Central Hinds home opener ends in win
For Southern Sports & Travel, By Greg Biggs
Greenville Christian came to Raymond looking for a road win on the legs and arm of their Senior Quarterback Justin Leavey. The Saints won the toss and elected to get the ball first. Central Hinds Junior kicker Pate Demuth sailed the ball into the endzone and GC started at their own 20. Leavey led the Saints down the field and they were finally stopped at the Cougar 10 yard line. Senior kicker Hunter Burford missed a 27 yard field goal badly to the left and that seemed to be an omen of things to come. The Cougars then took over and marched down the field behind Junior Quarteback Jordan Currie and Senior running back Hunter Farrior. The Cougars were stopped as well at the Saints 10 yard line but the differnce here was all MAIS kicker Pate Demuth as he knocked home his own 27 yard field goal. GC was not to be detured as they took the kickoff that again was put in the endzone by Demuth and ran and passed to a touchdown putting the Saints briefly in front. Lavey completed a 28 yard pass to Senior tyler Findley for the go ahead score. But that was really "all she wrote" for the Saints as the Cougars took over from there. Central Hinds quickly recovered and score on a 19 yard run by Senior Hunter Farrior and the on their next possession Junior Jordan Currie scored on a 8 yard run to end the 1st Quarter Central Hinds 17 and Greenville Christian 7.
The 2nd Quarter was all Cougars as Currie broke open the game with a 53 yard touchdown run and 2 more touchdown passes to Senior Cody Parkman of 13 yards and Senior Kyle McNair of 28 yards. Sandwicked in there was a great run by the Saint's QB Leavey on a 81 yard run. Halftime Central Hinds 37 and Greenville Christian 14.
Central Hinds got the ball first in the second half and proceeded to run down the field until QB Currie found running back Lee Douglas for a 22 yard touchdown. This was the "last verse written" and the Cougars dominated the last half and brought home the win. Final Central Hinds 44 and Greenville Christian 14

Central Private routs ASC

For Southern Sports & Travel, By Patrick Tate

The Central Private Rebels were able to bounce back from a week one defeat to overcome the Amite School Rebels by the score of 50-0 on Friday night. After weathering a short rain down pour before the game, the Rebel offense poured down points. It was a multi-faceted attack that led the Rebels.
After stopping the Amite Rebel on downs, CP began a 5 play 68 yard drive to open the scoring. The drive was highlighted by 2 pass plays from Luke Fryoux to tight end Taylor Fletcher for a total of 58 yards. Ryan Bowman who had 208 all purpose yards on the night added 20 yards rushing on the drive. Trevor Shepherd toted the ball the last 5 yards into the endzone for the score. He then dashed in for the two point conversion.
After forcing a punt by the ASC Rebels, CP again reached pay dirt, this time from 20-yards away on a Bowman run. Shepherd again added the 2-point conversion with a plunge into the endzone. A 22 yard punt return by Bowman set up the next CP score, a 13 yard run by Shepherd and a 2-point run by Bowman made the score 24-0 at the half.
Bowman started the second half with a 45-yard kickoff return that led to a Dustin Johnson 7 yard blast into the endzone. Johnson also added the hit of the game as he separated an ASC receiver from the football later in the 3rd quarter with a pop that had the crowd gasping. The extra point was missed when the snap was fumbled and CP had a 30-0 lead.
Fryoux hit Shepherd with a sixty-six yard pass and run for the next Rebel score but this time the kick was blocked and the score remained CPS 36 ASC 0. Zach LeBlanc added a 17-yard run for a score and this time Shepherd kicked the extra point for a 43-0 lead.
The scoring concluded when Shepherd took a pitch around right end and got a block from Ward Leavines that led to a 67-yard touchdown. Shepherd again added the extra point and the game ended with a 50-0 win for the Central Private Rebels. Shepherd finished the game with 8 carries for 148 yards.
The Rebel defense led by Cody Overstreet and Chuck Conrad limited ASC to 88 yards of total offense in the shutout. Central Private returns to action at home on Friday night at home when the take on the Baton Rouge Patriots and highly touted quarterback Stevie Douglas.

