Presbyterian Christian took care of business last week as the Bobcats cruised to a 51-6 win over Bowling Green.
Now the Bobcats kick off a tough stretch of games that starts with Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
MRA (5-3, 2-0) opened the season with a 1-3 mark, but it was by no means a reflection of the Patriots taking steps back in a program. Rather it was a testament to the tough schedule MRA played early in the season, which included losses to Greenville Christian, Oakland (Tenn.) and Pulaski Academy (Ark.).
“You have to give credit to MRA for not being scared to go play Greenville Christian, who is the best football team in the state,” PCS coach Derek White said. “They go play Oakland, who is a top-20 program in the country. They also play Pulaski Academy, which is another top-20 caliber program in the country. They have played the best in Mississippi, one of the best in Arkansas and maybe the best school in Tennessee.
“They are not the same football team they were then. They have learned and grown. Iron sharpens iron. They are still MRA.”
Entering the matchup against PCS, MRA has won four straight games and, in the span, has outscored opponents 162-46. Last week, the Patriots defeated Jackson Prep 50-20.
As usual, MRA is filled with Division I caliber athletes. On offense, quarterback John White has kept the Patriot offense running smoothly. The sophomore, who holds offers from Liberty and Southern Miss, has thrown for 1,988 yards, 20 touchdowns, completed 66% of his passes, and thrown 11 interceptions.
“He’s got Division I offers for a reason,” White said. “He’s a really good player and does a great job. He’s only going to get better as time goes on. He gets the ball to his playmakers’ hands. They have a lot of playmakers and a lot of really good receivers. There is no hidden story. They have some great playmakers, and he does a great job of distributing the football to them.”
His top two targets are Davis Dalton and Street Toler. Dalton, a Southern Miss commit, set the single-game state record for receiving yards last week as he hauled in 14 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns. This season, Dalton has recorded 710 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while Toler has made 29 catches and hauled in 512 yards and six touchdowns.
“They end up breaking tackles on a short gain,” White said. “Then when you try to take that away, they throw the ball over the top. If you try to beat them over the top, they throw the ball short, break tackles and make big plays. Those guys make some spectacular plays.”
At running back, the Patriots have evenly distributed the ball between Jonathan Latham, Tyler Latham and Quincy Phillips, who all have all have between 35 and 44 carries. The trio has combined to rush for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns.
MRA’s defense is highlighted by four-star prospect Stone Blanton, who has registered 67 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks. Blanton has received numerous offers from Power Five schools across the country, which include Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Stanford, Nebraska, Oregon, Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Louisville to list a few.
“We have to make sure that we can get some bodies on (Blanton) when we need to,” White said. “We have to cut down on some backside lanes that he likes to take advantage of and run to him. We have to make sure that we take care of our responsibility upfront.
“We have to be efficient. We have to score points, flip the field, and not have turnovers. We have to try and create some turnovers and put them in some bad situations and just play some great football so we can have the opportunity to maybe be in the football game.”
