The playoffs return Friday, but that’s not all the only comeback to start the weekend.
The No. 3 seed from 6-4A McComb Tigers (7-3) will travel to 5-4A No. 2 Northeast Jones (8-2) for the first round of the MHSAA State Playoffs.
It will be the second time this season the Tigers will find themselves in a Tiger-on-Tiger matchup — McComb beat Mendenhall in the first one.
McComb head coach Randy Martin will also be heading back to a school where he had his first head coaching job.
On top of that, Northeast Jones’ Chucky Nichols will be returning as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.
Nichols has been out since the West Jones game and dressed for the Cleveland game last week but didn’t play. The Tigers’ two losses came when he was on the bench.
The McComb Tigers are winners of five straight and have surpassed 300 yards rushing in each of their final two games.
The Northeast Jones Tigers finally had their offense break out against Cleveland last week, after struggling to score in double digits the previous four weeks, including a shutout against Wayne County.
Of course, those four games were without Nichols under center.
“They’re not going to change,” Martin said. “They’ve run their offense with someone else being in there, and they’re just going to run right at us.”
With Nichols in the lineup early in the season the Tigers went 4-0 to open the year. Three of the four weren’t close, and Nichols scored six touchdowns in the four games. Vancleave was able to keep its game against Northeast Jones in September close before losing 17-14 on a late field goal.
That’s the only game with Nichols under center in which the opponent had a shot to win late. It’s also pertinent since Vancleave is the No. 3 seed from District 7-4A.
Nearly two months ago may not matter now, and if that’s the case, then nine years ago doesn’t, either.
Martin had his first year as a head coach in 1998 at Northeast Jones and moved to Quitman before landing at McComb three years ago.
Martin said he left on the best of terms with the school and the community. This game isn’t about him or the other Tigers.
“It’s about two teams,” Martin said. “I’m not going to play on the field. I haven’t played a snap all year.
“Whoever wins you can’t take that from them.”
McComb will bring a senior-laden squad to the game, which has four games worth of playoff experience. Plus, Martin throws in the South Pike games in that same category, so it is closer to five by his count.
The season has served to bring along the younger players and the team as a whole still has some room to grow.
“Win or lose we have improved every game,” Martin said. “But we haven’t reached our potential.”
