There will be no shortage of talented athletes on display today when Ferriday High School travels to Wilkinson County High School for a Louisiana-Mississippi showdown.
Both schools have a tradition of sending players to the next level, and the current crop at both schools should prove to be no exception.
“They have some good ones. They have some Division 1 recruits and commits, and we have the same going here,” Wilkinson County coach Kenneth Brown said.
Ferriday coach Dwight Woods said not only is there is special talent on each side, but players from both programs have a strong familiarity with each other because of college camps and summer 7-on-7 action.
“They have dynamic athletes on both sides of the ball,” Woods said. “They have several guys that can go and get it. They’re not going to be afraid to play one another.”
Woods said one thing that stands out to him when scouting the Wildcats (2-3) is their ability to score points quickly.
“If you have one slip up, they can score the ball in an instant,” he said. “They throw the ball extremely well and score on special teams. Their speed is phenomenal.”
Conversely, Ferriday (2-1) relies on the strength of its stout defensive front, Brown said, headlined by juniors Dantrieze Scott and Dare Rosenthal.
“Their down front is big,” the grizzled coach said. “We’re looking for a good game and for our kids to be able to handle the guys up front.”
Both coaches said the team that is able to win the turnover battle will go a long way in deciding the winner in the intrastate showdown.
“We need to cut down on the mental mistakes and penalties,” Woods said. “Our thing is to be fundamentally sound, play with discipline and do the things we’re taught.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.