Here are your Jones, Jasper, Smith and Wayne County Week 11 predictions as picked by James Pugh.
Current record: 67-26 (72.04 winning percentage).
Newton County (5-5) at NEJ (4-6)
Saddle the Tiger - Northeast Jones has secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2016.
Friday night is a fight for higher seeding in Region 5-4A as the regular season comes to a close - winner heads into the playoffs as a three-seed while the loser grabs the final spot.
Newton County has been the surprise in 5-4A this year, going winless in the prior two seasons in 5-4A to a playoff team in 2019. Northeast Jones is the slightly better team but has to play smart and tough to pull out a clear victory.
Prediction: Northeast Jones 24, Newton County 14.
Heidelberg (4-6) at Bay Springs (8-2)
Like Newton County and Northeast Jones, Heidelberg and Bay Springs are fighting for third and fourth seed spots in Region 5-2A.
Bay Springs is the better team, but Heidelberg touts the bigger body players. That could give the Bulldogs trouble in this deep-seated rivalry.
Bay Springs played lights out after its loss to Taylorsville earlier in the season and coming off of an upsetting loss at Enterprise last week. I foresee the Bulldogs doing the same thing this time around.
Prediction: Bay Springs 35, Heidelberg 7.
Mize (6-4) at Taylorsville (9-1)
Can anyone in 2A South stop Taylorsville? Probably not, or at least not this week in this Smith County rivalry. The Tartars keep rolling and end the regular season with a big win.
Prediction: Taylorsville 42, Mize 6.
Stringer (5-5) at Sacred Heart (0-8)
Stringer can seal a playoff spot Friday night with a win over Sacred Heart.
Sacred Heart has yet to win a game this season, and to be honest, it doesn’t look like they will. Stringer’s coming off a big win over Sebastopol, 42-7, and will get another lopsided win this week.
Prediction: Stringer 49, Sacred Heart 0.
Forest Hill (3-7) at South Jones (3-7)
Three teams in Region 3-5A (Forest Hill, South Jones, and Natchez) are 2-3 at this point. For South Jones to claim the final playoff spot, they'll have to win out.
The real test will be against Natchez next week, but I won’t be shocked if Forest Hill ends the quest of South Jones this week.
Prediction: Forest Hill 21, South Jones 17.
Other Predictions:
Laurel 35, Wingfield 0.
Velma Jackson 28, Raleigh 8.
Wayne County 42, Long Beach 6.
West Jones 38, Jim Hill 12.
Notes:
Wayne Academy and Sylva Bay Academy have first-round bye’s in the playoffs.
