The MHSAA playoffs have finally arrived, and the No. 1-seeded East Marion Eagles (6-4, 4-0) look poised for a strong run as they prepare to host Friday night's first-round matchup against the North Forrest Eagles (1-9, 1-3).
Confidence and perseverance have been significant keys to the Eagles' success in 2022. Despite a 1-4 start to the season with a daunting lineup of non-district games against higher-class opponents, the Eagles ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak to power their way into the playoffs as the top-seeded team from Region 7-2A.
This week they were rewarded for those efforts with a large number of All-Region honors. Jadarrius "Koolaid" Mallard was selected as Region 7-2A MVP, LJ Andrews was selected as Region Offensive MVP, Ka'Ron Weary earned Defensive MVP and Andrew Merrell earned Special Teams MVP. Seven Eagles were selected to the First Team All-Region lineup, and four were selected to the Second Team.
Head coach Jerry Fletcher said he couldn't be more proud of the team's willingness to push forward after the tough start and the results they've accumulated in the process, and he's excited to see what they'll be able to accomplish on the next stage of competition.
"All those struggles we went through earlier in the season prepared us to get to where we are now. When you face those kinds of challenges as a team, it's going to either make you or break you, and I think we used that adversity to make ourselves better," Fletcher said. "It would've been so easy for our kids to just quit, but I just kept preaching to them that, whatever you do, don't quit on me. I knew if we could stay the course and approach every game with the right mindset, we'd eventually get to where we wanted to be, and here we are."
The 2022 season hasn't been very kind to North Forrest, who lost its first seven games — one of which was a 41-0 loss to East Marion — but a victory over the Stringer Red Devils lifted them into fourth place in Region 8-2A and cemented their spot in postseason play. Although they beat North Forrest soundly in their regular-season meeting, Fletcher said neither he nor his players can afford to simply expect a similar outcome this time without putting in the work to earn it.
"We played pretty well against them the first time around, but a lot can change in seven weeks of football," Fletcher said. "I believe they're a better team now than they were when we played the first time, so we're really going to have to pay attention to detail and make sure we come into Friday night fully prepared.
"I think that'll be the biggest key for us this week. We can't let our fundamentals get sloppy, and we have to make sure we're doing all the little things right because tiny mistakes here and there can add up over the course of a ball game and make a huge difference. If we can minimize mistakes and play the kind of football we've played the past few weeks, I like our chances on Friday."
The Eagles' seniors will be honored with a senior night ceremony prior to kickoff, starting at 5:30 p.m., and the opening kickoff will take place at 7 p.m.
