The McComb Tigers already know they are playoff-bound next week. The only thing they don’t know at the moment is their playoff seeding and possible destination.
Both of those burning questions will be answered Friday night when the Tigers host the Columbia Wildcats in a key Region 7-4A game. McComb is 6-3 overall and 3-1 in region play after last week’s 41-2 region victory over North Pike. Columbia was a 27-8 winner last week over region opponent Lawrence County and moved to 7-2 and 4-0.
Should McComb defeat Columbia by 10 or more points, the Tigers wrap up the region championship, with Columbia at No. 2 and Purvis No. 3. A Columbia victory gives the Wildcats the region championship, while Purvis finishes in second and McComb third.
MHS head coach Malcolm Jones said he isn’t thinking about anything past Friday.
“We’re not talking about playoffs right now,” Jones said Wednesday. “We’re talking about this particular game and winning the district championship. That was one of our goals at the start of the season. That is what we’re focused on and trying to accomplish. We’ll deal with the playoffs after the game.”
The top two schools in the division host first-round playoff games, while Nos. 3 and 4 must travel to open the playoffs.
Walter Denton is in his second year as Columbia head coach after 21 seasons at Tylertown, where Denton’s Chiefs operated mostly out of a veer attack, which the Wildcats run, along with the spread.
“Columbia is a very athletic team and their quarterback can run and throw,” Jones said referring to 6-foot-4, 170-pound senior Edward Forbes. “He is pretty athletic. On film, it looks like he wants to throw the football. He is pretty accurate.”
Through eight games, Forbes has thrown for 986 yards and seven touchdowns. He has thrown only three interceptions.
Other key offensive players for the Wildcats include 5-10, 190-pound senior fullback Tomaz Conerly (879 rushing yards) and wingback Bryson Medious, who has rushed for 267 yards and has 248 yards receiving.
“(Columbia) has some pretty athletic kids,” Jones said. “In a lot of ways, they look a lot like us in that they have some athletic kids who can run. They have some pretty big linemen on offense and defense, something we don’t have.”
Jones said the Wildcat defense likes to pressure the quarterback.
“Columbia’s defense likes to blitz and bring pressure,” Jones said. “We’re going to do some things (offensively) to prevent that from happening.”
McComb is paced offensively by 6-4, 240-pound senior quarterback Alex Woodall, who has thrown for 1,746 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has thrown eight interceptions.
Travilion Williams and Larkin Walker were on the receiving end of touchdown passes last week, while senior running back Aquindus Henson, junior Daquan Smith and Woodall each contributed rushing touchdowns last week. Clifton Bibbs also scored on a 49-yard touchdown on a fake punt.
Jones said linebacker LaCharles Williams is available after missing the last three weeks because of an MCL sprain, and Jones said he should play.
“Everybody is saying we’re going to lose, but we’re going to come out and make some plays,” Williams said. “We’ve been put out in the first round of the playoffs the last two years, so a win Friday would put us the No. 1 seed, which would give us a chance (to advance).”
Jones said the Tigers deserve community support.
“We want everybody in McComb to come out and support these kids,” Jones said. “Columbia is going to shut down that little town to be here.”
