The playoffs are still within reach for the Columbus High School and the Heritage Academy football teams.
That’s the message Columbus coach Randal Montgomery and Heritage Academy coach Barrett Donahoe want their teams to heed at 7 tonight as they prepare to face Greenville and Leake Academy, respectively, in Mississippi High School Activities Association and Mississippi Association of Independent Schools action.
For Columbus, (1-6, 0-3 Class 6A, Region 2) tonight’s game will have a direct impact on its ability to finish in the top four in the region and earn a playoff spot. Although Montgomery isn’t focusing on how things will sort out after the final four regular-season games, he knows the Falcons need to improve on a six-turnover effort last week that played a role in their loss to Northwest Rankin.
“The spirits are high,” Montgomery said. “The guys understand we have lost some ballgames, but they also understand we have had a lot to do with some of the ballgames we have lost. That is to take nothing away from the teams we have played. There have just been some things that have, for the lack of a better word, killed us on the football field. Friday night was perfect example of our season in a nutshell.”
Montgomery said Columbus outrushed and outpassed Northwest Rankin. It also had double the first downs and fewer penalties, but had two potential scoring drives erased due to penalties. The turnovers also directly contributed to Northwest Rankin scores. Despite the struggles, Montgomery said he and the members of his coaching staff will continue to work as hard as they can. He said the Falcons also continue to work hard, but, unfortunately, remain their worst enemy. Montgomery said repetition and experience will help correct the mistakes that have plagued his squad.
“You just have to continue to grow from the mistakes,” Montgomery said. “The mistakes we have made are ones we have found a way not to really fight back from. As a team, it has hurt us. You have just got to keep working and preaching about taking care of the football.”
Montgomery doesn’t feel the players have gotten tired about the message he and his coaches have stressed since they arrived. He also believes the team’s preparation has remained at a high level. That being said, Montgomery hopes to see some positive things tonight against Greenville (1-6, 0-3) and that they lead to more positives next week against Madison Central.
“We understand there is still a possibility for us to get into the playoffs, but that is not our main focus,” Montgomery said. “We have some things we have to take care of before we even start to consider worrying about the playoff race. We need to continue to get better and understand taking care of the football is the most important thing on the football field. We also need to play with a lot of heart and effort. If we do those things, the game will take care of itself. I think our kids have been playing hard and playing with great effort, but it seems like we have been snake-bitten. We just have to work hard to get past that.”
Donahoe also would like to see his team rebound from a disappointing loss. After falling behind 21-0 at halftime, Heritage Academy had chances to get back into its game last week against Pillow Academy. A Michael Ledbetter kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half swung the momentum back in the favor of the Patriots. Unfortunately, Heritage Academy couldn’t capitalize after it recovered an onside kick following the score and drove inside the Pillow Academy 5-yard line. The Patriots also had another prime scoring opportunity in the third quarter, but they were unable to cash in and wound up dropping a 31-7 decision.
Heritage Academy (4-4) will look to bounce back tonight against Class AA Leake Academy (4-4). Donahoe hopes the game will help Heritage Academy get back on track because it will return to Class AAA, District 1, Division II action next week when it travels to Starkville Academy.
“We have talked about using this game to improve from last week and to feel good about ourselves going into to finish our conference play,” Donahoe said. “We go to Starkville to play one of the best teams in the state two weeks from now. It is a rivalry game, and it is going to be an intense game. We want to feel good going over there. We want our guys to have confidence. We need to regain confidence.”
Donahoe hopes Heritage Academy can use this year’s game against Leake Academy like it used it last season. In 2013, Heritage Academy was coming off a loss to Pillow Academy, but it rebounded to beat Leake Academy 32-20 and then edged Starkville Academy 14-10. The Patriots lost their last two regular-season games, but they still qualified for the playoffs for the second-straight season.
“We wanted to use that game to spring board us into the final three games,” Donahoe said. “It is the same thing this year. … I think it is going to be an intense game. They are a physical team and fundamentally sound.”
Heritage Academy also has a game remaining against Division II rival Magnolia Heights that will help determine which two teams from the division advance to the playoffs.
Donahoe’s biggest disappointment last week was he felt Pillow Academy “outphysicaled” his team, especially up front. He said that aspect of the game forced the Patriots to change the game plan and they weren’t able to make plays when faced with pressure or when they had to make quick adjustments.
“We put such an emphasis on our game plan and what we feel like is going to make us successful in the game, so when we have to get away from that early in the game, for whatever reason in our time here, we have struggled,” Donahoe said. “We have to evaluate that as coaches and find a way to be more consistent in being able to ensure what we do early in games keeps us on track for what we are prepared for later in the game. We have struggled to overcome bad first quarters in our three years here.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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