As the South Pike Eagles prepare for their Region 7-4A contest at home versus Columbia, head coach Willie Brown has one thing in mind — playing hard.
That’s the concept Brown has relayed to his team this week after the Eagles recorded their first win of the season last Friday night, 36-14 over Crystal Springs.
“Expect us to play hard,” Brown said. “You have to play hard to be victorious.”
This week, the Eagles face a team headed in a different direction in the Columbia Wildcats (2-5).
After opening the season with victories over Poplarville and Perry Central, the Wildcats have dropped five straight, including 13-7 to Port Gibson last week.
Leading Columbia’s pro-set offense is quarterback Aaron Ellzey.
The Wildcats’ signal-caller completed 9 of 16 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown through Columbia’s first two games, good for a 122 quarterback rating. No stats were available after the Wildcats’ second game.
The Wildcats’ strength on offense is in the running game. Running back Divian Nelson carried 34 times for 167 the first two games, while fellow running back Derrick Coleman rushed 17 times for 71 yards in two games.
The Wildcats’ top two receivers are tight end Dominic Tovell and wide receiver Darius Quinn.
Tovell caught three passes for 49 yards in the first two games, while Quinn had two receptions for 96 yards.
Brown said the Wildcats mix up their offense well, employing both the running and passing games.
“They like to run,” he said, “and they have good receivers. We have to be prepared to stop their running as well as their passing.”
On defense, Columbia works from a 4-3 formation with plenty of blitzing, Brown said.
Leading the Wildcats’ defense is Channing Henry and Tovell. Henry tallied 14 tackles in Columbia’s first two games this season. Tovell chipped in 11 stops.
Brown said his Eagles have come a long way this season and that they will continue to battle in hopes of getting back to and above the .500 mark.
“We’re all fighting for the same thing,” Brown said. “We have got to play hard. Only the best team will win.”
According to Brown, senior defensive back/wide receiver Timothy Lewis sustained an ankle injury last week and is doubtful for this week’s game.
