USJ football seeks different outcome Friday vs. TCA

University School of Jackson's football team has been looking forward to this week all year.

While the Bruins' game may mean nothing in the district standings and ultimately how they'll do regarding the playoffs, their game tonight at Trinity Christian Academy is important for them.

USJ wants to try to erase the memory of last year's 35-0 loss to the Lions.

"It's not something the coaches talk about with us except to say that it happened last year, it has no effect on the game this week and we can put it in the past," said offensive lineman Michael Taylor, who is committed to walk on at Ole Miss. "But I know it's a game I've been wanting to play all season, and a lot of other guys on this team have too."

Linebacker Ben Brauss was a part of the Bruins' defense that allowed a number of passes get past their defense, and he said they don't expect the same thing to happen this time around.

"We knew going in last year that TCA would be good offensively, but I don't think we knew how good they'd be," Brauss said. "They came out and played a great game and had a lot of options to throw it to, and everybody did a good job for them while we couldn't get anything going."

Receiver Hollen Spencer said the Bruins plan on a different outcome this time around, and he said there are a few reasons why that should happen.

"We've worked harder this year than we did last year, and everybody on this team – no matter position or class – has bought in and is working hard to do what they have to do to help this team be successful," Spencer said. "Even in the offseason when things got tough, this was the game we looked at for motivation.

"When we wanted to stop or whatever, we said that's what we did last year against TCA, and we want to avoid that."

Taylor said the key to avoiding what happened last year is not allowing TCA to jump out to its big lead and playing better up front.

"We went down 21-0 pretty quickly, and it was just hard to come back after that," Taylor said. "But I feel good about our ability to do what we need to do up front.

"They've got a good line, but I think we're a little bigger. If we work as hard as we say we want to, we should do a good job."

Brauss said no matter the outcome tonight, the game with TCA will do nothing but help the Bruins as they prepare to play other teams in Division II.

"Playing TCA and the offense they run gives us a chance to look at a team that will do stuff that teams like ECS or St. George's will try to do," Brauss said. "So hopefully we'll be a little more ready for it."

But Spencer said the tonight is to win and make up for last year.

"After the way things went last year, there hasn't been a day go by that we haven't thought about it," Spencer said. "Last week [against South Side] we answered questions about if we could be a good team, and this week we want to see how good we can be and try to beat TCA."

Brandon Shields, 425-9751

Today's game

What: USJ at TCA

When: 7 p.m.

Radio: WNWS-FM 101.5; WDVW-FM 105.3

TV: E+TV6