North Delta pounds Tunica
For Southern Sports & Travel, By Brad Greer
A blown transformer in the second quarter put an end to Tunica Academy's season-opener last week against Greenville Christian. Friday night, North Delta turned the lights out on the visiting Blue Devils in a more conventional fashion
Led by the 1-2 punch of Bryan ' B' Nickle and Tres Brasell, the Green Wave built a 26-8 halftime lead then cruised to a 46-24 romp over the Blue Devils to pick up their first victory of the season. Tunica, who came into the contest rated No.3 in latest Clarion-Ledger Academy 1A poll, dropped to 0-1 on the year.
Nickle led the North Delta option offense to almost perfection as the fleet-footed senior quarterback accounted for three touchdowns, one rushing and two more through the air, while slicing his way through the Blue Devil defense for 113 yards on 13 carries. Brasell, who had been battling through a nagging hip injury sustained two weeks ago,carried the 17 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns.
Led by offensive linemen Will Reynolds, Anthony Pike, Carson Bailey, Sy Pritchard and Kyle Devazier, the Green Wave rolled up 399 yards of total offense which included 305 yards rushing. Freeman Gray led Tunica with 119 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns while junior quarterback Brandon Holmes threw for 180 yards on 14-of-29 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
"The offensive line played really well tonight and another big key I thought was our option game. We had them guessing all night. We had several guys who had long runs and hopefully we can keep getting better as the season goes along, " said North Delta head coach Dan Werner. "Another key factor was field position, I think we started on their side of the 50 three times in the first half and scored all three times. When you get a short field to work with like that you only need a couple of first downs to get in the redzone, it makes things a lot easier, " said Werner.
After both teams exchanged punts on their initial possessions, North Delta struck first when Nickle connected with John Cody Dalrymple on a 67-yard play-action pass with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter. Nickle then turned a botched point after into two points as he hooked up with senior Jim Tom Copeland for the two-point conversion for a 8-0 North Delta. Copeland returned to the Green Wave football team late last week after skipping his junior season.
" That touchdown felt real good, it was a bootleg and 'B put the ball in my hands and it was open field all the way and I just took it to the house. I dropped a few passes that was right in my hands and that is something I have got to work on " said Dalrymple.
The Green Wave quickly got the ball back as Will Magee recovered a squib kick at the Tunica 38.Later on in the drive and facing a 3rd-and-15 from the Blue Devil 28, Chris Rodgers made a outstanding juggling catch a Nickle pass and raced in for the touchdown at the 1:42 mark of the first quarter to increase the lead to 14-0 after Dalrymple's PAT fell short.
North Delta's defense got into the act on the next series as Pritchard picked off a deflected pass at the Tunica 41-yard line that set up a Brasell four-yard run to make the score 20-0 with 11:36 before intermission. Brasell would later tack on a 48-yard scamper at the 4:56 mark to give the home team a 26-0 margin.
Tunica finally got the goose egg off their side of the scoreboard by putting together a six-play, 56-yard drive capped off by Gray's 23 yard run. Holmes converted the two-point conversion with a short pass to Tyler Billingsley to make the score 26-8 at halftime.
The second half was much of the same as North Delta put the game away after Tunica closed the gap to 26-16 on a Holmes-to-Stephen Gray 24-yard scoring pass with 4:25 remaining in the third period. Brasell added his third touchdown of the game with a five-yard run then added the two-point conversion for a 34-16 Green Wave lead. Runs of 21 and 20 yards by Nickle keyed the 48-yard scoring drive.
In the fourth, Nickle got in the scoring act on a 37-yard keeper with 9:39 left in the game to push the lead to 40-16. Freeman Gray rounded out the Blue Devil scoring with a five-yard run with Billingsley added the two-point conversion by catching a pass from Holmes.
Backup quarterback Bailey Gurkert put the finishing touches on the romp with a four-yard run with 50 seconds showing on the clock.
Tunica registered 17 first downs to 14 by North Delta. The Green Wave rushed the ball 41 times for 305 yards while the Blue Devils totaled 118 yards on 36 attempts. Holmes completed 14-of-29 passing for 180 yards and one touchdown while Nickle threw for 94 yards on three-of-seven passing and two touchdowns. North Delta had six penalties for 30 yards while Tunica was flagged five times for 35 yards. The Green Wave did not turn the ball over in the contest.
In addition of the 66 yards receiving by Dalrymple, the senior also rushed the ball six times for 43 yards while sophomore fullback Taylor Morris who filled in for injured senior fullback/linebacker Michael Magee chipped in with 17 yards on four totes.
Bailey led the North Delta defensive charge with six tackles and two quarterback sacks.
North Delta will visit Clarksdale Lee Friday night for a 7:30 kickoff.

