JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Leake Academy and Parklane Academy meet at Jackson Academy Friday in the MAIS 5A State Championship.

Leake Academy will be back in JA playing for a championship for the first time since 2020, when the Rebels capped off an undefeated season with a 5A State Championship win over the ACCS.

“Every group has different team chemistry, every group has a different makeup. This group has really taken ownership of this team — and when I say this group, everybody, from sophomores to juniors and seniors, it’s a very responsible group, says head coach Brian Pickens. “They’re all together, you can see that every day at practice. So I think there’s a lot of pride in what they’ve done to play for a state championship, not just this week, but leading up to it.” this week.”

Parklane Academy will play for a state title for the first time since 2017, when the Pioneers fell in the 6A State Championship to Jackson Prep. Parklane hasn’t won a state championship since 1994, and now the players are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in a generation.

“It definitely motivates us,” head coach Ron Rushing said. “A lot of the parents here were on these teams back then, so just seeing their excitement to be back and have the opportunity, just the excitement around the school has been really fun this week.”

Both Pickens and Rushing expect an energetic crowd at The Brickyard Friday.

“I think we’re going to see a big crowd. In 2017, the Parklane alumni, friends, family, they showed up big at Mississippi College,” Rushing said. “Leake is always very supportive of all of their, so I think we can have one of the biggest crowds there, so it should be an exciting atmosphere.”

“I think the atmosphere is going to be super down there. We were down there a few years ago, they make it a top-notch event for you when you come down there,” Pickens said. “I know all our fans, our supporters, they will be there. They’re great supporters, whether it’s week one or week ten, but the state championship, I know there’s going to be a lot of people there, and they’re going to make it exciting for the boys.”

While both coaches know there will be a lot of excitement surrounding Friday’s game, they are trying to keep their players level-headed as they prepare for the game.

“We talked about don’t worry about it being the state championship,” Rushing said. “Obviously everyone knows that, but really concentrate on the next play. I talked to my principal, he gave us some really good advice earlier this week: forget the last play, get ready for the next play, just have to make it one play in taken and really focus on the task at hand.

“I told them those nerves are going to hit, everybody’s going to be a little nervous, everybody’s going to be a little tight when the event gets here,” Pickens said. “But if you know you’ve prepared during the week — and that’s what we’ve talked about every day; we’ve talked about the process of Monday practice and then Tuesday practice, everything leading up to that. I said when you get to that point and then the nerves kick in, you can go back in your mind and say you’ve prepared and you’ve put yourself in a position to be successful.”

The Pioneers are Rebels will meet at Jackson Academy on Friday, the game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.

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