The Presbyterian Christian Bobcats can’t catch a break with their schedule. The overall record of the five teams it’s faced is 17-7, as two of those teams remain undefeated this week, and PCS still has four undefeated and a one-loss team left on the schedule.
After facing a two-time defending state champion last week, PCS gets the most successful and storied MAIS program in the state Friday night. Jackson Prep, a team PCS has only beaten once in school history, is just as good as it’s ever been, so the Bobcats will have a tall task Friday when they travel to Flowood.
“We caught everybody at the wrong time, but that’s how it is,” PCS coach Derek White said. “No matter what, we’re going to be a whole lot better next year and the years to come. It’s going to be a great challenge for us because we’re playing the best of the best this week.”
Despite that, White is still trying to improve his team week by week by fixing the little things. He’s building for the future, but at the same time, everybody makes the playoffs, so if he can get his team peaking at the right time, who knows what could happen in a winner-take-all scenario.
This season has been tough for the seniors, too. White is using it as a life lesson, though.
“I’ve told them that I hate it for them,” he said. “I feel for them, but at the end of the day, they’re going to have some bad things that happen in their life. I hope the game of football and the tough time we’re going through right now teaches these kids how to persevere because they’re going to have to be tough in life as they get older.”
Jackson Prep enters the contest with one of the best running backs in the state in senior Jerrion Ealy, who PCS is very familiar with. The four-star running back is committed to play at Ole Miss, but he’s considered a first-round pick in next June’s MLB Draft. Ealy also was named to the Under Armour All-American team, and he received his jersey last week in a ceremony.
However, Ealy was injured a few weeks ago and didn’t play last week. White doesn’t believe he’ll play this week either, but Prep has plenty of players ready to step up in his absence.
“Trust me, they have somebody right behind him who, I’m not saying is as good, but he’s a special player, too,” White said. “They’re loaded up. They’re a very good football team and we’re going to have our hands full.”
Defensively, the Patriots are stout there as well. They haven’t played the toughest schedule, but they’ve only allowed 17 points through five games. Prep shutout East Rankin Academy, Washington School and Pillow Academy, and allowed 10 points to St. Joseph-Madison and just a touchdown to Forest.
“They just like to play good defense,” White said. “I can tell you everything about them and they’re as good as advertised. They get after it and they have good players, but they’re very well coached.”