Top ranked Cougars roll
For Southern Sports & Travel, By Brett Rutland
Brookhaven Academy welcomed the Copiah Colonels to R.M. “Red” Stuard Field Friday night for what has come to be known as the “Goat Bowl” between the two rivals. After a close, hard fought first half, and an offensively explosive third quarter, Brookhaven pulled away to post a 53-26 victory over the visiting Colonels from Gallman. Brookhaven improved to 2-0 on the young season while Copiah Academy, coached by Scotty Cline, dropped to 1-1.
Brookhaven was able to register the first points of the game. After holding Copiah to a three and out on its first drive, the Cougars responded with a 7 play, 50 yard drive that culminated with Jennings Mills scoring on a 4 yard run with 6:22 left in the opening quarter. Mills ran in the two point conversion, giving the Cougars an 8-0 lead.
Copiah responded with a 6 play, 57 yard drive before Kelton Smith scored on a 4 yard run with 4:01 left in the quarter. Copiahs two point conversion pass attempt was picked off in the end zone by Mills, closing the Brookhaven lead to 8-6.
The only other score for the first half came as Brookhaven quarterback Chandler Rogers capped a 4 play, 56 yard drive with a 7 yard run with 2:55 left in the first. Tyler Trout added the extra point, his first of a perfect 6 for 6 on the night, giving Brookhaven a 15-6 lead they carried into halftime.
Brookhaven opened the scoring of the second half on the opening kickoff as Bubba Keene took the kickoff from Colonels kicker Ty Higganbotham at the 18 yard line and broke several tackles before racing 82 yards for the score. Trout added the extra point for a 22-6 Cougar lead with 11:47 left in the third.
Copiah responded on the ensuing drive, going 52 yards in two plays, the majority coming on a 40 yard from Peyton Whitehead with 11:10 remaining. The two point conversion attempt failed, cutting the Brookhaven lead to 22-12.
It took just one offensive play for Brookhaven to respond, as Rogers connected with Keene, who again shed tacklers and raced 61 yards for the score. Trout added the extra point for a 29-12 Brookhaven lead with 10:51 left in the quarter.
Kelton Smith led the ensuing Copiah drive that went 67 yards in 5 plays before Smith scored on a 46 yard run. Higganbotham added the extra point, cutting the Brookhaven lead to 29-19 at the 8:11 mark of the third.
The Cougars were able to respond with a three minute drive that went 62 yards in 6 plays before Rogers connected with Keene from one yard out. Trouts extra point pushed the Brookhaven lead to 36-19 with 5:30.
It took just three plays for the Colonels to respond, going 68 yards in three plays, capped with a Devin Harper 68 yard pass to Smith with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. Higganbotham added the extra point for a 36-26 Brookhaven lead. But that was the last points the Colonels were able to register.
Rogers added a 5 yard run with 2:01 left in the third capping a 5 play, 60 drive, pushing the Cougar lead to 43-26 after Trout added the extra point.
Mills added a 27 yard scamper with 11:43 left in the game that pushed the lead to 50-26 after the Trout extra point, and Trout added a 28 yard field goal with 5:21 left to close out the scoring.
“Brookhaven is a very good, very skilled offensive team.” said Copiah head coach Scotty Cline. “We knew they were a great team coming in and we were concerned about our young guys and how they would match up. But I thought we did a pretty good job of staying with them until late in the game when we ran out of gas. We had a chance to score inside the five right at the end of the first half but couldn’t punch it in. That would have big for us and made it a completely different game in the second half.”
“It’s just so tough to match up with them.” added Cline. “They have so many good players and such a good offense that it’s tough to stay on the field with them. They have a great team.”
Rogers led the Brookhaven offense, completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 260 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he picked up 82 yards on 8 carries with two more scores. Jennings Mills was able to pick up 51 yards on 6 carries with two scores. Keene led all receivers with 7 receptions for 96 yards and two scores. He finished with 178 all-purpose yards and three scores.
