titans gearing up Ridgeland storms into playoffs after big win over Provine
The Ridgeland Titans are a bit of a wildcard headed into the first round of the playoffs this week.
Under first year coach David White, the Titans (8-3, 5-2 in Region 2) were a force to be reckoned with early in the season. They rattled off seven wins in their first eight games and started 4-0 in region play before dropping back-to-back region games against Neshoba Central and Holmes County Central.
But just when it looked like White's Titans were going to fade down the stretch, they scored a huge 43-20 win over Provine last Friday night.
The bounce-back win over the Rams (9-3) not only secured the No. 3 seed, it showed Ridgeland has some fight left in it headed into this week's first-round playoff matchup against Lake Cormorant.
"I was glad we were able to come back after a couple of let-down weeks," White said. "Neshoba and Holmes whooped us, but we responded well, and to come back against a good Provine team and play well like that - it's given us some confidence and a sense of belonging headed into the playoffs."
The Titans will travel to Lake Cormorant for a showdown with the Gators (7-4), who defeated Lafayette 20-14 Friday to secure the two-seed coming out of Region 1.
"We've definitely got our work cut out for us against them this week," White said. "They are well-coached and they play fast and aggressive on both sides of the ball."
If they can recreate the performance from the regular season finale, the Titans will be tough to beat, too.
Against Provine, the Titans got back to the balance that helped them to that 7-1 start.
By utilizing six different targets, McDonald kept the Provine defense guessing. Wilkerson finished the night with six catches for a team-high 75 yards. Banks caught three passes for 71 yards and Richard Mays recorded four catches for 69 yards.
Senior tailback Markell Young had his best game in weeks, pacing the offense with 131 rushing yards on 17 carries with a 53-yard touchdown run and catching four passes for 41 yards.
The defense, which gave up more than 550 yards the past two weeks against Neshoba Central and Holmes County, limited Provine to 244 yards of total offense and picked off Rams quarterback Shavario Allen twice, including one pick-6 from Kievon Bell.
One key adjustment White made was moving senior inside linebacker Genada Byrd to defensive tackle. From that position, Byrd was able to use his quickness and excellent hands to disrupt the middle of the line.
"I think our guys are starting to believe what we've been talking about since the beginning of the year and they are playing with more confidence," White said. "We played a much more physical game Friday and tackles extremely well."
They'll need to continue that aggressive play against Lake Cormorant and its steady rushing attack.
The Gators employ a more traditional offense, and they tend to line up with a full back and run right at opposing defenses. They feature a three-headed rushing attack with senior J.J. Daniels and juniors Jaiden Gray and Jadelldrian Maggett. The trio has combined to rush for more than 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns in 11 games.
On defense, Louisiana Tech commit Fred Watson has been a terror for opposing offenses. The senior safety has picked off three passes this season, forced four fumbles and blocked two field goals.
"He usually covers the opposing team's best player and can usually shut down whoever that is," White said. "He can also come down in the box and make plays against the run. We're going to have to find a way to keep him from hurting us all night."
Kickoff for Friday's game is set for 7 p.m.