As big as the win over Poplarville was last week, Thursday night’s matchup at home against Lawrence County is for all the marbles in Region 7-4A for Columbia.
The Wildcats (8-1, 4-0) are the only unbeaten team in district play, but Lawrence County (6-3, 3-1) can steal the district away with a win over Columbia because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Columbia head coach Chip Bilderback said he stressed that to the Wildcats during a “great Sunday practice” and that they know what’s on the line.
“Any time you can play for a championship, it’s a big deal. Basically for the past five weeks, we’ve told our kids Friday night is for the championship. If you lose one, you’re basically out of the contention. Now it’s right here — it’s one game, and we have one thing to do and that’s finish,” he said.
He added that while Friday’s 27-3 win over Poplarville was big for the program, he believes the players understand it’s going to be all for naught if the Wildcats don’t bring it home Thursday night against Lawrence County.
“Our challenge now is to not get complacent and just keep on working,” he said.
What works in Columbia’s favor is the Cougars run a Wing T offense, which the Wildcats have faced multiple times this season, including against Poplarville. Bilderback said they have to remain disciplined and play with the same energy and effort they displayed when they held Poplarville to 93 total yards offensively.
“I thought we tackled really well and blocked really well last week. I know that sounds elementary when you’re talking about football, but that often gets overlooked. The team that blocks and tackles well tends to play their best,” he said. “I think that’s what we trying to do is build on last week’s game and keep that same energy and focus moving forward.”
Bilderback said that team-speed wise, the Cougars are probably the fastest among Columbia’s district opponents and will be on the Wildcats’ level. Because of that, he said it’s important the Wildcats continue to play smart.
While Columbia is the new kid on the block in the 4A landscape, the Wildcats are no stranger to Lawrence County, playing the Cougars each of the past two years in non-district contests. Columbia won in 2019 by just one score, 20-13, but won convincingly last season 31-0.
Kickoff at Walter Payton Field Thursday is at 7 p.m.
