Patriots advance to state title game
Marshall Academy will play for the Class 3A Division II state football championship after showcasing “effort and physicality” in a semi-final win last Friday night.
The Patriots made the short bus ride north into Tennessee and knocked off Rossville Christian Academy 40-14. It was their second win over the Wolves this season.
“We made mistakes, and that was frustrating at times,” interim head coach Bart Jenkins said about the penalties and turnovers, “but I was super pleased with our effort and physicality. We leaned on a good defensive game plan from coach Wesley Harris, and the offense did some really good things, too. At the end of the day, we dug down deep, grinded it out and played a smash-mouth type football game.”
Marshall led Rossville 8-0 after one quarter. Conner Floyd ran 45 yards on a quarterback keeper for the touchdown, and Ashston Franklin tallied the two-point conversion.
After the Wolves tied the game at 8, the Patriots responded with three scores to go up 28-8 at the half. Floyd got loose again, this time for a 60-yard touchdown run. Then Franklin got touchdowns on both offense and defense, an 80-yard carry and a 65-yard interception return. Floyd also cashed in the twopoint conversion after his score.
Marshall closed its point production in the third, a 25yard pass from Floyd to Jase Akins and a 35-yard run by Savion McGhee.
Rossville added a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“We go where Conner (Floyd) takes us, and he did a good job managing the game on offense,” Jenkins said. “Our offensive line and our defensive line played well. These guys are fighting hard and playing with a lot of toughness. They’re keeping it together in a difficult situation (the suspension of head coach Chris Bunio by the Mid-South Association of Independent Schools).”
Coach Jenkins said he is thankful for the leadership of Coach Harris, assistant coach Josh Mask and headmaster/coach Jason Taylor. He also thanked Oneil Wilkins, who he said is a huge part of the team and plays a lot of important roles.
Next up for the Patriots, 10-2 on the season, is the state title 3A contest versus Adams County Christian School Thursday at 3 p.m. at Jackson Academy. It’s the Patriots sixth state championship game appearance in school history, including last season, but they’ve never left with the top trophy.
“Yes, we want that to happen for this football team, our community and our alumni,” said Jenkins, whose MA teams played in the title games in 2012 and 2013, “but that’s not our focus point. This is about the 2025 Marshall Academy football team. Our focus is on this team giving maximum effort and maximum intensity and executing at a high level. Coach Bunio is a system-based guy, and I believe him to be right. We have to go into this game with a systematic approach.”
ACCS is 10-3 after defeating Wayne County 33-7 in the semi-finals.
“They’re a very big, physical football team with a lot of talent,” Jenkins said. “They’re coached by a state championship coach, David King, who always does things the right way. They will be very well-coached.”