Looking for a vacation with a little bit of everything? If you’re an early planner and find yourself searching for a destination for the whole family do a search on Moab, Utah! I knew nothing of Moab until May of 2007 when scanning through the travel atlas I stumbled upon Utah and began to scour the state from top to bottom in an attempt to find an interesting and new location to spend a vacation. Salt Lake City looked like fun but unless you really enjoy tours and picture taking it may not appeal to the whole family. Then I scanned on down the atlas to the southeastern part of Utah and saw Moab and decided to do some net surfing to find out what activities and sights were in that part of the state. Well it didn’t take long for Moab to get my interest up. Great information was readily available and before I knew it I was booking a flight and making hotel and car rental reservations. One thing that was clear from the start of my planning was that if the trip was a dud then it was me who would catch the wrath of the family. Anyway, plans were finalized and June was upon us quickly and the ritual of packing and repacking and going over every detail from proper identification for security at the airport to where’s the itinerary and did I leave anyone off? As most everyone knows one of the most stressful parts of a vacation post 911 is security at airports and long lines not to mention the what seems like miles of walking to find your gate for boarding. Being a habitual worrier that never sleeps the night before a trip adds to the stress but with Gods guidance we had no trouble and made our destination to Salt Lake City full of excitement. A smooth transition from airplane to rental car at the airport went off without a hitch and we were on our way to Moab. To all the guys out there…if your wife suggests paying a few extra bucks for the navigational system to go along with the rental car just swallow your pride and say “yes dear”, because you’ll need it! The drive from Salt Lake City to Moab is a short four hours, by short I mean time goes by quickly because you don’t know what you’ll see after every turn and it’s a two lane highway most of the way. One thing that’s obvious during the drive is the vast change of the terrain from mountainous wooded areas to huge rock formations as we got closer to Moab. We made the drive with ease and checked into our hotel and began planning the next four days in an attempt to cram as much in as possible and that we did! Moab is just on the outskirts of Arches National Park which is one of the most incredible experiences we’ve ever enjoyed. Thousands of natural arches, hiking trails and rock formations that grabs the interest of everyone. It would have been easy to spend our four days just inside of Arches National Park. We did see and do almost everything we wanted to during the four days……ATV riding in sand dunes, horseback riding, Hummer tour, whitewater rafting in the Colorado River, and one of the “must do” activities in Moab…the "Canyonlands by Night" tour. The tour actually begins with a dutch-oven buffet late in the evening and ends with a night-time boat trip up the Colorado. This was one of our most enjoyable things to do in Moab. Within 25 miles or so of Moab is Canyonlands National Park which is another mystical park and Deadhorse Point State Park is in the area as well. Although it was June and in the low 90's during the peak of day the humidity is so low that we never broke a sweat the whole time. After our time was up in Moab we made the drive back to beautiful Salt Lake City and spent the next two days there before heading back home. As most know, Utah is Mormon country and Salt Lake City is full of history of the church. Temple Square engulfs alot of downtown and has great architecture and greenery. Our last tourist location was the short trip north of the city to visit Salt Lake and Antelope Island. The only inland salt lake in the country is amazing and it’s easy to walk a hundred yards without the water getting above your knees. This area of Utah contrasts greatly to the Moab region but is worth the visit. We had so much fun during our May 2007 trip that we went back with more family members in September. Moab is definitely a vacation for the whole family.
November 29, 2008
November 27, 2008
Championship Saturday
Centreville Tigers (12-2) vs Kirk Raiders (12-2).........As this Saturday approaches two teams prepare to face off for the AA State Championship and neither are strangers to being in a championship game. The Centreville Tigers will defend their state title against the Kirk Raiders who were in the title game just two years back. August 22nd seems like long ago and 27 teams had the same hopes when week one began but now only two will get the opportunity for what many dream about. Centreville and Kirk mirror each other in several ways but the two biggest comparisons seem to be the strong running games and defense they both possess. Centreville will no doubt be at limited strength due to injuries on their huge offensive line. This was indicative last week with Zack Sinclair rushing for just over 100 yards and no touchdowns in the Tigers 17-14 win over Oak Forest. The tailback had consecutive 200 yard rushing efforts and 7 touchdowns against River Oaks and Bowling Green in the first two rounds. Kirk has a tailback of their own who can take over a game in Rob Dambrino who accounted for 220 of Kirk’s 275 total yards in the Raiders 7-6 win over the Lee Colts. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball these two squads are the best in AA and have the numbers to prove it. The Kirk Raiders are #1 in the area of points allowed at only 8 per contest while Centreville is right behind them at #2 allowing only 9.71 points a game. During the first three rounds of the playoffs Kirk has improved on that number allowing just over 5 points a game while Centreville has given up 10.6 points a game. On the other side of the ball these two teams have a few contrasts……while both are effective on the ground Centreville has a decisive edge with regards to the passing game. Senior quarterback Kyle Brown is battle tested and has made big plays when called upon. Brown is one of the better all around athletes in AA sports and accounted for both Tiger touchdowns last week against Oak Forest. Whether Brown can effectively distribute the football behind a patched up offensive line will no doubt be pivotal to the Tigers success on Saturday. As for the kicking game I give the edge to Centreville. Nathaniel Gration has been solid all season for the Tigers. Kirk head coach Scott Martin has done an excellent job with Raider football and everyone knows the program Centreville head coach Bill Hurst has built. It’s safe (In my humble opinion) to say that the best team from AA South will face the best team from AA North on Saturday. Two weeks ago I would have given the Kirk Raiders about as big a chance to win state as my chances of getting a bailout check from the government but the injury situation has changed that dramatically. All that being said I think we’ll see a defensive gem of a game with points coming at a premium. The kicking game could be the deciding factor in what should be a low scoring game………I got Centreville over Kirk 13-10.
