Nobody can accuse the Coahoma Early College High School football team of playing a soft schedule.
The Tigers open the season Friday night by hosting Simmons, who has won the past three state championships in Class 1A and currently boast a 39-game winning streak.
Included among the wins last season was a season-opening 28-0 victory over Coahoma Early College High. The game was called at halftime due to a heavy rainstorm. The Tigers were limited to only two first downs, and those came due to penalties.
On Friday, Coahoma Early College High lost 6-0 to Shaw in a jamboree held on their home turf at Coahoma Community College. And while the defense played relatively well, the Tigers’ offense was plagued by turnovers and did little. Starting quarterback Willie Eagins didn’t play as he was attending a family reunion in Detroit and they were missing two other players.
Still, coach Jeremiah Brassell was pleased with their play.
“Overall, the team looked good. They looked much improved from years past. We’ve just got to go ahead and put it together. ‘No excuses’ is our motto this year,” Brassell said.
Coach Timothy Johnson is starting his first season at tradition-rich Simmons. He comes to Hollandale after a season as the head coach at 4A Yazoo City, which he guided to a 7-5 record and second-round playoff appearance after they had gone 0-10 the previous year.
He views the job at Simmons as an opportunity rather than pressure.
“I definitely see it as an opportunity. When you start thinking of pressure, that’s what usually brings about failure,” Johnson said.
Making the task easier will be a senior-laden, talented squad.
“We’ve got 16 seniors and they’re all dynamic,” Johnson said.
Senior quarterback Tyderius Gipson (6-1, 175 pounds) has already received an offer from Mississippi Delta Community College.
Other top offensive players are senior running back Demarrius Turner (6-0, 175) and junior running back Aaron Davis (6-0, 205). Receiver Brian Jones (5-10, 170) is a top threat as well as 6-foot 3-inch receiver Steven Johnson.
Joshua Jordan (5-10, 210) anchors the offensive and defensive lines, while Tyren Altman (5-10, 170) recorded 10 tackles in only 12 minutes of play in a scrimmage last week.
As good as Simmons appears, they could be even better as they’ll be without receiver C.J. Williams on Friday night. He is an early enlistment into the National Guard and is currently finishing up his basic training.
Johnson said he’s looking forward to showcasing some of the Blue Devils’ talent on the college campus where Coahoma Early College plays.
“This is a great way for Coahoma to come out and see what kind of players we have. We’re loaded with seniors and talent. We’d love to get these players on to the next level,” Johnson said.
He said the key to Friday’s game will be for his team to play fast and start fast.
“We don’t want to keep them close and around at the end of the game. That’s when you get in trouble,” Johnson said. “Plus, we’ve got to eliminate the penalties.”
Simmons played well in a scrimmage held Saturday at Starkville. The Blue Devils easily handled Newton, a class 2A school, 27-0 in one regulation quarter of play, while they dropped a 7-0 decision to class 4A Leake Central in the other quarter.
