Forrest County Agricultural made a triumphant return to the football season after having to shut down due to COVID-19.
The Aggies finally dominantly opened their season as FCAHS defeated Northeast Jones 31-6.
It was an all-around dominant performance as FCAHS put up over 400 yards of offense, forced two interceptions and held Northeast Jones to under 60 yards of offense.
“It was awesome,” FCAHS coach Brad Calcote said. “Our guys enjoyed every part of it. From getting dressed, the team stretch, the stuff you never thought about before. It was just enjoying every little moment of it.”
According to Calcote, his team played with significant energy and intensity.
“As far as how hard our guys played, I was super proud of the effort from every position,” Calcote said. “You could tell how hard our guys played. They were hungry to play football, and it showed. We do have a lot of stuff to clean up. We looked a little rusty, not having played a football game in a while.
“It was just a lot of execution stuff. It was stuff we need to do more and need to see full speed reps of a game.”
However, that positive momentum will need to carry over as FCAHS opens region play against football powerhouse Poplarville. While the Hornets hold a 1-3 record, it’s a team that is arguably the most feared 1-3 team in the state.
“It’s a big district game,” Calcote said. “They are tough and disciplined. They believe in what they do and do it well. We are going to have to sharpen up. They have opened up with some good teams these past two years. I know they are not getting down on themselves. They know they are playing some good football teams. Their mindset is not (1-3). Anybody who knows what’s going on can’t believe that mindset. It’s a big challenge playing them in the first district game.”
Poplarville earned its first win of the season last week after defeating St. Stanislaus 27-7.
While Poplarville has several play makers to hand the ball off to in its Wing-T; the Hornets main two are DJ Richardbey and Gregory Swann, who combined for 616 yards and five touchdowns.
“They run it well, and they time it,” Calcote said. “You can tell they take pride in details. That stands out the most to me with just watching. They believe in what they do there.
For Calcote, the efficiency of Poplarville’s offense is impressive.
“They have got several guys that touch the ball that are tough and physical runners,” Calcote said. “The wings, the fullback and the running back will touch the ball. I think all of them are guys that you have to know who they are and where they are. They are the Wing-T. They poke here, and they poke there just to make sure you are doing your job on every play. They make you be disciplined.”
Defensively, Poplarville has changed defenses, which is still an ongoing adjustment. Despite the slow start, the Hornets have come up with five turnovers and forced six fumbles on the season.
“Just watching them play, they are physical, play hard and play with great effort,” Calcote said. “They look big on the interior. They don’t miss tackles. They always have guys swarming the football. They are all near the ball, and they are all trying to tackle. They want to be physical up front. They’ll be a challenge on both sides of the ball.
“We have to execute and we clean up the mistakes of Game 1 (then) we’ll keep improving.”