*It’s been lots of fun this season and I appreciate all the calls and text messages. I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and all the fans and players have a safe Championship Saturday!
God is great!
*It’s been lots of fun this season and I appreciate all the calls and text messages. I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and all the fans and players have a safe Championship Saturday!
God is great!
November 23, 2008
November 21, 2008
November 20, 2008
MPSA Basketball Dynasty
Brookhaven ended the 2007/08 basketball season the same way they had ended the prior three seasons, as AA State Champions. But their path to a fourth straight title took a different path than the previous three. While they did win another district championship the Cougars at times during the course of the season didn’t look like a prototypical Dale Watts team. Brookhaven continued to destroy lots of teams but had difficulty with the likes of Riverdale, Bowling Green, and at Columbia. Losing on their home court during the Brookhaven Holiday Classic to Riverdale led to lots of questioning as to whether the Cougars would pose a strong defense of their state title. Losing to a single-A opponent was one thing but in a game which the Cougars seemed to have gotten worn down in was not indicative of Dale Watts basketball. The loss at Columbia and two losses to Bowling Green compounded what many had begun to think, that the Cougars were in decline. Brookhaven did get on a roll to finish out the regular season and won the district 4AA tournament as the south state tourney in Columbia approached. After an easy first round win over Central Private the Cougars would face Bowling Green for a third time in front of a packed house. Most fans expected a close nip and tuck game with the playoff experience of the Brookhaven players and Coach Dale Watts to do what they have done many times when post season play begins. Not only did most expect a close contest but the idea of another AA squad beating the Cougars three times in one season was unheard of. This was Brookhaven basketball time…playoff time…..winners of four of the past five state championships……time to dominate. Brookhaven did show signs of turning the corner in the first half against a Bowling Green squad that had held the Cougar offense to 43 points in each of the two games during the regular season. But as the third quarter began it wasn’t long before Brookhaven was down by double digits and facing the possibility of not advancing to the south state championship game where they have been a fixture forever. They would lose to Bowling Green for a third time by the score of 57-43 and although qualifying for the state tournament in Grenada would be uncharacteristically not the favorites to win the state championship. Brookhaven faced off with a tough Marshall team in the first round and escaped with a narrow victory and would then sit back and wait for the winner of Bowling Green and Leake for a second round match up. Bowling Green, down most of the game, came on strong at the end to edge out the Leake Rebels and advance to the second round to face Brookhaven for a fourth time. The first thing that came to my mind was LSU and Kentucky back in 1985. Kentucky beat LSU three times as Bowling Green had done against Brookhaven but during the NCAA tourney LSU shocked the Wildcats and advanced to the Final Four. I knew the chances of beating Brookhaven were diminishing just due to the odds. The biggest thing I remember from that game was pre-game warm-ups…….I had never seen Coach Watts actively involved on the court with his players during warm-up drills. He had a calm and confident demeanor that would prove to be a precursor of what was about to happen. Brookhaven took early control of the game with a deliberate and patient offense that was only going to take what the defense would give them. Although the Cougar game plan was efficient the Cougars finished the first half with a slim margin and the sense in the stands was that Bowling Green would make their run in the second half as they did at south state. Brookhaven began the second half as they did the first, with a deep resolve and determination to stick with a game plan of not taking outside jump-shots but spreading the court and looking for nothing but cuts to the basket. Brookhaven had found themselves…….an eight point win over a squad that had beaten them three times advanced the Cougars to yet another state championship title game. Senior leadership from the likes of Daniel Lofton and Corey Dickerson coupled with timely shooting from Blaine Roberts and Sawyer Wallace propelled Brookhaven into the championship game against the Trinity Saints. Trinity came into the state tourney on a roll after winning the south state tournament in which they handed Bowling Green their first loss of the season in the championship game. As Trinity easily advanced through the state tournament the feeling was that they would continue their roll right through Brookhaven. But as I said, Brookhaven had found themselves against Bowling Green and that spelled trouble for Trinity. Brookhaven controlled most of the game forcing turnovers and converting time after time from the free throw line and as the game wore on the feeling was prevalent that Brookhaven was about to do what every team sets out to do….be the only team to win their last game. And so it was, Brookhaven at center court holding up the state championship trophy for the fifth time in the last six years. As people discuss the season that was only a few will remember who beat who leading up to the state tournament, but what people will remember is who won that final game.
