FNL Must Watch Games: Week 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although we do not have the same level of match-ups as we did in week one, week two of Mississippi high school football provides some great games both with in-state teams battling in-state teams and neighboring out of state schools. Here are the games that will have our full attention in just 24 hours.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Madison Ridgeland Academy vs Pulaski Academy (AR)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 3-0 on the season, MRA has seemingly had things rolling so far. This Friday's game with a tough Pulaski Academy team should make for a great game filled with offense. Senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='344088' first='John' last='White'] and sophomore wide out Case Thomas have impressed in the first 3 match ups, and this MRA defense is mixed with strong talent from the senior and sophomore classes. Pulaski Academy boasts a fun offense with a lot of passing and creativity, leading to a lot of points. Out-of-state games always prove to be a great test , and this Friday's match up will certainly be just that. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score Prediction: MRA 34 - Pulaski Academy 27</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oak Grove vs Hoover (AL)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Grove will host one of the top teams in Alabama this Friday in a game that should draw a ton of eyes. Loaded on defense with players like Mississippi State defensive back commit [player_tooltip player_id='616688' first='PJ' last='Woodland'], defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='344082' first='Anthony' last='Maddox'], [player_tooltip player_id='617237' first='Caleb' last='Moore'], and [player_tooltip player_id='346333' first='Jalen' last='Owens'], Oak Grove boasts one of the most talented defenses in the state and maybe the southeast. Quarterback and Texas A&amp;M commit AJ Maddox played an incredibly efficient game this past Friday and will look to replicate success. A traditional power, Hoover fell in week 1 to Auburn (AL), but has as much talent as anybody in the state of Alabama. This game looks to have the makings of a tight defensive battle loaded with college prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score Prediction: Oak Grove 21 - Hoover 14</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brandon vs Madison Central</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these 7A squads played tough week one opponents - Brandon losing by a score to Picayune and Madison Central beating Ocean Springs by one as time expired. In this non-region matchup, Brandon got the best of Madison Central last season. This year, the Jaguars look revitalized and could give Brandon a serious challenge. Offensive playmakers [player_tooltip player_id='273250' first='Landon' last='Varnes'] and [player_tooltip player_id='273259' first='Nate' last='Blount IV'] lead a Brandon offense that did all it could do against a stingy Picayune defense this past week. Madison Central boasts improved playmakers in the skill positions as well as strong defense play. This game could go either way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score Prediction: Brandon 28 - Madison Central 27</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oxford vs South Panola</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oxford won big last week over Lafayette, leaving the feeling that Oxford may have some legitimate promise this year in 7A. Offensively, the Chargers clicked and combined for multiple explosive touchdowns, something that was lacking from last years squad. South Panola opened the season with out-of-state Germantown and grinded out a win against the Tennessee 6A team. Athlete and Arkansas commit [player_tooltip player_id='910403' first='Julius' last='Pope'] is a freakish playmaker that will keep South Panola rolling offensively and defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score Prediction: Oxford 28 - South Panola 21</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gulfport vs Vancleave</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scrappy 5A team, Vancleave blew out 7A opponent St Martin 42-7 to open the season last Friday. With an incredibly aggressive and downhill rushing attack led by freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1133046' first='Jaylen' last='Johnson'] and sophomore Kyle Capers, this young offense could be set up to be a whole lot better than a lot of people thought. Gulfport comes in with a similar resume featured with their blowout win over Gautier. Both teams look vastly improved from last year already and will provide an exciting 5A vs 7A matchup that will provide some serious entertainment for fans of the run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Score Prediction: Gulfport 30 - Vancleave 20</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->