Jackson Prep upsets 3-time defending champs MRA in MAIS 6A State Championship final

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - MRA and Jackson Prep met for the second time this season. But on Friday, a championship trophy was on the line.

After throwing two interceptions in the first quarter, MRA quarterback and Southern Miss commit John White decided to keep it on the ground the first score of the game as he scored a 23-yard rushing touchdown.

After nearly throwing his third pick in the first half, White responded by throwing a strike to freshman, Jack Poole for a 60-yard touchdown to take a 14-0 lead.

Jackson Prep quarterback Paxton Thompson and his offense started off slow out of the gates. However, the Patriots would tally a score just before halftime in hopes of sparking a second-half comeback.

After trailing 14-7 at the half, Jackson Prep got to work. Thompson fired a bomb to Will Laird to tie the game at 14 a piece. A few drives later, Thompson launched a deep pass again and found Will Upton to give Jackson Prep its first lead of the game after they forced several takeaways from MRA.

Jackson Prep scored 21 unanswered points and went on to win 21-14 to claim their 26th state championship title, their first since 2018.

“I think we wasted some opportunities, to be honest with you, but it worked out. So I’m happy. These guys got a lot of character and they got a lot of fight in them and they weren’t going to quit,” Jackson Prep Head Coach Doug Goodwin said.

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