November 19, 2008
Round Three Playoff Pick....Oak Forest at Centreville
*Oak Forest (7-5) at Centreville (11-2).......Oak Forest enters round three of the MPSA South AA playoffs as huge underdogs and I’m thinking that’s just where the Jackets like being. After a loser stays home season finale against district foe Silliman hardly a soul was talking about Oak Forest and their chances of qualifying for a wildcard spot. After all the Jackets finished 4th in the always brutal district 5AA race. Oak Forest went to Silliman and proceeded to put a 34-6 whipping on the Wildcats to solidify that wildcard spot. What was their reward for a 1st round opponent? Just traveling to face the District 5AA Champion Central Private Rebels who had defeated the Jackets 7-6 in week six in Central. Most football fans had this 1st round match up as a blowout (I picked CP to win 32-19) and gave OFA little chance of upsetting the red hot Rebels who had just come off a big blowout win at Bowling Green to clinch the district title. The team that showed up to play against CP wasn’t the same team that appeared back in week six. The Jackets, behind the solid running of senior running back Jonathon Burrell, put the Rebels on notice quickly that they were in a game. After three rushing touchdowns from Burrell (one was the winning score in overtime) and some timely passing from James Peterson the Jackets walked off the field with a 28-22 first round win that shocked most fans. And what did they get for advancing past the first round? A trip to Natchez to face the District 3AA Champion Trinity Saints who had won 11 of 12 this season and as with the Jacket’s first round game many didn’t give them a chance at TE (I picked TE to win 27-18). Oak Forest then took up right where they had left off the previous week and pounded the Saints 30-7 to shock us all again. Now Oak Forest gets to hit the road again as they make the ride to Centreville to face the defending AA State Champs. And once again many don’t give the Jackets a chance to beat the team that has been so dominant over the past 2/3’s of the season. They’ll be facing the most physical squad they’ve faced all season and with no glaring weaknesses a Centreville team that can end a contest by halftime. So what’s the point of Oak Forest even making the trip right? Thinking about the way the Jackets have surged over the past five or six weeks reminds me vividly of the 2006 season when a team started the first five games of the season at 2-3 and with calls of poor coaching and loss of confidence from fans seemed to spell doom on the team. That squad went on to finish the season in strong fashion and finished 2nd in District 6AA. The similarities don’t end there…….that 2006 squad won three straight road games in the playoffs before beating Kirk 24-21 to win a state championship. Who did they beat in those three rounds? Riverfield (4AA Champs), Bowling Green (5AA Champs), and Porter’s Chapel (4AA Runners Up). If you believe in signs well there’s your sign. If OFA manages to beat Centreville (5AA Runners Up) they could possibly play Kirk for the AA title. How ironic! Oh and by the way, just who was the team that accomplished the feat in 2006? The Copiah Colonels. One more “Where’s my sign” moment…..I picked Copiah to lose all three of those road games back in 2006. Copiah fans ragged me each week during their playoff run and after three road wins I picked the Colonels to beat Kirk in the title game. So if you’re a Jacket fan and you’re superstitious there’s hope! Now do I believe Oak Forest will contain running back Zach Sinclair and plug up those holes that the huge offensive line of Centreville’s makes every week? Can they do that and keep Tiger quarterback Kyle Brown from completing timely passes as he did last week against Bowling Green? We’ll see………..
Game notes:
*Points Scored: Centreville 31.1….Oak Forest 21.5 *Points Allowed: Centreville 9.38….Oak Forest 16.8 *Centreville has won 9 straight games. During that span the Tigers have averaged 35.1 points a game and yielded only 6.6 points a game. *Oak Forest has won 5 of their last 6 games. In those 5 wins they averaged 26.8 points a game and yielded only 9 points a game. *Oak Forest is 2-3 on the road this season. *Centreville is 7-1 at home this season. *Centreville beat Oak Forest in week nine 35-14 at CA. *Last season the Tigers averaged 32.7 points a game and yielded 14.4 points a game. *Centreville beat Marshall last season 36-21 to win the AA title. *Oak Forest lost to Trinity 35-12 in the 2nd round last season. *The Jackets have won three straight on the road. *Centreville’s two losses have been by a combined total of 9 points.
Who wins…………………
Easy pick right? I don’t think there are any easy picks in the playoffs. After a quick glance this game on paper seems to be a “no brainer” but lots of times trends can shed some light on just how games are played. Centreville has been on a major roll since the early part of the season but last week they uncharacteristically gave up lots of yards against Bowling Green. While the Tiger defense did give up lots of yards they made the plays necessary to keep the Buc offense out of the end-zone most of the game. Was that the beginning of a trend for CA’s defense or was BG’s offense just that good? Oak Forest has been chewing up decent yardage on the ground and if that carries over to Friday night we may see a barn burner. The X-factor could very well be the experience Centreville has in playoff games. A senior quarterback that has led his squad to six straight playoff wins can’t be overlooked. Kyle Brown continues to be the steady hand that guides the Tigers on both sides of the ball. It should be an electric atmosphere with OFA coach Jason Brabham and CA coach Bill Hurst battling it out for the right to play for the ring! I got Centreville over Oak Forest 27-20…………………
*Lee at Kirk pick tomorrow night..........
Game notes:
*Points Scored: Centreville 31.1….Oak Forest 21.5 *Points Allowed: Centreville 9.38….Oak Forest 16.8 *Centreville has won 9 straight games. During that span the Tigers have averaged 35.1 points a game and yielded only 6.6 points a game. *Oak Forest has won 5 of their last 6 games. In those 5 wins they averaged 26.8 points a game and yielded only 9 points a game. *Oak Forest is 2-3 on the road this season. *Centreville is 7-1 at home this season. *Centreville beat Oak Forest in week nine 35-14 at CA. *Last season the Tigers averaged 32.7 points a game and yielded 14.4 points a game. *Centreville beat Marshall last season 36-21 to win the AA title. *Oak Forest lost to Trinity 35-12 in the 2nd round last season. *The Jackets have won three straight on the road. *Centreville’s two losses have been by a combined total of 9 points.
