Madison, MS — Friday, Jackson Prep went into their ninth game of the season on the road with an undefeated record, however, for the first time in two years, they exited with a loss. The Prep Patriots faced off with Madison-Ridgeland Academy, who was also unbeaten going in, but MRA got the best of them in this matchup,  as Prep was handled by a score of 42-21. In the game, Prep was forced into multiple situations on defense that ended up beating them, as MRA put up an absurd 527 yards of total offense. This was a shock to not only the Prep team, but also to the media as each analyst on their weekly predictions chose Prep to win.

The game started slow offensively as neither team scored in the first quarter, but in the second MRA was able to find their footing to back the dominant outing put on by their defense as they went into the locker room leading 14-7 at the half. The game stayed consistent from then on, with Prep being outscored by the same 14-7 margin in each quarter.

The final score shows an impressive statement win for the MRA Patriots, but it does not give the whole story. Although it doesn’t seem close in the first place, MRA handled Prep with much more ease than the final gives off. Prep was held to 270 yards and 14 points on the offensive end, and not only this but several of their drives ended in just a few plays and not much production.

The bulk of the success that Prep did have came from running back Jerrion Ealy, who finished with 107 yards on the ground, but even he wasn’t able to break free during the game as the MRA front line was able to keep him in check all game. The only spark the team was provided was when senior defensive back Bryson Weeks was able to pick off MRA quarterback Philip Short in the third quarter for a touchdown. However, the momentum gained from this faded quickly as MRA was able to score on the following drive. 

Prep will return home this Friday, October 19,  for a non-conference matchup with New Hope in what will be their final game at home during the regular season. This game will be a test for the team as they must bounce back and get another win under their belt if they want to keep from being dethroned just two games later when the playoffs begin.