Get to know Lions' quarterfinal opponent

by

Earlier this week, we caught up with North Jefferson News sports editor Erik Harris, who covers Mortimer Jordan High School. Briarwood and Mortimer Jordan played earlier this season on Sep. 23, in a game the Lions won 23-14, and the Blue Devils will host Briarwood in a Class 5A quarterfinal matchup on Friday at 7 p.m. We asked Erik a few questions to give Lion fans some insight into this Mortimer Jordan team.

  1. How is Mortimer Jordan playing now as opposed to when the two teams met in Week 5? The biggest difference you'll see in this Mortimer Jordan team, compared to the team you saw in September, is its maturity. The Blue Devils brought back very few players from last season's Super 7 qualifiers, so every snap has been a learning experience for this team. They are now six games older than they were in the first matchup.
  2. How in the world can Briarwood slow down running back Spencer Brown? Spencer Brown is a power running back if I've ever seen one. His ability to grind down a defense throughout a four-quarter game is greatly important to head coach Dusty Goode's master plan. Briarwood Christian must fly to the ball and tackle with numbers.
  3. Name a player for Mortimer Jordan that could be an X-factor in the game. The ultimate X-factor for Mortimer Jordan is wideout Trey Peters. He can impact a football game as a runner, receiver and return man. Brown does his work between the tackles, which usually frees up Peters for a big play on the perimeter. 
  4. How much different is this MJ team than the one that made a historic playoff run last year?  I didn't cover Mortimer Jordan last season, but from what I understand, the personnel is almost entirely different. However, I expect the coaching style has changed very little under Goode. He coaches a physical brand of football. 
  5. What is your prediction? I believe it's hard to beat a team twice in the same year. Mortimer Jordan wins the second time around.