Eighteen years ago nearly to the day, 7-0 West Marion hosted 7-0 Columbia and beat the Wildcats 12-7 on a Thursday night. That 2001 matchup was the last time the two rivals had perfect records going into their annual clash — until now.
Flash forward to today and the 7-0 Wildcats are playing host to the 8-0 Trojans Thursday with tons on the line. Since both squads have already defeated East Marion, the Marion County Football Championship will be decided.
So will the top spot in the highly competitive Region 8-3A. And the No. 1 state ranking, as the rivals are currently the only two undefeated teams in all of 3A.
Not to mention the pride that comes with beating an in-county foe that shares so many personal and community connections.
Both teams have played lights out in 2019. Columbia is ranked No. 1 by the AP poll, which is voted on by the state’s sports reporters, with West Marion No. 2. Meanwhile, MaxPreps, which uses a computer algorithm, ranks West Marion No. 1 and Columbia No. 2.
“It’s going to be fun,” Columbia senior left guard and linebacker Joey Croom said. “It means everything. There’s been a lot of talk back and forth from both teams, but I’m not really worried about that. I’m just worried about the game. But I think it’s going to be big for the community. Right now we’re the only two undefeated teams in 3A, so it’s going to be big for the whole state.”
West Marion head coach Brad Duncan said any way you slice it the contest is as big as it gets in Marion County.
“It’s a district game, and it’s for the county championship. Columbia is really good; everybody knows that,” he said. “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re physical and there’s a bunch of them. It’s going to be a tough one. They have all these kids and all these (college) commitments, and they’re a really good football team. We’re going to see if we can hang on.”
Columbia head coach Chip Bilderback acknowledged the Trojans defense has played lights out all year, and West Marion’s offense has a litany of ways to hurt you.
“They have some really great players. They play the game the right way, and they get after it,” he said. “Offensively when you have a quarterback who has played as many games as (Jeremiah Holmes) and you’ve got playmakers like (Octavious Harvey), (Qavonte Swanigan) and (Jartavious Martin), they’ve got a list of guys that can make plays. It’s definitely going to be a great challenge.”
Columbia senior running back and Ole Miss commit Kentrel Bullcok said it doesn’t get any bigger than this during the regular season.
“It’s one of the biggest games for us and as a community,” he said. “Speaking on them as a team, I think they’re a pretty great team just like we’re a pretty great team. I just think we’ll both do whatever on the field to get the W.”
Plus it’s a battle of two contrasting strengths. As a team the Wildcats, led by Bullock, have rushed for 2,167 yards in seven games, averaging 309.6 yards, and 38 touchdowns. Bullock alone averages 174 yards per game and has rushed for 21 touchdowns.
Yet the Trojans feature the stingiest defense in 3A, allowing just five points and 131 yards per game. They’ve also registered 75 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, nine fumble recoveries and seven picks.
Duncan said he believes West Marion’s defense will be able to hold its own against the Wildcats as long as it can limit the big plays.
Croom said while they know West Marion’s defense is legit, Columbia just needs to play its game.
“We’re just going to play physical and do what we always do, which is run the ball. We’re not going to be scared at all. We’re just going to run it straight at them,” he said. “I’m not really worried about them being the best defense. To me Columbia got the best defense. We’re just going to run the ball, be us, be Columbia and we’re going to win.”
For West Marion senior defensive lineman and tight end Jordyn Mahaffey, the Trojans have no room for resting on their unblemished record because there’s no margin of error on or off the field.
“It’s simple for us to give it all we got every day at practice. Half our team, we come up from nothing. Absolutely nothing. The dirt in the ground is probably worth more than what we come up with,” he said. “It’s all about heart and one goal ahead: a state championship.”
Pictured Above: Three Trojan defenders, Jordyn Mahaffey (9), Jartavious Martin (11) and Jayden Duncan (7), team up to bring down a Magee ball carrier Friday night. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
