Football Preview: Jefferson County Tigers vs. South Pike Eagles
The Jefferson County Tigers will square off against the South Pike Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
South Pike is hoping to do what Franklin County couldn't on Friday: put an end to Jefferson County's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Jefferson County blew past Franklin County 38-7 on the road. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked 81st, while the Bulldogs are ranked 206th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jefferson County had a senior duo take command as Royale Shelvy threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns and Jamari Tenner rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. Tenner has become a key player for Jefferson County: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise. Gariyon Bailey was in the mix too, providing Jefferson County with a touchdown.
Meanwhile, South Pike put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Wilkinson County on the road to the tune of 58-6.
South Pike found their leader in underclassman Douglas Wansley, who rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Jayvon Jackson, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown.
One reason for the win was South Pike's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Micah Nickerson with two.
Jefferson County pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. As for South Pike, their win bumped their record up to 7-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Jefferson County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 273.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South Pike struggles in that department as they've been averaging 248.4. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Jefferson County came up short against South Pike in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 30-22. Thankfully for Jefferson County, Tedarrius Aych (who rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