Who wins…………………
Easy pick right? I don’t think there are any easy picks in the playoffs. After a quick glance this game on paper seems to be a “no brainer” but lots of times trends can shed some light on just how games are played. Centreville has been on a major roll since the early part of the season but last week they uncharacteristically gave up lots of yards against Bowling Green. While the Tiger defense did give up lots of yards they made the plays necessary to keep the Buc offense out of the end-zone most of the game. Was that the beginning of a trend for CA’s defense or was BG’s offense just that good? Oak Forest has been chewing up decent yardage on the ground and if that carries over to Friday night we may see a barn burner. The X-factor could very well be the experience Centreville has in playoff games. A senior quarterback that has led his squad to six straight playoff wins can’t be overlooked. Kyle Brown continues to be the steady hand that guides the Tigers on both sides of the ball. It should be an electric atmosphere with OFA coach Jason Brabham and CA coach Bill Hurst battling it out for the right to play for the ring! I got Centreville over Oak Forest 27-20…………………
*Lee at Kirk pick tomorrow night..........
November 18, 2008
Don't Jump!
After Bowling Green's loss to Brookhaven in the semi-finals at the State Tourney in Grenada last season!
November 16, 2008
November 15, 2008
MPSA South AA Playoffs Round Two
Great night of 2nd round MPSA South AA football on Friday night as the defending state champion Centreville Tigers advanced as did the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets. These two District 5AA squads will meet in Centreville next Friday night to decide who represents the south in the AA state title game against either Kirk or Lee. I can’t say enough about the job Coach Jason Brabham has done with the resurgent Yellow Jackets who have defeated district champions in two consecutive weeks on the road. And in Centreville Coach Bill Hurst has his Tigers in familiar territory once again. Should be fun!
*Bowling Green (8-4) at Centreville (11-2)………….The Bowling Green Buccaneers rolled into Centreville looking to avenge a week six drubbing at the hands of the Centreville Tigers. The Tigers handed the Bucs their first loss of the season by a 41-11 margin and had some folks questioning whether Bowling Green was deserving of some of the hype they had received. After last night’s 21-10 win I think it’s safe to say that the Tigers and Tiger fans have respect for the Buccaneer football program under first year head coach Bret Beard. Last night’s match up was in total contrast to the week six encounter in which Centreville capitalized on the mistake prone
Buc offense. Bowling Green’s three possessions in the first half each produced long drives but the Bucs failed to reach the end-zone and could only manage a 33 yard Jason Milton field goal. Centreville scored on their second possession of the half just as the second quarter began on a Zack Sinclair dive. The first half ended with Centreville holding a 7-3 lead. BG was able to hold CA to only two possessions in the first half but the pace picked up quickly in the second half as Centreville’s Zack Sinclair slipped into the end-zone with just over three minutes gone in the half to push the Tiger lead to 14-3. Bowling Green answered quickly on a Cash Cooley to Blake McGehee 5 yard touchdown pass to cap a drive that took less than three minutes to cut the lead to 14-10. The Centreville Tigers next possession culminated on another Zack Sinclair scamper for pay-dirt to provide what would be the final margin of 21-10. The contest produced only four penalties (BG) and one punt (BG) on the night and three turnovers, two Tiger fumbles and one Buc interception with 17 seconds left in the game. Centreville’s Zack Sinclair continued his torrid pace in the playoffs leading the Tigers with 245 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. In just two playoff games the running back has amassed 462 yards and 7 td’s. Senior quarterback Kyle Brown did an exceptional job and had several timely completions on the night as the Tiger offense displayed an effective passing game. Wide out Adam Perry was the recipient of most of those passes. For the Bowling Green Buccaneers senior running back Kasey Cooley went over the 100 yard mark for the second time in the playoffs with a 120 yard night and brother Cash Cooley had just over 230 yards and one touchdown passing. Great effort by both squads as the Centreville Tigers advance to face district foe Oak Forest next.
