As juicy as last week’s matchup with Jeff Davis looked on paper, Columbia’s district opener Friday night against Sumrall may top it.
Sumrall (4-0) appears much improved from a year ago and is led by an explosive aerial attack and quarterback John Ford, who has thrown for 1,172 yards and 16 touchdowns through four games. Ford has an array of weapons to throw to with three receivers catching at least 16 passes so far. The biggest threat is Cade Dedeaux, who already has 557 yards receiving and eight touchdowns on 25 receptions. Dedeaux exploded in Sumrall’s 41-35 win over Newton County last week with a nine-catch, 248-yard, three-touchdown performance.
Columbia head coach Chip Bilderback said Sumrall has the ability to put points up in a hurry with its passing game, and it will be all hands on deck to slow it down.
The Wildcats haven’t been tested by a passing game this explosive yet this season, but Sumrall also hasn’t faced a defense with as much team speed that the Wildcats have.
Sumrall does have some holes in its defense, though, allowing 27.3 points per game in its last three games against Seminary, Pearl River Central and Newton County. That’s a welcome sight for the Wildcats, who have proved to be capable of putting up points in bunches this season.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
