ABERDEEN — The Aberdeen High School football team received the lift it needed last week.
Now coach Chris Duncan hopes his Bulldogs are ready to shine in a time of the year that they have come to own.
At 7 tonight, the two-time defending Class 3A North State champions will look to take their first step toward a return trip to Jackson when they play host to Velma Jackson (6-5) in the first round of Class 3A North State playoffs.
Aberdeen (6-5) is in a new position as the No. 2 seed from Class 3A, Region 2 thanks to a 20-14 loss at Water Valley. Inconsistency has plagued a young Aberdeen team throughout the season, but a 63-0 victory against South Pontotoc last week in the regular-season finale set things straight.
Senior defensive lineman / tight end Channing Ward broke free for two touchdowns at a new position — running back. He also caught a touchdown pass to spark the rout.
This week, though, things figure to be a little tougher, even though the Bulldogs have won their four North State playoff games by an average of more than 23 (2009) and 34 (2010) points per game.
“We’re used to being in the playoffs and making this run, so I think the kids know what they have to do,” Duncan said. “It will just be whether they’re willing to step up and take that step and get better each week and make plays.”
Duncan said his team is well aware a victory tonight coupled with a victory by Charleston against Belmont will mean the Bulldogs will face the Tigers in the North State playoffs for the third time in four seasons. In 2009, Aberdeen won 33-20. In 2010, the Bulldogs won 22-15.
“You have East Side on one side of the bracket and you have Charleston on the other side,” Duncan said. “Those are both really good teams. I am really excited about the side we’re on. I imagine people are looking at it and saying, ‘Aberdeen is on that side, too.’
“Every year you’re going to have one or two teams that are really good that you’re going to have to beat. Going into the year, I said we’re going to have to beat Charleston, Water Valley, and East Side — we already knew that — to get back to Jackson (the site of the Class 3A state title game). I am not discounting anybody else, but those are the teams that are going to have a chance to beat us. We’re going to have to face a couple of those guys in the playoffs sooner or later.”
Duncan hopes people look at Aberdeen’s record and think it may not be a contender this season. He believes a stout defense and a tough non-region schedule that included games against Columbus, Noxubee County, West Bolivar, and Louisville will benefit his team in the postseason.
“I hope they look and say, ‘That is not the Aberdeen (of the past few years),’ ” Duncan said. “That’s the way we would love to have it. Like I told the kids, nobody expects us to do anything this year. Nobody expected us to do anything last year. We lost all of those guys and we came back and challenged and went to Jackson again. Hopefully everybody is looking over us. I don’t think Charleston is going to look over us, but hopefully people do.”
Duncan said he would much rather be ranked No. 8 or No. 9, or unranked, than to be the top-ranked team. He said last season was tough because the Bulldogs received the best game from each team it played and still overcame it before losing to Forest 10-8 in the title game. He said the same thing has happened this season against a tougher schedule.
But Aberdeen has shown the past few years that it plays some of its best football in November and in December.
“Our kids play better when their backs are against the wall and when they know they have to play,” Duncan said. “We’re at that point now. It is not a new rodeo. We have done it before. To survive the next four weeks somebody is going to get some breaks, some things are going to happen good for them and we hope we’re going to be that team.”
Ward hopes to provide a spark or a distraction on offense that will allow other playmakers to impact a game. He agrees with Duncan that outsiders run the risk of overlooking Aberdeen just because its record isn’t as gaudy as part years.
“We feel good entering the playoffs,” Ward said. “Our record should let a lot of people think we’re not as good. We’re young and we have made a lot of little mistakes that have killed us. If you go back and watch film, teams don’t kill us. We kill ourselves.
“We’re going to do real good on defense. As long as the offense scores we’re going to win the game.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.