Two traditional powerhouses will meet in Flowood, and a familiar coach is coming back to the Jackson metro area.
Former Brandon coach Sam Williams will lead Alabama powerhouse UMS-Wright on Friday night as the Bulldogs make the three-hour bus ride up from Mobile to face Jackson Prep in the season opener at Patriot Field.
“I’m excited about coming back,” Williams said. “It was tough leaving home, but we got a really good thing going here. Get to see some familiar faces and the family doesn’t have to drive three hours to see a game. One thing that is different is we didn’t play a spring game or in a jamboree, so this will be a different dynamic and will be our first time lining up against someone else and we will have to coach on the fly.”
This will be the first ever matchup between the two programs that have a combined 31 state championships.
“Traditionally, like us, they’ve been really good. Both teams last year went through growing phase and lost more games than they’re used too,” said Jackson Prep head coach Doug Goodwin. “UMS is a school that’s a lot like us and most of their player are homegrown and come up through their program and they play really hard, well-coached, so I think it will be a good game.”
Jackson Prep will be a veteran team this year with eight starters back on offense that will lean on quarterback Luke Essary, running back Wade Smith along with a veteran offensive line.
Defensively the Patriots will lean on linebackers Owen Brown, Gaines Reeves, Brogen McCluskey along with defensive backs Asher Reynolds and Herrin Goodman to lead the defense.
“We are a more experienced team than we were at this time last year, but we’re playing with the same guys we had last year. We just got to go out and execute and play well,” Goodwin said. “We need our leaders to do what their supposed to do. UMS has a good quarterback, running back, and receiver coming back on offense and are a lot more wide open than they used to be. Defense they have a linebacker and couple secondary guys back.”
UMS-Wright is coming off a 6-5 season in 2025 and will have six starters back on offense led by quarterback Max Fowler, running backs Richard Scott and Illijah Scott along with receiver Ty Mabrey. The Bulldogs will be breaking in five new starters on the offensive line.
Defensively, the Bulldogs will have just four starters back led by defensive backs Thomas Delong and Sam Davis along with linebackers Charlie McConnell and Matthew Warren.
“We’re going to be spread and move fast on offense. Biggest question is offensive line with five new starters and getting their first taste of high school football,” Williams said. “Defensively, we will be similar to Prep in a lot of ways, so it will be a fun game. I’ve had a lot of respect for them.”
