In what can be viewed as an elimination game for the postseason, the Grenada Chargers and Germantown Mavericks meet Friday night at Gluckstadt in Class 6A, Region 2 action.
GHS head coach Ashley Kuhn would be the first to tell you that a loss wouldn’t automatically eliminate either school, but with the remaining games for both schools after Friday, the battle to the magic four wins needed would be a climb.
“Mathematically, a loss wouldn’t eliminate either team,” Kuhn said. “But, with the remaining games, the loser puts themselves in a tough position.”
After tonight, the Chargers travel to Clinton, host Oxford and finish the regular season with a road trip to Starkville. Germantown has road games with Madison Central and Tupelo sandwiched between a home game against Starkville.
Germantown grabbed the attention of everyone in the region with a 26-6 thrashing of Oxford on the road last week. The Mavericks recorded 10 sacks and had 19 tackles for losses.
First-year head coach Russell Mitchell was extremely proud of his team’s play against Oxford. Mitchell comes to the Madison County school after serving as the offensive coordinator at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg.
“It was a really big win for our program,” Mitchell said. “We haven’t been 6A for a long time and we haven’t been able to get a win over a 6A blue blood like Oxford, which is always a state title contender. Being able to beat them on the road was a feather in our cap.”
However, there were some mistakes in the game, according to Mitchell.
“We had three turnovers in the game and had a big play called back for an illegal formation,” he said. “There were some problems with center-quarterback exchanges. There is always room for improvement. Our focus is more on how can we get ourselves better. Game-planning is always important and we will do that.”
Germantown’s defensive effort against Oxford definitely caught Kuhn’s eye.
“They are really good defensively,” Kuhn said. “They come with pressure against you on every play. If you can break the first line of containment, you have a chance to break a big play.”
Offensively, the Mavericks play two quarterbacks. Senior Drew McCluskey (198) and junior Jackson Hood (185) will both play against Grenada. Behind them, juniors David Gainwell III (165) and Jeremiah Washington (155) are the top playmakers at running back.
“Drew is a tough-nosed player and does an outstanding job managing the game,” Mitchell said. “He throws it well. Jackson comes and plays less than Drew. We have a package of plays for him.”
On the offensive line, the Mavericks have been led by sophomore Wade Estess (265) and senior Cody Wilson (250).
The defensive effort for the Mavericks has been the story thus far this season.
“They have carried us this season,” Mitchell said. “It’s not because we are bigger or stronger. Every Friday, we are going to be the smaller team upfront. We have made up for the lack of size with effort on the defensive front. We have some small guys that get after it.”
Senior Jamison Rankin (205) lines up at nose guard, while senior Shuntory Ollie (230) anchors the team at defensive end, along with junior Darrell Gross (230).
Grenada (5-2) is coming off a 35-13 win last week at Murrah. The Chargers trailed 13-6 early in the third period. Like his counterpart at Germantown, Kuhn said a big focus this week has been on Grenada and correcting its mistakes.
“We have been working on correcting our mistakes this week,” he said. “As a team, we know the challenges Germantown presents both offensively and defensively. Doing what they did to Oxford definitely gets your attention.”
Sophomore running back McCaleb Taylor is on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. He has 90 rushing attempts for 750 yards and five touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jaylon Skinner has accounted for 855 total yards with 423 yards rushing and 432 yards through the air.
Defensively, the Chargers are led by the dynamic duo of senior linebackers Jalon Townes and Tre Parker. Townes has 57 total tackles and an interception. Parker has 35 total tackles to go with three interceptions.
The offensive staff has gotten Parker involved in its playing-calling. Last week’s game with Murrah saw Parker score twice. On the season, he has 10 carries for 67 yards.
“It’s something we work on through the season during practice,” Kuhn concluded. “Tre has been a running back before. As you get later in the season, you want you best players in their handling the football.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
