Madison Academy Playoff Run Continues
BY LINDSAY VAUGHT
The excitement level around the campus at Madison Academy is at an all-time high; and it’s not all about the basketball season which starts next week.
The Mustangs football team is roaring through the state 3A playoffs. A 42-0 win last week over Elkmont advanced the Mustangs to the quarterfinals-only 2 wins from playing for the state championship.
“The guys played hard and fast from the get go and that is very important in the playoffs coming out of the gate intense and focused,” Madison Academy head coach Eric Cohu said of last weeks game.
The Mustangs have a lot of positive energy and momentum from a 10 game winning streak but the road to the state championship in 3A gets tougher this week. At least the next opponent is a team the Mustangs are familiar with. Lauderdale County (11-1) comes into the semi-final matchup on a 10-game winning streak. The two teams played in the playoffs last season in a second round game won by Madison Academy, 13-12.
Madison Academy (10-2) has the pieces in place to meet their newfound expectations.
Senior quarterback Hunter Olive is in his first year as starting quarterback after playing wide receiver the previous two seasons He is having a stellar season completing 60% of his passes (85 for 142) for 16 touchdowns. But that tells only part of the story. Running variations of the option attack he has rushed for 701 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is Academy’s second leading rusher just behind Logan Hamlett who has 716 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“Hunter will have to play an outstanding game and make big plays for us to continue on,” Cohu said.
“He plays very poised, he is getting better and better at reading defenses, he stays cool under pressure, is intense, and knows when to make a big play and he has done that all year,” Cohu said.
The Mustangs needed a big play from Olive to avoid a first round upset from Weaver. Olive was called upon by Cohu to convert a 4th and 10 with 4:28 to play trailing 20-17. He hit receiver Nick Haas for a first down and Academy won it in overtime.
Last season Olive caught a touchdown pass in the playoff win over Lauderdale County. His top two targets this season are Nick Haas and Chandler Trach who each have 10 touchdown catches.
“He was our leading receiver last year but we had to have him at quarterback and he has been a great leader. He had not played quarterback since middle school,” Cohu said.
Freshman speedster Kerryon Johnson comes off the bench to strike defenses after they are worn down. He has 405 yards on 42 carries, an average of almost 10 yards per rushing attempt. He also has the Mustangs longest run of the year. It came against Plainview when he broke loose for a 79-yard touchdown run through the Bears’ defense.
Safety Khyle Jackson leads the team with 2 interceptions and returned from an ankle injury last week. Linebacker Marcus Sease is the leading tackler with 103 including 8 for loss.
The defense will be challenged by Lauderdale County who defeated Glencoe last week 21-20.
Cohu said this year’s version of Lauderdale County is a “great running team, they run the option, they are physical, and have a great offensive line. They are a hard nosed team and if you can’t stop them you get beat by them.”
Two years ago Leeds knocked Madison Academy out of the playoffs in a third round game. Last year Hamilton did the same 34-14. Neither of those teams stand in the Mustangs way this year. Hamilton lost in the first round and Leeds is in the South division.
