Week 4 Jones County Predictions

Here are your Jones County Week 4 predictions as picked by James Pugh.

Northeast Jones at South Jones

Remember the 2012 meeting between the two county rivals known as the ‘Mud Bowl’? 

I certainly do. I ruined a good pair of tennis shoes that night covering the game. South Jones hosted Northeast Jones on the Reservation in 2012 just days after a hurricane hit the Gulf Coast. It was the sloppiest, muddiest game I’ve ever covered. 

Now the same is about to happen in 2018, although I doubt this game will be as muddy as the one in 2012. 

South Jones has the momentum. The Braves beat the West Harrison Hurricanes (no pun intended) 24-6 at home in Week 3 to capture the program’s first win of the 2018 season. 

Northeast Jones, on the other hand, is winless thus far and getting win No. 1 is usually the hardest. 

Both offenses are one-dimensional, and both are likely working to correct that. The team that passes the ball with the most success will probably win Friday night.

History sometimes repeats itself, so I’m going with exactly how the 2012 meeting ended.

Prediction: South Jones 21, Northeast Jones 7. 

Laurel at Petal

Laurel has been here before, namely last year. 

Oak Grove (3-0) handed Laurel (1-2) its second loss in Week 3 and plunged the Tornadoes below .500 on the season. Don’t panic, its non-region schedule is ordinarily brutal, but it prepares Laurel for region play, you know, the games at really matter. 

In the same boat last year, Laurel won its next two games to recover. I have little doubt that Laurel will not do the same this year. 

Laurel is a better team than it was a year ago, especially offensively, while Petal is struggling and in search of its first win. The Panthers may have to wait a bit longer.

Prediction: Laurel 28, Petal 17. 

West Jones at Bay Springs

If defensive battles are your drug of choice, then this game last year gave you a permanent high. Neither team came away with double-digits in their 2017 meeting. West Jones escaped with a one-point victory, 8-7. 

Little has changed from a year ago. Both defenses remain stacked for its classification. 

One thing, though, has changed. West Jones seems to be scoring a lot more on offense than it did a year ago at this time. That will be West Jones’ advantage.

Prediction: West Jones 24, Bay Springs 6.