Kelton Smith led Copiah with 98 yards and two scores on 17 carries. Devin Harper followed with 87 yards on 15 carries. Peyton Whitehead carried 4 times for 33 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought we had a good offensive effort tonight, but we had too many penalties.” said Brookhaven coach Herbert Davis. “We threw the ball really well, especially with Chandler completing 80 percent of his passes. They played us man to man in the secondary and if a team does that we’re going to try to get the ball to Bubba (Keene) and let him make a play. Defensively we played ok. We made some adjustments, but we have some areas that we have to improve on a lot. I’m frustrated with our defense but at the same time we’ve got some bright spots there and I think we’ll get a lot better in those spots.”
On defense, Mark Rushing led Brookhaven with 18 tackles. Alan Michael Allred followed with 10 stops. Colby Culbertson and C.J. Duckworth each followed with 9 stops.
Brookhaven welcomes Riverfield, La to R.M “Red” Stuard Field Friday night in a non-district match up. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Late touchdown pass sinks Spartans
Courtesy of The Bastrop Enterprise
BASTROP — You’d liken it to the football equivalent of a half-court shot at the final buzzer: A touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to win the game.
Holding a 12-point advantage heading into the final quarter, Prairie View surrendered two scores —the last with nine seconds remaining in the game — dropping a 14-12 decision against Porter’s Chapel on Friday at E.D. Baker Field.
“That was tough,” Prairie View coach Reagan Morrison said with a look of disbelief following the Spartans second loss to open the season. “We had a great effort and never gave up. We just came up a little short.”
Down 12-7, Porter’s Chapel (2-0) took the ball at the Spartans’ 44 yard line with 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. A 14-yard run by Montana McDaniel — the Eagles longest run from scrimmage of the night — coupled with a 15 yard penalty for a face mask violation, gave PCA the ball deep in Spartans territory. On third and goal from the eight, Hunter Binns and Sam Spires combined to sack quarterback Jonah Masterson for a seven-yard loss. On the next play, the freshman signal caller floated a pass and found
Chris Marshall on the left sideline. Officials consulted briefly before signaling the touchdown that gave the Eagles the win.
Morrison said the Spartans defense, which limited PCA to minus 1 yard rushing, played well enough to win the game.
“They kept battling back, flying to the ball like we want them to do,” Morrison said. “We just put them in some tough situations all night.”
The Spartans took a 6-0 lead with 5:58 to play on the first play of the second quarter. Brandon Goodson’s 11-yard run capped a 13-play, 78 yard drive that took almost six minutes off the clock. In his first game as starting quarterback, Cody Smith hooked up with Hunter Smith twice on third down plays to keep the scoring drive alive.
“I think Cody did a good job for us, keeping his head. He managed the game well and learned quite a bit,” Morrison said. “We could have maybe turned him lose a little more.”
PVA stretched its lead on Porter’s next possession, when Spires scooped up a fumble by Masterson and returned it 29 yards with 9:25 to play in the first half. After the score, Prairie View’s defense twice shut down the Eagles offense with stops on fourth down plays.
Neither team showed much life offensively after intermission. On its first possession of the second half, Porters’ converted one fourth down to sustain a drive that ended when Spires pressured Masterson, whose pass for Steven Moore was broken up by Hunter Smith.
Later in the third quarter, a PCA drive ended when Hunter Smith tipped a pass that was intercepted by Nathan Williams.
The Eagles first got on the scoreboard with 8:14 left in the game when linebacker Peter Harris picked up a fumble by Goodson and sprinted 68 yards for the score.
Prairie View’s defense again rose to the occasion when Porter’s Chapel took over at their own 41 following a short punt. Masterson hit Marshall for a 41-yard gain, putting the ball inside the Spartans 20. After a high snap in the shotgun formation pushed the Eagles back, Hunter Smith and Williams combined to break up a fourth-down pass and stop the drive at the Spartans 23 with 3:47 remaining. The Spartans couldn’t manage a first down and punted the ball to PCA, setting up the Eagles winning drive.
Prairie View continues its three-game homestand next week, hosting Sillman Institute.

