In a darkened room, with the only light supplied by a projection screen, Marcus Rogers has spent a good part of the week watching horror movies.

The monster in this case isn’t Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, though he does seem just as unstoppable. This creature is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound running back from Pearl named Jordan Wright.

Wright isn’t as villainous as those famous movie monsters, but his ability to carve up a defense as efficiently as they cut through a pack of clueless teenagers is keeping Rogers awake as he prepares his Vicksburg Gators to face the seemingly unstoppable touchdown-making machine.

“I was talking to (Murrah coach Zack Grady) and he said we hadn’t seen a marquee back in this area. I told him, ‘Coach, he is marquee,’” Rogers said with a laugh. “He’s every coach’s dream. He carries it 25 to 30 times a game, and he picks up the blitz very well. If you can count on that, it’s always a plus.”

Wright has run for 1,988 yards and 31 touchdowns on a whopping 225 carries this season. His total includes a 44-carry, 422-yard, nine-touchdown performance against Bastrop (La.) that served as a breakout performance for both he and Pearl.

The Pirates (6-3, 4-0 Region 2-5A) lost their first three games, but have won all six since then. Wright has been held under 200 yards once during that span.

As scary as the prospect of facing Wright is, however, Rogers is doing his best to make sure the Gators are prepared.

In addition to putting an emphasis on gang tackling and a few other defensive tricks designed to slow the running game, Rogers has had his players practicing in tight-fitting game jerseys. The idea is to give them an idea of how difficult it will be to grab hold of Wright at game speed.

“We did it all. We put the first team running back in there and ran at him all day,” Rogers said. “I think we’ve got a good game plan.”

While Wright is sure to give any defense nightmares, Rogers pointed out that his offense is capable of doing the same — and of keeping up with a Pearl squad that’s been as leaky as it’s been productive.

Pearl is averaging 39 points per game, but is also giving up almost 31. That’s good news for a Gator offense that’s been trending upward in recent weeks.

Quarterback Marquez Pickett has a touchdown pass and Kareeme Butler has gone over 100 receiving yards in each of the Gators’ last three games. Playmaking receiver Tedarius Brown is also healthy, and had 144 total yards and a rushing touchdown last week against Canton.

“We keep the chains moving, and that’s always going to be the best defense for Jordan Wright,” Rogers said. “Everybody’s talking about Pearl, but like I told my guys, they’ve given up close to 300 points. Let’s go score on them.”

The Gators (4-4, 2-2) are currently tied with Callaway for fourth place in Region 2-5A, but have a clear path to the playoffs. They can still finish as high as second in the region — and host a playoff game for the first time since 2008 — by winning their last three games.

“If we can win out, we still have a shot at second place,” Rogers said. “We want to get in by any means necessary, but our goal is to win out.”