Resurrection stifles French Camp in Eric Denmark’s first high school football playoff win
It wasn’t quite as thorough as he wanted it to be, but Eric Denmark has earned his first playoff win.
The Resurrection Eagles took down visiting French Camp, 21-7, to secure the second-year head coach’s first postseason win, and the first for the program since 2019.
Daniel Pickens found the end zone twice on the ground and the Eagles defense limited the Panthers to one score and zero trips to the red zone.
“I was disappointed it was 21-7, to be honest with you,” Denmark said after the game. “I thought it should’ve been 34-something to, actually, zero. We folded, we broke a little on that one play. But the defense played a great game so I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the whole team.”
The Eagles had to overcome a slow start that saw the offense put together a pair of long drives that ended in turnovers on downs inside Panther territory.
Following the second change of possession, French Camp’s Avery Summers broke an 80-yard touchdown run.
Resurrection took control from that point forward. Pickens quickly tied the game with a 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and gave his team the lead on a short plunge into the end zone just before the half.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Pickens said. “All the hard work we put in throughout the week, to come out here and get the W, it feels great.”
‘Resurrection’s not dead’
The Eagles are eight seasons removed from winning 13 games and playing for a 1A state title in 2015. It was the middle year of a three-season stretch during which RCS won 33 games.
The head coach of those teams, Scott Sisson, is an assistant on the present day Eagles staff. Since Sisson’s tenure, the Eagles had won just one playoff game in four tries until Friday.
“Resurrection’s not dead,” Denmark said about a program he’s been a part of in some capacity for the past 11 seasons. “People, I think, counted us out when we lost Max (Askew) and all them last year.”
The Eagles opened the season with an upset win over 3A Bay High, and are now enjoying their first eight-win campaign in four years.
All this despite replacing a load of talent, including starting quarterback Askew and playmaker DJ Pickens.
Daniel, DJ’s younger brother, and quarterback Luke Schnoor have played central roles in continuing the Eagles’ climb back into postseason relevance.
The younger Pickens has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season and Friday’s outing upped his rushing touchdown total to 19.
“He’s just an amazing kid,” Denmark said. “I saw something special in him when he was in eighth grade running scout team tailback. We had a pretty stout defense back in them days... He would hurt them, embarrass them at practice. An eighth grader running scout team tailback. I kept saying that kid is special and look what he’s doing right now.”
Schnoor lobbed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Harper early in the third quarter to give the Eagles a two-score lead for the rest of the contest.
The senior East Central Community College baseball commit also hit Pickens with a 41-yard pass to the goal line that set up the latter’s second score of the night.
“Luke played tight end, defensive end, he played tailback last year,” Denmark said of Schnoor’s usage before this season. “He never once took a snap at quarterback last year. He played quarterback in junior high. We took a chance on him this year and he proved us right.”
Schnoor has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in an offense that relies heavily on the run.
“I’m glad they give me the freedom to do what I want and do what I’m able to do,” Schnoor said. “It feels good to know they trust me.”
Resurrection will remain at home, though at a different venue, for next week’s second round contest.
The Eagles will face West Tallahatchie, who put away Leake County 42-0 to earn that program’s first playoff win since 2017.
It’s a bit of a full-circle moment for RCS, whose last postseason win came against WTHS under Lavon Capers. Regardless of opponent, the Eagles are out to prove their still here and still fighting.
“We’re coming, no doubt we’re coming,” Schnoor said.
“We’re giving 100 percent every day, every week,” Pickens added. “We are coming.”