*Oak Forest (7-5) at Trinity (11-2)………..Over in Natchez the District 3AA Champion Trinity Saints hosted an Oak Forest Yellow Jacket squad that finished 4th in the always tough District 5AA race. The last time these two met in the playoffs the Trinity Saints handed the Jackets a stinging 35-12 loss. What the Jackets would accomplish on Trinity’s home field on Friday night would be a task that not many have achieved. Winning on the road on two consecutive weeks as huge underdogs against district champions is amazing for any team. This Oak Forest squad is by no means the same team I saw play in Amite against Brookhaven back during the first half of the season. I felt earlier in the week that maybe Trinity was struggling just a bit on offense due to the injury bug and it could be a factor but with Trinity’s domination on the defensive side of the ball against River Oaks last week I felt it would carry over to the OFA match up. Furthermore, if someone told me that the Jacket offense would only produce 30 yards passing I would have said TE easily. Boy was I wrong! The Oak Forest Yellow Jackets have been reborn with a smothering defense and a running game reminiscent of a few years back. The Jacket defense held Trinity to 18 yards rushing and just over 160 yards passing on the night and produced a safety late in the game. Oak Forest jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the 1st quarter behind a Jonathon Burrell 32 yard run. In the 2nd quarter it was James Peterson turn as he scampered 28 yards to score and Burrell added the two point conversion to give the Jackets a 14-0 lead. Trinity’s only score on the night came shortly after as quarterback Givonni Dent hit Kent King for a 14 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-7 before the half ended. The 2nd half was all Oak Forest as Burrell would add two more rushing scores of 5 and 1 yards and the Jacket defense would add a safety to give OFA the 30-7 victory. On the night Jonathon Burrell had 30 carries for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on a defense that only allowed Simpson 4 first downs last week. Burrell has been dominant running the ball and has racked up 6 touchdowns in the playoffs alone. The re-surging Oak Forest Yellow Jackets will now prepare to hit the road again for another huge task, the Centreville Tigers, but with the way the Jackets are playing who knows?
Round Two “Shout Outs”
*Da Man has a “Shout Out” for the Oak Forest defense who held the Trinity Saints to 18 yards rushing Friday night.
*Here’s a first time and long overdue Da Man “Shout Out” to the Centreville Tiger offensive line: Cody Roberts, Justin Henry, Tyler Glasscock, Daniel Perkins, Ragan Reynolds, Eric Noland and Brandon Aldridge.
*How about a Da Man “Shout Out” to Oak Forest running back Jonathon Burrell who ran for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on Friday night.
*Yet another Da Man “Shout Out” to the best back in AA football Zack Sinclair who totaled 245 yards and 3 touchdowns Friday night.
WHO ARE YOUR “SHOUT OUTS” FROM FRIDAY NIGHT?
*Bowling Green (8-4) at Centreville (11-2)………….The Bowling Green Buccaneers rolled into Centreville looking to avenge a week six drubbing at the hands of the Centreville Tigers. The Tigers handed the Bucs their first loss of the season by a 41-11 margin and had some folks questioning whether Bowling Green was deserving of some of the hype they had received. After last night’s 21-10 win I think it’s safe to say that the Tigers and Tiger fans have respect for the Buccaneer football program under first year head coach Bret Beard. Last night’s match up was in total contrast to the week six encounter in which Centreville capitalized on the mistake prone
Buc offense. Bowling Green’s three possessions in the first half each produced long drives but the Bucs failed to reach the end-zone and could only manage a 33 yard Jason Milton field goal. Centreville scored on their second possession of the half just as the second quarter began on a Zack Sinclair dive. The first half ended with Centreville holding a 7-3 lead. BG was able to hold CA to only two possessions in the first half but the pace picked up quickly in the second half as Centreville’s Zack Sinclair slipped into the end-zone with just over three minutes gone in the half to push the Tiger lead to 14-3. Bowling Green answered quickly on a Cash Cooley to Blake McGehee 5 yard touchdown pass to cap a drive that took less than three minutes to cut the lead to 14-10. The Centreville Tigers next possession culminated on another Zack Sinclair scamper for pay-dirt to provide what would be the final margin of 21-10. The contest produced only four penalties (BG) and one punt (BG) on the night and three turnovers, two Tiger fumbles and one Buc interception with 17 seconds left in the game. Centreville’s Zack Sinclair continued his torrid pace in the playoffs leading the Tigers with 245 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. In just two playoff games the running back has amassed 462 yards and 7 td’s. Senior quarterback Kyle Brown did an exceptional job and had several timely completions on the night as the Tiger offense displayed an effective passing game. Wide out Adam Perry was the recipient of most of those passes. For the Bowling Green Buccaneers senior running back Kasey Cooley went over the 100 yard mark for the second time in the playoffs with a 120 yard night and brother Cash Cooley had just over 230 yards and one touchdown passing. Great effort by both squads as the Centreville Tigers advance to face district foe Oak Forest next.
*Oak Forest (7-5) at Trinity (11-2)………..Over in Natchez the District 3AA Champion Trinity Saints hosted an Oak Forest Yellow Jacket squad that finished 4th in the always tough District 5AA race. The last time these two met in the playoffs the Trinity Saints handed the Jackets a stinging 35-12 loss. What the Jackets would accomplish on Trinity’s home field on Friday night would be a task that not many have achieved. Winning on the road on two consecutive weeks as huge underdogs against district champions is amazing for any team. This Oak Forest squad is by no means the same team I saw play in Amite against Brookhaven back during the first half of the season. I felt earlier in the week that maybe Trinity was struggling just a bit on offense due to the injury bug and it could be a factor but with Trinity’s domination on the defensive side of the ball against River Oaks last week I felt it would carry over to the OFA match up. Furthermore, if someone told me that the Jacket offense would only produce 30 yards passing I would have said TE easily. Boy was I wrong! The Oak Forest Yellow Jackets have been reborn with a smothering defense and a running game reminiscent of a few years back. The Jacket defense held Trinity to 18 yards rushing and just over 160 yards passing on the night and produced a safety late in the game. Oak Forest jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the 1st quarter behind a Jonathon Burrell 32 yard run. In the 2nd quarter it was James Peterson turn as he scampered 28 yards to score and Burrell added the two point conversion to give the Jackets a 14-0 lead. Trinity’s only score on the night came shortly after as quarterback Givonni Dent hit Kent King for a 14 yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-7 before the half ended. The 2nd half was all Oak Forest as Burrell would add two more rushing scores of 5 and 1 yards and the Jacket defense would add a safety to give OFA the 30-7 victory. On the night Jonathon Burrell had 30 carries for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on a defense that only allowed Simpson 4 first downs last week. Burrell has been dominant running the ball and has racked up 6 touchdowns in the playoffs alone. The re-surging Oak Forest Yellow Jackets will now prepare to hit the road again for another huge task, the Centreville Tigers, but with the way the Jackets are playing who knows?
