Causey wary of Jaguars’ athleticism
Tom Causey takes no comfort in the fact that his team’s opponent this week is 1-5 on the season.
Causey understands Sumter Central is still finding its legs under first-year head coach Christopher Raymond, who came to the second-year program after having found some 5A success at LeFlore High School.
“Offensively, they haven’t really found their identity. They’ve been kind of going back and forth,” Causey said of the Jaguars, Demopolis’ Homecoming opponent this week. “Probably the most consistent thing they’ve done has been a one back, double wing, Georgia Tech look. They are getting better at what they do.”
At Sumter Central, Raymond inherited a team that is inundated with athletic talent despite its overall lack of experience.
“That team lost a lot of starters off the year before and they’ve got a lot of guys who are getting better every week. They took Citronelle to the wire Friday night and played through four quarters,” Causey said.
Despite the record mismatch, Causey is concerned about how his 6-0 Tigers will deal with Sumter Central’s athleticism and tenacity.
“The most impressive thing to me about Sumter Central right now is that they don’t quit. They’ve played every game,” Causey said. “They’ve played their tails off and their good athletes. Sooner or later, guys like that are going to make big plays.”
The Jaguars will head to Tigers Stadium Friday with a bevy of skill talent that would make most offensive coordinators statewide salivate.
“They’ve got an unreal wide receiver in LeeOtis Washington and they’ve got another one to complement him on the other side, Clinton Moore, just an unreal looking kid. The quarterback is a kid named Jadarius Wilson, who has been running around making plays, making some really nice throws, putting balls in some places that it has to be a great throw to be a completion. He’s done that,” Causey said. “Running back wise, they’ve got a kid named Jemarkus Thompson that runs so hard behind his pads and then Julius Maye. Those guys are physical guys that run behind their pads. And then Terrance Hinson is a 275-pound running back. Offensive line wise, they’ve got two kids they put side by side sometimes. There’s a kid named Jeremy Wilson who is 6-foot, 349 and then Quinton Chaney, 6-2, 353. They put those suckers hip to hip and their not just big bodies wallowing around. Jeremy Wilson is a fantastic athlete. He’s light on his feet. He’s running. He’s jumping over bodies, finishing blocks. What they did last week against Citronelle is what I’m scared to death their going to do to us this week, which is just get downhill in power and come attack. We’re going to have our hands full. It’s going to be enough as it is with Homecoming going on, but this is a really good football team whose record is not that good.”
The Tigers are scheduled to kickoff with the Jaguars 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium.