Battle of the best

Sports

Discussion

October 17, 2012

Battle of the best

Russell Christian, Calhoun square off

By Tony Tsoukalas / Sports Writer The Meridian Star The Meridian Star Wed Oct 17, 2012, 11:00 PM CDT

MERIDIAN —      You don’t have to tell head coach and Nate Ballard and the Russell Christian Academy Warriors how big Friday night’s game against Calhoun Academy is, they already know.

    The 8-man perfect storm has been brewing ever since the Cougars smoked a quality Kemper Academy team 45-6 in the fourth week of the season. Since then, the two teams have been on a collision course, cruising past opponents en route to the highly-anticipated match up of 9-0 teams.

    “We kind of had an eye on them all year,” Ballard said. “We never dreamed that we would both be 9-0, but we felt we would be the best two teams in our district."

    The 8-man community has attempted to figure out which side has the advantage all season, comparing similar opponents and scoreboard statistics. Now, with almost every score compared, stats counted and matchup analyzed, players are simply ready to prove themselves on the field.

    “It started at the beginning of the season,” Russell Christian quarterback Jacob Howse said. “It was all about Calhoun and nothing about us. We are tired of it.”

    The Cougars offer one of the most deadly rushing attacks in 8-man football, with running backs Kyle Carter Danny Joe Norman leading the way. The two powerful backs have punished defenders with their bruising style of play and are the main area of focus for Ballard as he attempts to stop Calhoun.

    On offense, the Warriors have been fine-tuning their pass game into a deadly weapon of their own, taking advantage of 6-foot-5 receiver Kyle Russell and torching defenders through the air.

    “We feel like we have an advantage in the passing game,” Ballard said. “I don’t feel like they cover the pass as well as some of the other teams we have played, and when you have a 6-5 receiver, of course you are going to take advantage of that.”

    Russell started this season as one of the Warriors quarterbacks, but due to his size advantage, Ballard moved him to receiver midway through the season. The move has paid off, as Russell has been a nightmare on one-on-one coverage this season.

    “Can’t really anybody stop me one-on-one,” Russell said. “Howse will throw the ball up, and I will go get it. We just make plays.

    “Last week against Kemper, our first touchdown pass was off of a slant. The defender that was guarding me was like, ‘watch out for the slant.’ I just ran the slant and caught it, and he was like ‘I told you that.’ Nobody has been able to stop me.”

    If the Cougars do find a way to shut down Russell and the Warrior passing game, they still must defend a powerful rushing attack as well.

Russell Christian running back Arik Washington has been equally deadly on the ground, racking up a 100-yard performance in nearly every game this season. Washington has been just as dominant as the powerful Calhoun duo of Norman and Carter this season, and will look to prove he belongs at the top of the list among 8-man rushers. However, the talented running back said he doesn’t care who gets the ball on Friday, just as long as the Warriors come away with a win.

“Everybody is going to get the ball,” Washington said. “I am just going to go out there and play not for myself but for the team.”

While both teams have already guaranteed a playoff spot, the game has significant meaning to the Warriors, as they look to continue on the most successful season in school history. With the first district title in school history on the line, Ballard said the Warriors are looking to come onto the scene with style.

    “Undefeated seasons don’t come around often,” Ballard said. “Anytime you have that chance, you want to take advantage of it and capitalize on it, and that is what we are going to try to do against Calhoun.”

Text Only

Sports

(PHOTOS) Newton County Class 4A State Championship Slideshow from games one and two of the MHSAA Class 4A State Championship.
May 24, 2013
Not done yet
After being shutout less than 24 hours earlier, the Newton County Cougars used a 10-inning affair to force a Game 3 in the Class 4A championship series, topping Lewisburg, 2-1, in Game 2 at Trustmark Park.

May 23, 2013 1 Photo
Hollins focused on Spurs, not his contract
Lionel Hollins has been more successful than any Grizzlies coach and will be a free agent after June 30.
He has the Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals for the first time and has won more games with this team than any other coach.

May 23, 2013
Slive focused on future after big changes
Mike Slive sprawls in a comfy arm chair, propping his feet on a coffee table between one massive tome on Winston Churchill and an even thicker "Encyclopedia of Southern Culture."
He's relaxed and feeling awfully good about the state of the Southeastern Conference.
It's a rare moment of calm for the SEC's cerebral commissioner, but he can afford it since his "A pile" of things to do has gotten considerably slimmer over the past two years.

May 23, 2013
’Bama bounces Ole Miss from SEC Tourney
For the second day in a row, the Rebels went into extra-innings but were unable to emerge with the victory as No. 21 Ole Miss (37-22) fell to Alabama (34-25) 7-5 in 10 innings at the SEC Tournament on Thursday.
With the loss, the Rebels were eliminated from the SEC Tournament and will now await NCAA Tournament selection announcements at 11 a.m. on Monday. The selection of the NCAA Tournament field will be televised by ESPNU.
Tanner Bailey (4-2) suffered the loss for the Rebels, allowing two runs on one hit with two walks in 2.1 innings of work.

May 23, 2013
Roy shows big-league talent in win
Every youth leaguer dreams of being a Major League Baseball player. In Tuesday's Cardinals-Mets game, 8-year-old Trace Roy swung the bat and flashed some leather that looked like a glimpse into the future.

May 23, 2013 2 Photos
Cougars fall in Game 1
A sixth inning rally by Lewisburg handed the Newton County Cougars their first lost of the postseason, 2-0, in Game 1 of the Class 4A baseball championship at Trustmark Park.

May 23, 2013 2 Photos
Bulldogs win again, beat S. Carolina in SEC Tournament
Demarcus Henderson and Wes Rea both had RBI singles in the ninth inning to lift Mississippi State to a 5-3 win over South Carolina Wednesday night in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.
    The Bulldogs (42-16) loaded the bases with one out before Henderson and Rea drove in runs on consecutive at-bats for the second time in the game.
    Mississippi State had beaten Missouri 2-1 in 17 innings Tuesday night, matching the longest game in SEC tournament history.
    Reliever Myles Gentry (4-0) limited the Gamecocks (39-17) to a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth.
    Gentry pitched 5-2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out eight.
    Rea was 3 for 4 while Henderson drove in three runs.
    Mississippi State led 3-0 before South Carolina tied it up in the fourth.
    Max Schrock drew a bases loaded walk and Brison Celek followed with a two-run single.

May 22, 2013
Hogs top Ole Miss in SEC Tournament
For the second time this season the Rebels played an extra-inning affair with the Razorbacks, but with a different outcome as No. 21 Ole Miss (37-21) fell to No. 15 Arkansas (36-19) 2-1 in 10 innings on Wednesday.

May 22, 2013
Fundamentals leading Newton County to Jackson
In 2006, Newton County baseball won the 3A state title. Since then, they've moved up a class but haven't had much luck – until now.

May 22, 2013 1 Photo
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Battle of the best

Russell Christian, Calhoun square off

Site Map

Contact Us