stat sheet but he did draw three pass interference calls and threw a 40 yard touchdown.
“The speed of Womack and West really stands out. They throw deep and throw spot screens and they are threats to score anytime they touch the ball,” said Goodwin.
The ground game was slow going as Hartfield managed just 77 yards on 22 carries due in large part to falling behind early.
“We are trying to turn the page after last week. Honestly, we played such a light schedule early in the year that it took us a quarter and a half to get up to speed,” said Bowman. “I was really proud of our kids for coming back and actually took the lead third quarter. I think we executed so poorly up front that we will spend a lot of time on that this week.”
The Hawks will look to establish the run game against Prep with junior Kaden Catchings who has run for 600 yards and 12 touchdowns. It will be critical for Hartfield to be able to run to slow down the pass rush. Seniors Tre Bryant, Laird Johnson and Will McMaster have wreaked havoc through the first eight games with 22 tackles for loss.
This game will go a long way in determining who will grab a coveted first round bye for the playoffs. The odds are that these two will meet again at some point in the postseason whether it’s in the semifinals or the championship game. Both coaches are confident their team won’t be looking ahead, but rather play in the moment of just wanting to win the game that is in front of them.
“We have a senior laden team that is very mature and continuing to get better as we go along. They know what it takes to get where we want to be,” said Goodwin.
For Coach Bowman it’s about seeing a bounce back from their first loss.
“Last week proved that we’re not invincible. I knew that but the kids weren’t used to it. There is preparation and execution. We were prepared but didn’t execute. Now it’s time to see how, to a man, how are you going to respond, said Bowman.
Three things we can expect from this mid-October match-up on Friday night: there will be a chill in the air, the atmosphere will be intense, and if history holds, it will come down to some fourth quarter heroics.
PREP'S KEYS TO VICTORY
On Offense: Hold up against the blitz. There are chances to make big plays against the Hawks defense as MRA showed last week. Give Billy Puckett just a little time and good things will happen.
On Defense:Keep everything in front of you. Receivers West and Womack will make catches but getting them on the ground after the four- and five-yard grabs is key to slowing the Hartfield offense.
PREP AT A GLANCE
Class/Division: Class: 6A. District 1 (MAIS)
Head Coach: Doug Goodwin
Assistant Coaches: Marcus Canoy, Jake Pickett, Zach Miller, Matt Bryant, Nick Brewer, Matt Butts, Keith Giordano, Rusty Burke.
Record: 8-0 overall, 3-0 in district
HAWKS AT A GLANCE
Class/Division: Class: 6A District 1 (MAIS)
Head Coach: Craig Bowman
Assistant Coaches: Cody Saxton, Shane Schurb, Stuardt Saxton, Pack Toler, Bryan Pittman, Ricky Clark, Ryan Lindsey, Will Davis, Lee Dawkins, Collin Owens.
2024 Record: 7-1 overall, 1-1 in district
The Series: Hartfield leads 4-2.
Last Match-Up: Hartfield won 21-0 in 2023 State Championship Game.
