Demopolis faces major obstacle Thursday in Jackson

Demopolis (3-1) hits the road Thursday night to face what will likely be its greatest test of the young season in the Jackson Aggies.

While Jackson (3-1) is a much different team than the 2013 installment that included Georgia Tech signee Matthew Jordan and Tennessee signee Gavin Bryant, the Aggies still boast plenty of talent throughout the roster.

“They’re still really good up front on the defensive line,” Demopolis coach Tom Causey said. “They’re extremely fast on the defense, extremely fast in the secondary. They’re very physical.”

In addition to the athleticism that permeates the Jackson defense, the Aggies are known to confuse opponents by mixing looks.

“Defensively, they’re going to start in a three-man front,” Causey said. “Coach (Jeremy) Sullivan does a great job of moving his guys around. They do a great job of disguising what they’re trying to do.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Jackson relies heavily on its supremely capable line to open up space for a talented group of skill players.

“Their offensive line will be the best we’ve seen all year,” Causey said. “(Quarterback Demarcus Williams), I think he is better than Matthew in some areas. He’s bigger. He throws the ball extremely well. “They’ve run the ball this year more than they have in the past. They’ve been running it a little more early, but we expect Coach (Danny) Powell to throw it. That’s what he feels best about.”

Jackson enters off a 49-0 win over Escambia County that followed a 34-14 loss to St. Paul’s.

“They’re a turnover away from being undefeated,” Causey said. “That game got away from them. We’ve got our hands full.”

For Demopolis, the Jackson challenge comes just six days after the Tigers fell behind Helena 17-0 on the road and stormed back with 48 straight points for a 48-31 win.

“I think it was a great learning experience for them. We had a bad week of practice and we came out flat. It’s a great lesson for us that we’ve got to come out mentally and physically prepared,” Causey said. “It’s a great lesson also that we know we can come from behind and win. We don’t want to do that, but now we know we can.”

Demopolis and Jackson are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff Thursday in Jackson.