St. Joseph Catholic School head football coach John Baker puts things bluntly when asked about his team’s home game this Friday night against Pillow Academy.
“This is, by far, the best team that we have played in years,” Coach Baker said. “There is no doubt about it. We have not played a team this good in a long time.”
While the Class 3A Fighting Irish have beaten a handful of teams from higher classifications during their state-best 18-game winning streak, the Class 5A Mustangs (6-1) are clearly a team that creates new and bigger challenges for St. Joseph. Pillow, for example, has beaten Indianola Acadamy 52-0 and Washington School 41-7 this season. The Mustangs also gave Heritage Academy, the top-ranked private school in the state, everything it wanted in a 26-13 defeat.
Coach Baker said he expects the Mustangs, behind their powerful offensive line, to run right at his defense.
“Their offensive line is a great strength, and they are going to come at us. Coach Baker said. “But, they are also a very balanced team.”
Pillow senior quarterback Shane Houston Stephens has thrown 18 touchdowns this season while throwing just three interceptions. Stephens’ main target will be Jaden Simcox who has 560 receiving yards this season.
“Jaden Simcox is a special player. He is going to be hard to slow down,” Coach Baker said.
While the Irish players and coaches have tons of respect for the Pillow team, they still believe they can win, the Irish coach said.
Simply by playing against the Mustangs, the Irish will receive critical Power Points that will help them receive home field advantage when the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools state playoffs begin. The Power Point system used by the MAIS rewards teams for playing teams from higher classifications.
The Fighting Irish are looking to win their third straight MAIS state championship this season, and games like Fridays can only help the Irish get better.
Baker said his best players, like Dillon Johnson and Trey Benson, are going to have to play outstanding against Pillow if St. Joe is going to come out on top.
“We are going to need all of our players to step up,” Baker said.