Round Two “Shout Outs”
*Da Man has a “Shout Out” for the Oak Forest defense who held the Trinity Saints to 18 yards rushing Friday night.
*Here’s a first time and long overdue Da Man “Shout Out” to the Centreville Tiger offensive line: Cody Roberts, Justin Henry, Tyler Glasscock, Daniel Perkins, Ragan Reynolds, Eric Noland and Brandon Aldridge.
*How about a Da Man “Shout Out” to Oak Forest running back Jonathon Burrell who ran for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns on Friday night.
*Yet another Da Man “Shout Out” to the best back in AA football Zack Sinclair who totaled 245 yards and 3 touchdowns Friday night.
WHO ARE YOUR “SHOUT OUTS” FROM FRIDAY NIGHT?
MPSA South AA Playoffs Round One
Round one is over and what a first round it was! Three of Da Man’s Top 5 teams are out and two of those were bitten by the upset bug Friday night. The two squads that advanced did so in solid fashion. The Centreville Tigers and Trinity Saints could provide us with a rerun of last season’s South AA playoffs when they met in the 3rd round but they must get by Bowling Green and Oak Forest first. I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say that the biggest upset of the season came in Central Friday night as the District 5AA Champion Central Private Rebels were shocked by the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets in overtime. Bowling Green traveled to Brookhaven and came away with the mild upset of the District 4AA Champs by a two point margin. Copiah took the trip north to face the only undefeated team left in AA, the Winston Patriots, and gave the District 2AA Champs all they wanted for three quarters. Riverfield traveled to face the Lee Academy Colts of District 1AA. The Colts are the district runners up behind Kirk Academy. Riverfield had their hands full as Lee came away with a solid win. Round two looks to be exciting and who knows what upsets may await us?
*River Oaks (7-4) at Centreville (10-2)…….The River Oaks Mustangs finished out their season on Friday night as they were handily beaten by the defending state champion Centreville Tigers 39-8 in Centreville. The Stangs were never able to get any momentum and trailed 25-0 at the half as CA’s defense kept the RO offense in check the whole game. Zack Sinclair had 217 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns on the night and the Tiger defense held River Oaks to -26 yards rushing and just 58 yards total on the night. RO’s only score came in the 4th quarter as senior quarterback Cody Trichell hit Will White for a 40 yard touchdown pass. With the win Centreville will now host Bowling Green on Friday night.
*Simpson (8-3) at Trinity (11-1)……..The Trinity Saints protected their home field on Friday night with a 17-7 first round win over the Simpson Cougars. Defense was the theme in Natchez as the Saints allowed the potent running attack of Simpson only four 1st downs on the night and a total of 139 yards rushing. Linebacker Jordan Dossett led the Saint defense with two interceptions on the night. On the offensive side of the ball quarterback Givonni Dent hooked up with Wells Middleton on two scores of 65 and 33 yards and Chase Moroney booted a 31 yard field goal for Trinity. Simpson’s lone score came on a 73 yard Kyle Munn scamper. Trinity will host a second round match up with Oak Forest next. These two met in the 2nd round last season with Trinity topping OFA 35-12.
*Oak Forest (6-5) at Central Private (8-2)……….”SHOCKER”! While Jacket fans claimed to never doubt whether their squad would prevail, many including myself did. The Central Private Rebels had just wrapped up the district 5AA championship a few weeks back and talk was about their ability to make a serious run at a state title. I had moved the Rebels into the #2 spot in Da Man’s Top 5 just last week. The Rebs were undefeated at home this season and had won five straight to end the regular season. But obviously Oak Forest didn’t get the memo and left Central on Friday night with a 28-22 overtime win. The Jacket’s Jonothan Burrell scored on a 10 yard run in overtime to upset CP. Burrell had three rushing touchdowns, James Peterson connected on a 30 yard touchdown pass to Travis Thornton and Landon Curry booted a 23 yard field goal to lead the Jacket offense. For Central Private running back Bobby Muse ran for three touchdowns. The first quarter ended with Central Private holding a 7-6 advantage but Oak Forest stormed back in the second quarter to end the half with a 22-14 lead. The third quarter spelled big trouble for the home team as they had three consecutive fumbles on drives. Oak Forest enters round two of the playoffs at Trinity having won 4 of their last 5 games.
