Private school previews — Russell vs. Wayne: ‘Someone will win’

Published 4:00 am Friday, August 21, 2015

Nate Ballard said it best: Someone is finally going to come away victorious

Both his Russell Christian Academy team and tonight’s visitor, Wayne Academy, didn’t win a game in 2014, so Ballard took a bit of a humorous view of tonight’s season opener at home.

“I know they were 0-10 last year, and we were 0-9, so one of us is going to win a game (tonight) for the first time in a year,” Ballard said. “They have changed offenses it looks like, going from the spread to more of an I (formation). They have a good quarterback, good running back and a receiver that’s about 6-foot-4 that they like to chunk it to.”

Kickoff is at 7 tonight.

Players to watch:

•The entire offensive and defensive lines — “They’re going to have to step up,” Ballard said.

•Sophomore left tackle Collin Wilkerson, No. 56 — “I’ve got a kid out, so we’re going to put a lot on Collin, who’s playing left tackle for the first time,” Ballard said.

•Freshman cornerback Vincent Reynolds, No. 21 — Another injury force Reynolds into a starting role tonight. “That’s a lot of pressure for those two underclassmen (Reynolds and Wilkerson) who haven’t really done a lot in the fall camp, but will be called on this week because of injuries,” Ballard said.

CALVARY CHRISTIAN

Calvary Christian School opens the season at 7 p.m. today on the road at Rebul Academy, a team the Cougars haven’t been able to observe on-screen thanks to no jamboree film being available.

“We’ve got a scouting report, but that’s all we have,” head coach Kirby Newell said. “They have one good back, No. 33 — I don’t know his name. They move him around a good bit, putting him in the slot and the I (formation). They try to get him the ball as much as they can no matter what the play is. He’s pretty much their offense.”

Newell also said Rebul’s quarterback was a team strength with his running ability.

“That’s about all we know right now,” Newell said.

The Cougars’ 8-man football squad will be with one less varsity player tonight as the transfer of linebacker Aaron Raynor fell through, so he didn’t have three players to watch for, saying all 10 of his varsity players would have to step up.

“We hope we don’t get anyone hurt,” Newell said. “We feel our game plan is good, but we’re really concerned about being able to tackle and execute when we get tired. We got tired in the jamboree (last week) and had a hard time executing, so we’re going to have to limit mistakes and not get anyone hurt.”

KEMPER ACADEMY

Kemper Academy opens 8-man football play at home tonight against Strider Academy, and head coach Pete McCleskey said he was unable to obtain jamboree film.

“I don’t know anything about them and couldn’t find out much,” McCleskey said. “I do know they basically run what we do and have pretty good speed. Of course, we have good speed, too, so I’m not terribly concerned.”

Because of the unknown, McCleskey said he’s been practicing for just about anything, and he thinks his players are ready for whatever Strider might throw at them. The biggest issue, McCleskey said, would be the heat.

“They’re talking about it getting up to 90 (degrees),” McCleskey said. “That’s my biggest concern, but they have to worry about it, too. We do have two water breaks per quarter, and we’ll take some Gatorade and stuff to get them hydrated as best we can.”

Kickoff is at 7 tonight.

Players to watch:

•Junior quarterback Dalton Sanderford, No. 1 — “He threw for over 1,000 yards last year, and he looked good in the spring game and fall game,” McCleskey said. “He’s not a big kid, but he’s got a good arm and good eye.”

•Senior slot/wing player Bailey Luke, No. 10 — “He was our No. 1 rusher last year, and we need him to have a good game,” McCleskey said.

•Senior tight end Michael Hull, No. 22 — “We’re more into throwing it than running it, and he has to run his routes right and catch the ball,” McCleskey said. “He’s looked good in practice, so we feel confident about him.”

NEWTON COUNTY ACADEMY

Newton County Academy will play it’s first Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AA game on the road against a Double-A mainstay, Oak Hill Academy in West Point.

“They were AA last year, while we got bumped up,” head coach Robert Roberts said. “I don’t think they lost but three players on offense or defense, so they’re going to be strong.”

Fresh off a state title in Class A a year ago, Roberts said he would field a young team this year, especially on the offensive line.

“My defense so far has looked pretty good,” Roberts said. “We just have to work on our line. We looked bad in the first game last week (in the jamboree), then came back in the second game and looked a lot better. I’m hoping they look a lot better tonight.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. today.

Players to watch:

•Junior quarterback Braden Smith, No. 12 — “He grew several inches over the summer and is throwing it really well,” Roberts said. “We’re planning on throwing it a bit this year.”

•Senior running back Ethan Parker, No. 26 — “He didn’t play much last year because we had three good running backs, but he’s a playmaker and a good running back,” Roberts said. “We just have to open up some holes for him.”

•Junior receiver Hunter Terrell, No. 8 — “He made some outstanding catches in the jamboree, one of them for a touchdown,” Roberts said.