Less than two weeks ago, he saw members of his team cry after dropping a heart-wrenching 14-12 loss at South Pike. Now it’s seemingly back to square one for McComb head football coach Malcolm Jones.
Jones said he thought his team showed its heart following the Tigers’ Aug. 28 loss at South Pike, when several McComb players shed tears after watching a game they felt they could have won instead slip through their fingers.
Less than two weeks later, however, Jones said he continues to try and make his players understand the importance of practice as they prepare for Friday night’s home opener against the North Pike Jaguars.
“Practice this week has not been good,” Jones admitted. “I don’t know if it’s a case of us feeling sorry for ourselves or us not wanting to play football.”
Whatever the problem, Jones and the Tigers will need to fix it before the North Pike Jaguars come for a visit Friday.
This will be yet another challenge for the McComb defense. After last week’s 28-14 loss to Franklin County in which the Bulldogs ran for more than 200 yards, North Pike comes in with its own potent offense.
The Jaguars (2-1) will bring a strong running game featuring Jalen Adams and LaDerrick Turner. The two running backs have each accumulated more than 300 yards on the ground for the first three games. Quarterback Revis Butler also has become a viable weapon in the Jaguars’ double slot offense, throwing for 280 yards and running for another 141.
“They have a pretty good quarterback who throws the ball well and runs the ball well,” Jones said. “I expect them to come out in their double slot and try to inside run with their two-back sets. We’re going to line up and try to stop what they do best.”
As for their defense, Jones said the Jaguars are solid and quick throughout.
“They’ve got kids who can run,” he said. “Their defensive line appears able to move well. Their linebackers are quick and they have a decent secondary.”
Jones said that he has moved several players around and made several substitutions trying to find players who want to give the necessary effort to win.
“We haven’t gotten the effort we need in practice,” Jones said. “So as a coach I’ve got to use my brain to find other avenues to get what we want out of them.
“North Pike is coming in knowing this is a prime time for them to get us,” he added.
