FOOTBALL PICKS: Hopefully, last week started a new positive trend for Jackson football

How fun was last Friday night in Jackson for Jackson-Madison County Schools?

On the south end of town, you had South Side finally playing up to its potential and putting a complete, four-quarter game together and making Bolivar look like it had no place on the same field with the Hawks. (Not to mention, making anyone who picked South Side to lose to look like an idiot.)

And on the north end of town, North Side celebrating homecoming with Jackson Central-Merry in the building. North Side ruined JCM's homecoming in 2023, so it's only fair for JCM to return the favor in 2024, but this one was more dramatic.

I've asked around to a few friends who might remember. But the highest-attended football game between two JMCSS schools that I've been to was the 2010 North Side-Liberty game at Liberty. The Crusaders were coming off their first run to the state semifinals (when they lost to Giles County and quarterback Bo Wallace who's now the offensive coordinator at University School of Jackson), and North Side looked good toward the end of 2009 and so far in 2010. So I think everyone in Jackson was at that game.

Last week's game between the Indians and Cougars didn't have a crowd quite that big, but some of us were trying to remember a comparable crowd. My initial estimation (admittedly conservative) was 2,800 people. Others estimated as many as 3,500. Either way, a lot of people were at the stadium Friday night, including more elected officials than usual thanks to the Commissioners' Cup.

We even had a guy stand with JCM in their team picture celebrating the Cup championship when he'd spent the whole night pulling for North Side. The Cup has amazing powers is all I can say.

Anyway, last week was a fun night of football for public schools in Jackson, and honestly, I thought it would be another year or four before we'd get something like that. But we're in the early stages of seeing a resurgence of Jackson high school football. The sleeping giant is beginning to wake up.

On to the picks ...

There aren't as many games to pick this week because many teams are off this week for Fall Break. It's not just Madison County. A lot of teams are off at some point in the first three weeks of October as that's the best time for school districts to take a week off. 

And some football teams take the week off with their classes as well. But most make a point not to schedule a game during Fall Break because of the potential distractions, other risks.

Last week I went 3-2 for a season record of 25-14. JCM's dramatic win was not a shock to me, but I did go the other way in that one. And South Side didn't just prove me wrong by winning. They made Bolivar look like they'd never seen a football before, thus making me look bad too. I'm OK with that.

A University School of Jackson mother confronted me last week over the fact that their team at the time was 6-0 and I'd picked them to lose four of those times. She was under the impression I wanted them to lose those four games, and that's not the case. Two of those games were against other Madison County schools, and in those games, I'm just hoping for a good game and that no one gets hurt. Otherwise, the more games Madison County teams win, that's more stuff for The Jackson Post to write about.

USJ 35, Evangelical Christian School 24: Now that USJ has lost a game, I feel a little more superstitious freedom to pick the Bruins to win. ECS, who is coached by former Trinity Christian coach Blake Butler, is playing better ball this season and should be more competitive than when they came to Jackson last year. But there's still little chance of them stopping Noah Spencer. And if they do, they're probably leaving Mills Terry, Alex Wallace or at least one of the other receivers wide open, and Corben Howard has gotten better at taking what the defense gives him.

Huntingdon 32, JCM 24: Just like last week, the lower scoring this game stays, the more that seems to favor JCM. At some point I feel like I've got to become a believer in the Cougars - but as with USJ, I wonder if I suddenly were to start picking them to win, would that bring a jinx upon them and their households. I'll keep riding the streak. It's not like I'm penalized for a low winning percentage.

Covington 42, Liberty 0: The Crusaders had last week without a game before taking the trip to Covington this week. Covington is one of the highest-ranked teams in the state and will probably look like that in this one.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news