High school football: Vancleave hosts Poplarville with playoff spot on line

VANCLEAVE ?--?The playoff formula isn't complicated for the Vancleave Bulldogs --?win and keep playing, lose and stay home.

The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 in 4A Region 8) play their final regular-season game at 7 p.m. Friday, hosting Poplarville (3-6, 1-3) at Vancleave Stadium. The winner of the game clinches the fourth playoff spot in the region and travels to face Region 5 champion Quitman to open the postseason on Nov. 2.

"A lot of teams would love to be in the position we're in -- to be fighting for a playoff spot going into the last game," Vancleave coach Jim Bloomfield said. "It would mean a lot to our program and to our seniors and our coaches to win this game. We're banged up in a lot of spots, but this is the time of year where character has to rise. We need to play hungry, hungrier than we have been playing."

Vancleave has lost three straight games since opening region play by beating St. Stanislaus 39-32. The Bulldogs have been outscored by Forrest County, Bay and Greene County 125-46 in that span and are allowing 36.8 points per game for the season.

Vancleave averages 242 yards per game rushing, led by junior quarterback Terren Crowley (859 yards, 7 touchdowns) and sophomore fullback Marlon Warren (450 yards, 6 TDs). The Bulldogs have been less steady throwing the ball, with Crowley completing just 41 percent of his passes with a 10-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

"We haven't played as well on defense as we've wanted to, but our offense hasn't been able to keep our defense off the field," Bloomfield said. "So it's been a double whammy. When you're going three-and-out too much, it doesn't allow your defense to rest."

Poplarville has also lost to Forrest County, Bay and Greene County, by a combined 163-56. The Hornets' lone region win was a wild one, an 82-80 defeat of St. Stanislaus on Oct. 12.

Halfback Jiquan James rushed for 401 yards and five touchdowns in that game and has 824 yards and eight scores for the season, but isn't even Poplarville's second-leading rusher -- let alone its top backfield threat. Fullback Rojae Raine has 951 and 12 TDs, while halfback Malik Lucas has 884 and 11.

"We watched the St. Stanislaus film and it was just unbelievable," Bloomfield said. "It was scary to watch. You have to wonder if the offense was really that good or the defense was that bad. But Poplarville has been able to run the ball on everybody they've played. They're tough to stop out of that Wing-T attack, and it's going to be up to us to limit them on first and second down and get them in some passing situations."

Also in the region Friday, Bay hosts Forrest County in a battle for the region title. Greene County, which travels to St. Stanislaus, is already assured of third place in the region and its 14^th straight playoff berth.

Laurel and Northeast Jones meet Friday for second place in 4A Region 5. The winner will host Greene County in Round 1 of the playoffs, while the loser will travel to the Bay-Forrest County loser.

The Bay-Forrest County winner will likely host Northeast Lauderdale, which can clinch fourth place in Region 5 by beating last-place West Lauderdale on Friday. Should Northeast lose that game, Newton County could claim the No. 4 spot if it beats Quitman.

---

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
(All games Friday at 7 p.m.)

6A Region 4

Gulfport (6-3, 5-0) at Ocean Springs (5-3, 4-1)

Harrison Central (1-7, 1-4) at St. Martin (4-4, 2-3)

D'Iberville (7-1, 4-1) at George County (1-8, 1-4)

Hancock (2-7, 0-5) at Biloxi (5-3, 3-2)

5A Region 4

Moss Point (4-4, 3-2) at Pascagoula (7-1, 4-1)

Gautier (4-4, 3-2) at Pearl River Central (7-1, 4-1)

East Central (1-8, 0-5) at West Harrison (0-8, 0-5)

Long Beach (1-7, 1-4) at Picayune (8-0, 5-0)

4A Region 8

Poplarville (3-6, 1-3) at Vancleave (3-5, 1-3)

Forrest County (8-1, 4-0) at Bay (8-0, 4-0)

Greene County (5-4, 2-2) at St. Stanislaus (0-8, 0-4)

1A Region 4

Resurrection (2-6, 1-6) at Salem (6-3, 5-2)

St. Aloysius (2-7, 2-5) at Bogue Chitto (9-0, 7-0)

Stringer (7-2, 6-1) at Hartfield Academy (1-7, 0-7)

Dexter (5-4, 4-3) at Mount Olive (3-6, 3-4)

Hinds County (5-4, 3-4) at Cathedral (5-3, 4-3)

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-sports/2012/10/high_school_football_vancleave.html

jones vs evans marian hossa philip humber red sox white sox chuck colson ufc 145 results