*Bowling Green (8-3) at Brookhaven (8-4)…….The Bowling Green Buccaneers traveled to Brookhaven Friday night for a rematch with the District 4AA Champion Brookhaven Cougars. These two met in week eight and provided one of the best games of the season with BG coming away with a 36-34 overtime win. While Friday night’s match up didn’t need overtime it was the same two point difference in what was another exciting game. Brookhaven, Da Man’s #4 team in the south, exits the 1st round for the 2nd consecutive year but not after a fight. After a slow 1st quarter start that saw Bowling Green miss a FG on their first possession and Brookhaven punting on theirs things started to get interesting when on BG’s second possession BA blocked a punt to set up a touchdown just before the end of the 1st quarter. Brookhaven would score again and Bowling Green would battle back before the half with two scores of their own and enter the halfway point trailing 13-12. In the first half Brookhaven attempted a two point conversion that failed and Bowling Green attempted two that failed. The second half saw Bowling Green scoring on three of their five possessions and taking a 26-20 advantage when the most critical point of the game came as Bowling Green kicker Jason Milton lined up for a 34 yard field goal attempt to give the Bucs a 9 point lead late in the 4th quarter. The kick was wide but Brookhaven was guilty of offsides providing the sophomore with a second attempt. Milton nailed the 29 yard field goal to give what turned out to be the margin needed as the Bucs edged the Cougars 29-27. With the win Bowling Green will travel to face Centreville next Friday in round two of the playoffs.
*Copiah (6-6) at Winston (11-0)……The Copiah Colonels ended their 2008 season on the road Friday night against the undefeated Winston Patriots 32-18. Copiah traveled north as a wildcard seed and provided Patriot fans with some unease as the Colonels held a 15-7 halftime lead. Copiah was in contention through much of the game and with a 28 yard field goal by Russ Singleton just 5 seconds into the 4th quarter the Colonels were only down 25-28. Winston would ice the game with a Tyler Dalton 27 yard strike to Austin Harrison. Copiah quarterback Hunter Renfroe ran for one score and passed to Jeremy Newman for another to lead the Colonels while the Winston Patriots were led by quarterback Tyler Dalton who had four touchdowns on the night. Winston will host Lee next.
*Riverfield (6-5) at Lee (8-3)……..The Riverfield Raiders traveled to Clarksdale Friday with hopes of derailing the Lee Academy Colts. A first half Corbin Carter 16 yard touchdown pass to Logan Moore wouldn’t be enough for the Raiders as Lee dominated and held a 24-6 advantage heading into the 4th quarter. Lee quarterback Taylor Tidwell ran for two scores and had one passing touchdown to lead the Colts to the 31-12 win. Lee next will face Winston.
“Shout Outs”….Round One
*Here’s a first round Da Man “Shout Out” to the entire Centreville Tiger defense for holding River Oaks to -26 yards rushing on Friday night.
*Another Da Man “Shout Out” goes to Trinity linebacker Jordan Dossett who had an interception in each half against Simpson Friday night.
*Da Man has a “Shout Out” for Bowling Green defensive end Tyler Applegate who had a huge game against Brookhaven on Friday night.
*Oak Forest senior running back Jonathon Burrell deserves a big “Shout Out” for his three touchdown performance against Central Private Friday night.
*Here’s another Da Man “Shout Out” to Centreville running back Zack Sinclair who rushed for 217 yards and four scores against River Oaks on Friday night.
*Here are two “Shout Outs” for Bowling Green kicker Jason Milton who kicked a heart pounding 29 yard field goal late against Brookhaven and Bowling Green punter Chris Jones who had a huge punt on the Buc’s last possession to help preserve the win.
*Two more Da Man “Shout Outs” to Trinity’s Wells Middleton and Givonni Dent. Dent hit Wells for two touchdown strikes in the Saint’s win over Simpson on Friday night.
*Wouldn’t be right if a “Shout Out” didn’t go to the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets for their big 28-22 overtime win over Central Private on Friday night.
WHO ARE YOUR “SHOUT OUTS” FROM FRIDAY NIGHT?
*Thanks again for all 69 text updates from Friday night.
See ya somewhere………….
*River Oaks (7-4) at Centreville (10-2)…….The River Oaks Mustangs finished out their season on Friday night as they were handily beaten by the defending state champion Centreville Tigers 39-8 in Centreville. The Stangs were never able to get any momentum and trailed 25-0 at the half as CA’s defense kept the RO offense in check the whole game. Zack Sinclair had 217 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns on the night and the Tiger defense held River Oaks to -26 yards rushing and just 58 yards total on the night. RO’s only score came in the 4th quarter as senior quarterback Cody Trichell hit Will White for a 40 yard touchdown pass. With the win Centreville will now host Bowling Green on Friday night.
*Simpson (8-3) at Trinity (11-1)……..The Trinity Saints protected their home field on Friday night with a 17-7 first round win over the Simpson Cougars. Defense was the theme in Natchez as the Saints allowed the potent running attack of Simpson only four 1st downs on the night and a total of 139 yards rushing. Linebacker Jordan Dossett led the Saint defense with two interceptions on the night. On the offensive side of the ball quarterback Givonni Dent hooked up with Wells Middleton on two scores of 65 and 33 yards and Chase Moroney booted a 31 yard field goal for Trinity. Simpson’s lone score came on a 73 yard Kyle Munn scamper. Trinity will host a second round match up with Oak Forest next. These two met in the 2nd round last season with Trinity topping OFA 35-12.
