Football Game Preview: Madison Central Jaguars vs. Clinton Arrows

The Madison Central Jaguars will face off against the Clinton Arrows at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Clinton took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Madison Central, who comes in off a win.

Madison Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Starkville, who was ranked eighth at the time (Madison Central was ranked 16th). The Jaguars had just enough and edged out the Yellowjackets 38-35. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Jaguars have posted since October 25, 2024.

Mikel Stephen

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/31/25 @ Starkville	190
10/24/25 @ Germantown	126
11/15/24 vs DeSoto Central	107
08/29/25 vs Pearl	97
09/26/25 vs Warren Central	77

Madison Central's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Mikel Stephen, who rushed for 190 yards and one score while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Those 190 rushing yards gave Stephen a new career-high. Another signal caller making a difference was Tripp Smith, who threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Madison Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 61.3 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five games they've averaged 168.

Madison Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Will Shoemake and Venson Moore. Corey Wiggins was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks, making 15 total tackles, and defending one pass.

Meanwhile, Clinton was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were outmatched by Germantown and fell 47-17. The Arrows were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-10.

Clinton now has a losing record of 4-5. As for Madison Central, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Madison Central beat Clinton 49-39 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Will the Jaguars repeat their success, or do the Arrows have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.