After each having a week off, the Jackson Prep Patriots and the Hartfield Academy Hawks will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Jackson Prep sitting on three straight wins and Hartfield Academy on four.
Last Friday, Jackson Prep got the win against Oak Forest Academy by a conclusive 38-13. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Patriots' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 16th in Mississippi, while the Yellowjackets are ranked 112th in Louisiana).
Josh Parker
| 10/31/25 vs Oak Forest Academy | 2 |
| 10/24/25 @ Silliman Institute | 1 |
| 09/05/25 vs Lamar | 2 |
Jackson Prep's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josh Parker, who picked up 215 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. What's more, Parker posted two receiving touchdowns, the most he's had since back in September. Luke Essary was another key player, having thrown for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Jackson Prep's defense and their 5.5 sacks. Brogen McClsukey refused to say out of the backfield, picking up three sacks all by himself.
Meanwhile, Hartfield Academy made easy work of Starkville Academy last Friday and carried off a 42-20 win. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by 22 points or more this season.
Jackson Prep better focus on containing Ethan Elliott and Collin McIntyre as the pair were huge in Hartfield Academy's win. Elliott threw for 150 yards and one TD while completing 72.7% of his passes, while McIntyre rushed for 69 yards on only seven carries. Elliott's passing game has become a key predictor of Hartfield Academy's success: the team is 4-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-4 otherwise.
The victory got Hartfield Academy back to even at 5-5. As for Jackson Prep, their record is now 7-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Jackson Prep has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hartfield Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 210.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Jackson Prep took their win against Hartfield Academy in their previous matchup back in September by a conclusive 40-14 score. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Elliott, who rushed for 92 yards and one score on only five carries, and also threw for 88 yards and one touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Patriots still be able to contain Elliott? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
