Playing their third consecutive game against an out-of-state team, the North Sunflower Academy Rebels will put their 2-0 record on the line this Friday night when they travel to Marvell (Ark.) Academy.
In their recent action, the Rebels claimed their latest addition to the win column last Friday night with a 62-38 decision over visiting Briarfield Academy of Lake Providence, La.
“We had a good team effort against a really good team”, said NSA Head Coach Michael Ward. “Our offense looked good and we’ll need to bring that same intensity to the field against this Friday night.”
Currently ranked No. 2 among all MAIS eight-man football teams, the Rebels will open their District 1E play by facing a Marvell Academy Eagles squad which owns a deceiving 0-2 record.
“There is a reason they have won the district championship three consecutive times”, said Ward. “They have had a hard opening schedule and I expect them to be hungry for a win.”
Marvell Academy opened their season with a 26-22 loss to defending state runner up Franklin Academy and then dropped a 46-22 last Friday night to unbeaten (3-0) Humphreys Academy of Belzoni.
Last season, Marvell Academy earned an 11-1 record, a campaign which saw them go unbeaten until a 36-30 loss to Franklin Academy in the 2016 semifinals.
Historically, NSA would like to end the five -game losing streak suffered over the years to the Eagles, a string extended by last season’s 50-20 Marvell victory. Overall since 2004, Marvell owns a 9-3 series advantage over the Rebels.
In their high-scoring victory over Briarfield Academy last Friday, the Rebels accumulated 583 yards of total offense to help score at least two touchdowns in every quarter of the game.
Meanwhile, the NSA defense stiffened in the second half of the contest and allowed only a fourth period touchdown to the visiting team from Louisiana.
With Austen Redwine’s 148 yards and three touchdowns pacing the NSA ground game, the Rebels ultimately rushed 44 times for 372 yards against the Rebels of Briarfield Academy.
Through the air, the NSA struck for four touchdowns as quarterback Jacolby Brown completed four of his six passes for 131 yards.
Leading the receiving corps was Bo Dawson, who gathered in three of those passes for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Redwine was on the receiving end of two passes which netted 56 total yards and a touchdown.
Brown’s other touchdown completion was a seven yarder to sophomore Stephen Chamblee.
Defensively, NSA was led by Patrick Boykin’s 12 solo tackles and, three assists on the night.
Also turning in high numbers was Bennett Boykin with seven solos and eight assists while Dawson added a fumble recovery to his eight solo, four assist night of play in the secondary.
While Jaden Patterson recorded five solo tackles and three assists, Brown was busy accumulating four solos, four assists and a fumble recovery.