*Oak Forest (6-5) at Central Private (8-2)……….”SHOCKER”! While Jacket fans claimed to never doubt whether their squad would prevail, many including myself did. The Central Private Rebels had just wrapped up the district 5AA championship a few weeks back and talk was about their ability to make a serious run at a state title. I had moved the Rebels into the #2 spot in Da Man’s Top 5 just last week. The Rebs were undefeated at home this season and had won five straight to end the regular season. But obviously Oak Forest didn’t get the memo and left Central on Friday night with a 28-22 overtime win. The Jacket’s Jonothan Burrell scored on a 10 yard run in overtime to upset CP. Burrell had three rushing touchdowns, James Peterson connected on a 30 yard touchdown pass to Travis Thornton and Landon Curry booted a 23 yard field goal to lead the Jacket offense. For Central Private running back Bobby Muse ran for three touchdowns. The first quarter ended with Central Private holding a 7-6 advantage but Oak Forest stormed back in the second quarter to end the half with a 22-14 lead. The third quarter spelled big trouble for the home team as they had three consecutive fumbles on drives. Oak Forest enters round two of the playoffs at Trinity having won 4 of their last 5 games.
*Bowling Green (8-3) at Brookhaven (8-4)…….The Bowling Green Buccaneers traveled to Brookhaven Friday night for a rematch with the District 4AA Champion Brookhaven Cougars. These two met in week eight and provided one of the best games of the season with BG coming away with a 36-34 overtime win. While Friday night’s match up didn’t need overtime it was the same two point difference in what was another exciting game. Brookhaven, Da Man’s #4 team in the south, exits the 1st round for the 2nd consecutive year but not after a fight. After a slow 1st quarter start that saw Bowling Green miss a FG on their first possession and Brookhaven punting on theirs things started to get interesting when on BG’s second possession BA blocked a punt to set up a touchdown just before the end of the 1st quarter. Brookhaven would score again and Bowling Green would battle back before the half with two scores of their own and enter the halfway point trailing 13-12. In the first half Brookhaven attempted a two point conversion that failed and Bowling Green attempted two that failed. The second half saw Bowling Green scoring on three of their five possessions and taking a 26-20 advantage when the most critical point of the game came as Bowling Green kicker Jason Milton lined up for a 34 yard field goal attempt to give the Bucs a 9 point lead late in the 4th quarter. The kick was wide but Brookhaven was guilty of offsides providing the sophomore with a second attempt. Milton nailed the 29 yard field goal to give what turned out to be the margin needed as the Bucs edged the Cougars 29-27. With the win Bowling Green will travel to face Centreville next Friday in round two of the playoffs.
*Copiah (6-6) at Winston (11-0)……The Copiah Colonels ended their 2008 season on the road Friday night against the undefeated Winston Patriots 32-18. Copiah traveled north as a wildcard seed and provided Patriot fans with some unease as the Colonels held a 15-7 halftime lead. Copiah was in contention through much of the game and with a 28 yard field goal by Russ Singleton just 5 seconds into the 4th quarter the Colonels were only down 25-28. Winston would ice the game with a Tyler Dalton 27 yard strike to Austin Harrison. Copiah quarterback Hunter Renfroe ran for one score and passed to Jeremy Newman for another to lead the Colonels while the Winston Patriots were led by quarterback Tyler Dalton who had four touchdowns on the night. Winston will host Lee next.
*Riverfield (6-5) at Lee (8-3)……..The Riverfield Raiders traveled to Clarksdale Friday with hopes of derailing the Lee Academy Colts. A first half Corbin Carter 16 yard touchdown pass to Logan Moore wouldn’t be enough for the Raiders as Lee dominated and held a 24-6 advantage heading into the 4th quarter. Lee quarterback Taylor Tidwell ran for two scores and had one passing touchdown to lead the Colts to the 31-12 win. Lee next will face Winston.
“Shout Outs”….Round One
*Here’s a first round Da Man “Shout Out” to the entire Centreville Tiger defense for holding River Oaks to -26 yards rushing on Friday night.
*Another Da Man “Shout Out” goes to Trinity linebacker Jordan Dossett who had an interception in each half against Simpson Friday night.
*Da Man has a “Shout Out” for Bowling Green defensive end Tyler Applegate who had a huge game against Brookhaven on Friday night.
*Oak Forest senior running back Jonathon Burrell deserves a big “Shout Out” for his three touchdown performance against Central Private Friday night.
*Here’s another Da Man “Shout Out” to Centreville running back Zack Sinclair who rushed for 217 yards and four scores against River Oaks on Friday night.
*Here are two “Shout Outs” for Bowling Green kicker Jason Milton who kicked a heart pounding 29 yard field goal late against Brookhaven and Bowling Green punter Chris Jones who had a huge punt on the Buc’s last possession to help preserve the win.
*Two more Da Man “Shout Outs” to Trinity’s Wells Middleton and Givonni Dent. Dent hit Wells for two touchdown strikes in the Saint’s win over Simpson on Friday night.
*Wouldn’t be right if a “Shout Out” didn’t go to the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets for their big 28-22 overtime win over Central Private on Friday night.
WHO ARE YOUR “SHOUT OUTS” FROM FRIDAY NIGHT?
*Thanks again for all 69 text updates from Friday night.
See ya somewhere………….
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