It’s not often that a first-round playoff game features two teams that have a combined record of 15-4.
Sacred Heart (8-2) will make a four-hour trip to face No. 2 seed West Tallahatchie (7-2) to open the Class 1A playoffs.
Last season, the Crusaders had to undergo a similar situation after they had to make a long drive to play Simmons in the second round. That experience is something Sacred Heart coach Ed Smith hopes his seasoned team can rely on to deal with the unfavorable road game.
“We have done this before,” Smith said. “We played well for two and a half quarters (last year), but then we made a couple of mistakes that let them get two quick touchdowns. When you are playing a team that is really athletic, if you give them anything, then it’s hard to make that up. When you look back on this year, we have done that several times.
“We have to take care of what we do. We can’t go up there and make mistakes. We can’t turn the ball over. On defense, we’ve got to tackle. We’ve got to have good coverage. We just can’t give them anything. You have to be stingy in the playoffs on both sides of the ball, especially when you are playing a good team.”
West Tallahatchie’s lone two losses are to defending Class 2A state champions Charleston (52-24) and to undefeated Simmons (30-0).
The Choctaws have two players that will need to be stopped. The first is dual-threat quarterback Tristian Hill, who, through eight games, has accounted for 1,800 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns. The other is running back Issac Day, who has run for 1,195 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 12.3 yards per carry.
“Their two losses came to two really good teams,” Smith said. “They are athletic. They are not really big, but it looks like everybody on the field can run. They have a quarterback that can fly. They have a running back that they can play Wildcat with him. They are basically trying to get the ball in (Hill) and (Day)’s hands. They give you a lot of different formations. They try to use their speed against you.”
However, the Crusader offense has averaged 37.7 points per game, led by the three-headed monster of quarterback Kyron Murphy, running back Adam Sneed, and wide receiver Gary Duckworth. Murphy has thrown for 1,464 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Duckworth has hauled in 38 catches for 861 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Sneed has run for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns.
On defense, West Tallahatchie has held teams to just 13 points per game. Leading that side of the ball is Rosevelt Phillips, who has racked up nine sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
“Defensively, they are going to try and play straight man coverage,” Smith said. “They’ll put one more in the box than you’ve got. They give you more than you can block. We’ll have to try and figure that out. We’ll have to throw the ball against them. It’s a challenge with the long ride and play in a different type of atmosphere.
“This is going to be one of those teams that is athletic enough that it will be hard to dig yourself out of.”
Follow @PineBeltSPORTS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
