Wildcats seek win, outright division title

The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School football team can clinch a Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division title outright with a victory over host Sparta this Friday.

The Wildcats are 7-0 and 4-0 in the league. The Bulldogs are 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the league.

Game time is set for 7 p.m. The game will be aired on WIBH Radio in Anna.

Despite the record, the Wildcats are not looking past Sparta.

“Sparta has got big play abilities,” A-J football coach Brett Detering said. 

Sparta’s lone victory this season was over Pinckneyville by a score of 28-7.

Junior Kijah Banda, 6-0, 170 pounds, leads Sparta at quarterback. He was 5 of 15 passing for 134 yards in the Bulldogs’ 68-20 loss to Carterville last Friday.

Senior Ostyn Connors, 5-8, 150 pounds, was the top receiver with 83 yards on 2 receptions.

Senior Ethan Evans, 5-8, 140 pounds, was the leading rusher with 52 yards on 7 carries. Sophomore Tony Williams, 5-9, 160 pounds, is another top Bulldog running back.

The squad’s kicker is senior Nate Mierotto, 5-9, 140 pounds.  

The  top defensive player is senior Clayton Sheldon, 6-2, 230 pounds. He was an all-conference linebacker last season. Another top defender is senior defensive back Jonathan Williams, 5-9, 170 pounds.

With their record, the Wildcats have assured themselves a spot in the 2017 playoffs.

A-J closes out its 2017 regular season next week against Benton.

Detering noted that every game is still important. He said that with “every win you get now, you get a better playoff position.”