By Alex Northcut, Sports Broadcaster
The month of August has officially arrived, meaning the 2023 high school football season will get underway in just a matter of weeks. With the addition of JCM to the varsity level, four teams from the Jackson Madison County School System will take the field this fall. New coaches and young rosters are at the forefront of the preseason headlines within the JMCSS programs, so what exactly can fans expect to see in 2023?
Beginning with the defending Commissioner’s Cup champions, the South Side Hawks are preparing for the upcoming season at a rapid pace. Lester Narcisse takes over the program in South Jackson, stepping into his first head coaching role after he was hired in June. A unique position for the former Covington assistant, Narcisse and his coaching staff are quickly evaluating their players, spending several hours breaking down footage in the film room. While his time with his team has been limited, Narcisse has been very impressed with the way his team has been eager to learn, developing a strong sense of urgency to succeed right out of the gate. Expect that attitude to be on full display in Week 1, when the Hawks open up the 2023 campaign at home against Ripley.
Moving up Highland Avenue to the other 4A program in Jackson, the North Side Indians appear to pose the strongest threat in the city, purely based on numbers. Throughout the summer months of team practices and workouts, roughly 70-75 guys have shown up to the Reservation on a consistent basis, the most of any of the four public schools. Like their rivals out south, the Indians welcome in a new head coach, as Woodrow Lowe was handed the keys to the car immediately following the 2022 season. Lowe, a familiar name in West Tennessee, returns to the local coaching circuit after spending time leading programs such as Fayette Ware and Bolivar in recent years. His work with the Indians this offseason will be put to the test in the opening week, as North Side will make the trip to Crockett County.
Liberty Tech finds themselves competing in Class 3A this season, as the Crusaders regroup for another year on the gridiron. Scott Akin returns to his responsibilities as head coach at Liberty Tech, however he has made some adjustments to his coaching staff, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Akin has brought in Scott Blair, who has experience turning around football programs, to be the offensive coordinator for the Crusaders. Having produced competitive teams at Fayette Ware, Bolton, and Millington, Blair will be implementing new offensive strategies that take advantage of the speed and athleticism his guys bring to the table. The Crusader program has seen several positive changes take place in a short amount of time, including an increase in numbers from previous years. Akin has also noticed a shift in leadership, as multiple key players have stepped up vocally both on and off the field. There is still much ground to cover and more work to be done, but this Liberty Tech group looks ready to go for 2023. The Crusaders jump right into the gauntlet of Jackson schools, taking on JCM, North Side, and South Side in their first three games.
Finally, the Cougars of JCM present themselves as a very intriguing bunch, returning to varsity action and a TSSAA region schedule for the first time since the school reopened its doors.
While they will be new to the varsity scene, the JCM football program has been operating as a fully functional JV team, quietly building a competitive team for the past two years. Under the direction of head coach Erit Turner, the Cougars have a little bit of everything – size, speed, high football IQ, etc. While JCM has the potential to make some noise in 2023, the Cougars have been placed in arguably the toughest region in all of Class 2A. On top of dealing with the other 3 JMCSS teams, JCM draws schools such as Milan, Peabody, Huntingdon, and Riverside on their region schedule. The road won’t be an easy one, especially since the Cougars still do not have a home stadium, but Coach Turner is confident his squad will be more than prepared to answer any challenge that will be thrown their way this season. Football fans in Jackson will get their first official look at the Cougars when they go head to head with Liberty Tech in Week 1.
The opening week of the 2023 high school football season will take place Friday, August 18. Follow all four of the JMCSS programs this fall during the “Game of the Week” live broadcast on JJ 97.7 and sports731.com. Jordan Taylor and Alex Northcut will bring you live results every Friday night, kicking off the season in Week 1 with Liberty Tech vs JCM. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m.
