Catholic-BR, 5-star Blaine Bradford to host Madison-Ridgeland (Miss.) Academy

Bears will welcome MRA, which has expanded its schedule to include three out-of-state opponents, to Baton Rouge in early October

Blaine Bradford / CatholicHigh.org

High School On SI continues its look at Louisiana football programs that have scheduled prominent out-of-state opponents in 2025.

Madison-Ridgeland Academy is serious about bolstering its schedule. The Patriots, whose campus is located approximately 20 miles north of Jackson, have faced Arkansas power Pulaski Academy each of the past few years and won a state title in 2021, finishing as the state's overall No. 2 team, according to MaxPreps.

MRA has stepped up the level of competition this year with three out-of-state opponents. The Patriots open the season at home on Aug. 22 against Ravenwood High, which went 13-1 and was the No. 8 team in Tennessee.

A road game at Collierville (11-2 in 2024, No. 12 in Tennessee) follows in Week 4. After facing local rivals Jackson Academy and Jackson Prep, the Patriots travel to Memorial Stadium to face Catholic-BR on Oct. 3.

The interstate matchup will be the fifth game for the Bears, as Louisiana kicks off its season in September. Catholic won state titles in 2021 and 2023 and only lost one game last season: to Division I select champion Edna Karr in the semifinals.

No Quarterback Controversy

The Bears will again play two quarterbacks in seniors Baylor Graves and Turner Goldsmith. Graves (6-0, 185, 4.67) completed 73.3% of his passes in the 2024 regular season. Goldsmith (5-11, 170), who was 14-of-17 passing for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the 21-19 loss to Karr, has had a big summer in baseball.

"Baylor and Turner were both effective in their opportunities as juniors and in their summer 7-on-7 reps," said Jerit Roser of On3 and Prep Redzone Louisiana. "And they've always seemed really patient and supportive of one another. I don't know if I even view it as a battle as much as thinking we'll probably continue to see both throughout the season."

Graves and Goldsmith have similar traits in that both are effective runners on option keepers who are able to place the ball in tight places with nice touch and zip on intermediate throws. Each does a good job of throwing on the move.

Bears Boast Big-Time Ground Game

Catholic returns its leading rusher in Jayden Miles, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound junior ranked four stars by Rivals. The state's No. 8 player, the country's No. 3 running back and the overall No. 81 player, Miles scored the winning touchdown in last year's win over Destrehan, which had a 33-game winning streak snapped.

Miles ran for a score and Graves led the team in rushing in an 18-14 win over St. Thomas More, which had the state's longest winning streak halted by the Bears last September.

The Bears will get creative, lining Miles up as a slot receiver and using him at Wildcat to take direct snaps. He is an effective receiver who wins contested balls. Catholic also uses a jumbo package with Miles, a fullback and an H-back. Junior Justin Batiste (6-1, 200) is another running back with good size.

Expect Catholic to frequently run to the left side, which is occupied by 6-foot-5, 295-pound Stanford commit Blaise Thomassie, the state's No. 17 recruit per Rivals. At left tackle, Thomassie has the power to knock down a rusher with a swipe from one arm. He gets to the next level on screens to take out defenders and can pull on running plays.

Bradford, Kidder Anchor Catholic Defense

The back-end of the Bears' defense is stout with Blaine Bradford and Harrison Kidder. Bradford (6-2, 200) is a five-star recruit and Ohio State commit who is ranked as the No. 2 safety and No. 18 player nationally by Rivals. Kidder (6-1, 200), who has Division 1 offers as a safety/linebacker, is also a star for the nationally renowned Catholic baseball program.

A destructive tackler with a great first step, Bradford meets the ballcarrier with a high level of strength. He likes to stick his nose into a developing pile and deliver a wallop.

Additional Catholic players to watch include 2027 tight end Jude Chamberlain (6-5, 230, offers from Houston, Baylor and Tulane) and 2027 defensive linemen Jayden Vessell (6-2, 220, offers from Liberty and Tulane) and Jackson Shaw (6-6, 230).

"This is a heavily talented team," Jarryd Boyd of The Hash It Out Show said of the Bears. "They believe they have a great shot to be in the Superdome and believe they should be there to play for a state championship."

Madison-Ridgeland Academy quarterback Samuel Stockett / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Madison-Ridgeland Personnel

The Patriots are coming off a 9-3 campaign that ended in a 17-14 playoff loss to Hartfield Academy, a team MRA beat in a 44-35 shootout in the regular season.

Quarterback Samuel Stockett (6-3, 195, Sr.) completed 62 percent of his passes while throwing for nearly 3,300 yards with 33 touchdowns. The Patriots return their top two receivers in seniors Case Thomas (6-2, 198, Louisiana Tech offer) and Will Bizot, who combined to catch 107 passes for more than 1,600 yards. Thomas caught 10 touchdowns last year, while Bizot will have the opportunity to continue his career in baseball or football.

Bizot has ties to south Louisiana. His father, Kenny, was a dual-sport athlete at Brother Martin in New Orleans.

The Patriots, coached by Herbert Davis, have five Mississippi Association of Independent School state titles: 1992, 2014, 2019-2021. Players to watch include 2026 TE/LB Will Jones, 2027 OL Caleb Unger (20-plus offers), 2026 kicker/punter Wade Hansford, 2026 DL Curtis Gentry (6-3, 250, Army commit), 2026 sack leader James Downer, 2026 interception leader Jack Ridgway and 2026 RB/K Jaxon Jenkins.

MRA finished the 2024 season as the No. 14 team in Mississippi.

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