The Wildcats (4-0) face their biggest test of the season Friday night when they travel to take on the defending 2A state champion Taylorsville Tartars. The Tartars (4-0) are 19-1 since the beginning of last season with their only loss coming against Perry Central last year when CHS head man Chip Bilderback was the coach.
Taylorsville is led by sophomore quarterback Ty Keyes, who already has offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss and has thrown for 5,766 yards and 58 touchdowns and ran for 670 yards and nine touchdowns in 20 starts. Keyes has the ability to carve up defenses from within the pocket and has a lightning-quick release, which will make Columbia’s front have to win early off the snap.
“Taylorsville is really, really explosive. They have a quarterback who has thrown for a ton of yards, and I think he’s the leading passer in the state of Mississippi. What you have to do with Taylorsville is limit their explosive plays, but you have to control the line of scrimmage,” Bilderback said. “It’s going to be a big challenge for our defensive line to control the line of scrimmage.”
The Tartars have four receivers averaging more than 40 yards per game with senior Raven Arrington leading the way, with 17 receptions for 411 yards and five scores.
On the other side of the ball, Bilderback said it will be critical for the Wildcats to pick up solid gains on first and second down to stay out of 3rd-and-long.
“We’re going to have to convert third downs and be good on first down. If we can stay ahead of the chains and continue to move the ball, in a lot of ways that may be our best defense in some respects, too,” he said. “Taylorsville is so explosive with what they do offensively, so it’s going to be a great test, especially on the road. It’s a tradition-rich program, and they’re on a 14-game winning streak. We’re really excited about getting the opportunity to go on the road in a tough environment and play in a game like this before we hit district.”
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Pictured Above: Columbia quarterback Ralpheal Luter bursts through a hole Friday night at home against Perry Central. | Photo by Charlie Smith
