Mary Persons facing experienced Jackson defense

By the numbers, the Mary Persons-Jackson rivalry tilts in one direction.

Mary Persons holds a 53-19 lead in the series, with the Bulldogs winning four of the past five meetings. But those numbers might not mean as much as the experience of the players returning to the field Friday for the season opener for both programs.

Jackson (7-4 last year) has 10 starters returning on defense, including Michail Carter, a 6-foot-3, 311-pound defensive tackle who is getting looks from most SEC and ACC programs. The Red Devils also have six players returning on offense.

Mary Persons, meanwhile, has just two starters returning on each side of the ball, although one of those starters is quarterback Jake Johnston.

“They have a big group up there that’s a bit imposing,” Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson said. “We’re not as big as in the past, and that will create some matchup problems for us. I hope the kids can respond.”

Most of the attention that Jackson is getting during the preseason concerns its defensive line. Carter is rated a four-star prospect by Scout, which lists Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Florida at the top of Carter’s interest list.

“He’s one of those kids who embodies what you want in a football player,” Jackson head coach Dary Myricks said. “He’s a great kid from a great family. He comes with all of the athletic ability and none of the baggage.”

Between all the attention Carter is getting and the number of starters Jackson has back on defense, the expectations that unit faces are high.

Up front, Carter is joined by Jaquavious Collins, a 6-3, 220-pound junior who has impressed Myricks during the preseason. But Myricks is looking for improvement from his team’s defensive unit, which had trouble shutting down some opponents last year. The Red Devils let seven opponents score 20 or more points, including Mary Persons, which opened the 2014 season with a 41-21 win over Jackson at Red Devil Hill.

“Last year, our offense did a decent job, scoring 31.4 points per game,” said Myricks, who enters his third season as Jackson’s head coach. “But we gave up 24. Three of our losses last year were to teams ranked in the top 10. I feel like if we can duplicate what we did on offense and play defense a bit better, then we’ll be in those games we lost last year.”

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, come off a strong 2014 season in which they went 9-3 and went to the second round of the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs. Jackson finished third in Region 2-AAA, defeating fourth-place Central in double-overtime, and looks to challenge Peach County and Westside for a home playoff berth.

The big question for Mary Persons is how it will handle all of the roster changes brought about by graduation.

“There will be 16 or 17 out there that this will be the first high school game they’ve started, and that’s a little scary,” Nelson said. “They’ve done fairly well so far, and they’re eager for the opportunity. The guys came in and did what they’re supposed to do, and they are at that point now where they’re excited for that chance to play.”

“We’re going to do the same stuff we’ve done: run first, then open up the pass. These guys know that and know our scheme. There are things that come up on Friday night that you can’t replicate in practice, and that’s where the unknown is.”

PARKING CHANGES

Because of construction on the Monroe County Board of Education campus where Dan Pitts Stadium is located, parking availability will be limited.

Free shuttles will run between the stadium and the main high school campus, as well as between the stadium and the Monroe County Education Center, formerly Monroe Academy.

Limited parking will be available adjacent to the Mary Persons ninth-grade campus. A reserved lot behind the stadium will be available for Mary Persons Touchdown Club members, and handicapped parking will be available between the Board of Education office and the stadium.

Newton Memorial Drive between Montpelier Avenue and the stadium will close at 5 p.m. and will reopen after the game. Parking is prohibited at the City of Forsyth Cemetery or alongside U.S. 41.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Mary Persons facing experienced Jackson defense ."