After cake day, Jaguars are playoff-ready - McComb Enterprise Journal

It’s 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, and North Pike’s football team has finished practice the day before its playoff opener against Sumrall. When the Jaguars return to their locker room, coaches hand out jerseys for the game … as well as Little Debbie cakes.

Head coach Matt Mock has made this a weekly staple since becoming North Pike’s head coach in 2020. You’ll find more oatmeal cream pies in these bags than anything, but some prefer Nutty Buddy bars or honey buns. Trades have been known to happen. Sophomore Rokerreon Weary allegedly went home with eight cakes last week; he says they’re his midnight snacks.

Mock was introduced to the tradition while serving as offensive coordinator at South Panola. He learned it from then-Tigers coach Lance Pogue, although it traces back to longtime coach Willis Wright. Coaches at South Panola have taken it with them to other places, and Mock brought it to Summit for his first head coaching job.

“You never want them to go home the day before the game mad at you. You want them to go home happy,” Mock said. “So you bring them a couple Little Debbie cakes and you hand it to them on the way out the door, and everybody has a Little Debbie cake, so they go home smiling and they're definitely better for the world.”

Mock buys the cakes from Piggly Wiggly earlier in the day -- yes, he knows he looks ridiculous walking out of the supermarket with nothing but 120 pastries. He’s loyal to the Little Debbie family, resorting to Hostess only when there’s a shortage.

From sweet treats to sweet victories, North Pike’s football team has had plenty to smile about this fall. The Jaguars capped an 8-0 regular season, the best in school history, last week with a 19-7 victory at South Pike. They had already clinched their first district title since 2010, and November brings a quest for their first-ever state championship.

Mock knew North Pike’s defense would be an area of strength, and that there was returning talent on offense and special teams as well. While perfection is evasive, all three phases have delivered — especially that defense, which surrendered just 63 points in eight regular-season contests (7.9 per game).

“If you sit there and look at it from day one, I'm pleased across the board with everybody stepping up,” Mock said.

This is the first-ever matchup between North Pike and Sumrall; the Bobcats are in just their seventh season at the 4A level. Head coach Shannon White’s team went 6-3 this season but just 2-3 in its district, losing 40-0 at Columbia, 31-28 to Lawrence County and 42-0 to Poplarville.

Sumrall will test the Jaguars in the passing game more than most teams on the schedule, as senior quarterback John Ford pairs with senior running back JJ Parker in a dual-threat backfield.

“They throw the ball really well. That's something we haven't seen in a while; the past few teams we played have been very run-heavy,” Mock said. “So we're gonna have to find a way to knock some passes down, to get some sacks and to put pressure on their quarterback so that they cannot make those plays in the passing game.”

On the other side of the ball, Mock believes North Pike can take advantage of its speed, but could have a tough time running the ball inside against a defense that likes to crowd the box. Look for all-purpose senior Jermarius Lewis and the Jaguars’ stable of wide receivers to be involved on the perimeter.

Playoff seeding can often change the mindset of a team; underdog squads with their backs against the wall often empty the playbook and try things they wouldn’t dare to normally. So while North Pike is more likely to stick with what’s worked, the Jaguars may have to adjust to a different look from Sumrall.

“Last year we were a 3-seed, so we went in there and found out we were gonna have to play a 2-seed, which is going to be a little bit better than us on paper, and you're the underdog,” Mock said. “Well, now, we’re the 1-seed and they're the 4-seed. I said that their coaches over there are telling them about Rocky and about how he can beat the Russian. … You’ve got to understand that different philosophies from the coaching staffs are going to come into play as far as how we approach this game.”

North Pike hasn’t tasted defeat this season, and it doesn’t plan to start anytime soon. But the Jaguars know better than to put too much extra pressure on themselves. They were a jovial bunch as they returned to their locker room after practice Thursday.

And there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the treats that come along the way.

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