I’ve been a local sportswriter for many years.
To get an idea of just how long, think back to 2003 when Jacksonville and Southwest met in football for the first time.
While the hype for the game was great, the outcome was less dramatic, as the Stallions thumped the Cardinals 42-8 at home, one of 16 Southwest wins that season.
I can remember the highlight of that game: TQ Hardison’s 99-yard touchdown run that effectively decided the game. The Stallions ultimately won their second state championship that season, while the Cardinals struggled to a 1-9 record.
A year later, under the direction of legendary coach Ray Durham, Jacksonville defeated the Stallions, 16-10 in overtime, and the Stallions ultimately won another state title that season.
Since those two games, I have covered every football matchup between the Stallions and Cardinals and look forward to the latest chapter in the series on Friday night at Bobby Simpson Memorial Field in Jacksonville.
With the exception of the 2021 spring season, the two teams have met in the opening game of every season since 2013. Some games have been more closely contested than others, but ultimately only six games in the entire series have been decided by seven points or less.
So, what can we expect on Friday night?
If history repeats itself, both teams will be fired up to play in front of a big crowd, but I expect both teams to make their fair share of mistakes, especially in the first half.
Southwest will need to avoid getting into long-haul situations by not committing costly offensive penalties.
The Stallions have several players capable of making big plays, but they will also be comfortable controlling the time of possession and keeping the Cardinals’ offense off the field.
Southwest quarterback Tyler Randolph is the X-factor for this game. We saw the senior aggressively scramble a few times during a scrimmage last Friday at Dixon. Randolph is tough to catch behind the line of scrimmage, and getting a first down with his feet will be a big plus for the Stallions.
Jacksonville needs to avoid sloppy plays, missed plays, fumbles, etc. I watched the Cardinals’ scrimmage against Richlands last Thursday.
Jacksonville’s offense got off to a slow start but picked up steam on downs and in distance situations during scrimmages. I expect Southwest to focus on talented running back Damon June, who recently committed to the University of North Carolina.
That means Jacksonville needs someone else to step up, and that player could be senior Eric Griffin.
Taking all this into account, we expect the first two quarters to be a very close battle with both teams having chances in the first half.
The second half typically saw the Cardinals pull away from the Stallions, and I expect this to happen again, but late in the game.
My prediction is that Jacksonville will score in the final minutes and win 27-13.
Chris Miller can be reached by email at cmiller@jdnews.com and can be followed on X (formerly Twitter) at @jdnsports.