Lamar edges Starkville 21-20 in nail-biter

For Southern Sports & Travel, By Daniel Balint

Friday night in Starkville was a wild game. The Raiders started off quick on the first drive forcing the Vols offense to a 3 and out. The punt however was botched and the Raiders took over at Starkville's own 10 yard line. It took all of one play for Lamar to break a 5 quarter scoreless drought. A speed option from QB Tyler Harris to now fully healthy J.C. McElroy was good for 10 yards and the first TD of the season. The P.A.T. from SR K Tyler Roberts was good, and with 11:23 to go in the 1st, Lamar took a 7-0 lead. Starkville rebounded quickly as QB Kyle Henson hit running back Ryan McKell on a play action slant that was good for 78 yards and a TD on only the 2nd play of the Vol drive. The P.A.T. by Will White was good and we are quickly tied at 7 a piece. A three and out by the Lamar offense was followed by a long 90 yard Starkville drive that went 13 plays and and took up the remaining time on the first quarter clock. The drive was capped off by a Kyle Henson run of 7 yards on the first play of the 2nd quarter to give the Vols the lead. The extra point by White was wide left and Starkville leads 13-7 with 11:54 to play in the 2nd quarter. Another 3 and out was the result of Lamar's next drive and the Starkville offense rewarded the defense with a 5 play drive that ended when RB James Mapp went 14 yards to pay-dirt with 7:26 to go in the first half. The Raider offense would respond on the ensuing drive after the kickoff went out of bounds. Tyler Harris and company set up shop at their own 35 and went 65 yards on 6 plays. The re-emergence of J.C. McEloy and Michael Marcello fueled the drive as McElroy had a 33 yards reception that set up the Raiders nicely.Marcello put the exclamation point on the drive with a bruising 14 yard run in which he broke a couple of tackles before finding the endzone. The point after by Roberts was good and the Vol lead was cut to 6 with 5:06 to play in the half, 20-13 Starkville. Lamar attempted an on sides kick on the kickoff but was denied after the ball took a wicked hop right into the hands of the waiting Vol player. The Vols had it set up nicely at their own 37 but managed only to gain 8 yards on the drive and were forced 3 and out. Lamar took over at their own 25. Lamar drove the ball all the way into Vol territory to the 26. The Raiders timeout cupboard was empty and after a QB sack, the half came to an end. Halftime score, Starkville 20 Lamar 13.
The Raiders got the ball to open the 2nd half. Gane Duggan returned the kick into Starkville territory to the Vol 39. From that point, Michael Marcello took the game over. Marcello carried the rock 10 yards on the first play of the 2nd half and really set the tone for the Lamar offense. Marcello finished the 7 play, 39 yard drive with a 5 yard touchdown run behind the blocks of Logan Knight and Drew Mueller. Roberts point after was true and the Raiders led 21-20 with 8:44 to play in the 3rd. Another failed on sides kick by the Raiders gave Starkville the ball at their own 49 but the drive stalled after 6 plays. Lamar was forced to punt on its next possession after a penalty riddled drive. The Vols were forced to a 3 and out on their next possession but had a chance after Lamar's offense drove 77 yards but came up empty as a fumble gave the ball back to the Vols at their own 12 yard line. The Vols had their best drive of the 2nd half when Starkville went 10 plays and 51 yards into Lamar territory but was stopped on a 4th down and 1. The Raider defense stepped up big on the drive as LB's Michael Marecello and Will Dungan combined on the 4th down stop. The Raider offense rewarded the defense by chewing up clock but punting after 5 plays. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on Starkville on the punt and it pinned the Vols back at their own 6. The Vols failed to get anything going on the drive as a 4th and 6 with 2:35 to play was thwarted when star defensive end for Lamar Will Fulton got his 2nd sack of the season. The Raiders took over at Starkvilles own 9 yard line but knelt on the ball and ran out the clock. Lamar improves to 1-1 on the season and Starkville falls to 0-2, losing their 16th straight ball game.

Trinity beats Class 3A East Rankin 21-9
For Southern Sports & Travel, By Kent Knee
Trinity gave up a safety to ERA in the 1st quarter, but came back late in the 2nd quarter with Givonni Dent completing an 8 yard touchdown pass to Tip McKenzie. The 2 point pass attempt failed. The halftime score was Trinity 6, ER 2.

In the 3rd quarter, Kent King ran 1 yd for the touchdown and Dent connected with McKenzie for the 2 point conversion.

Late in the 4th quarter, Givonni Dent returned an interception 45 yards for Trinity's 3rd touchdown with Zach Marshall kicking the extra point. Then East Rankin completed a long pass, with a costly 15 yard Trinity penalty, Justin Laster threw 16 yards to Tyler Rhodes for a score with J.D. Houston kicking the PAT. Trinity had 146 yds rushing to ERA's -16 yds.

For passing, TE completed 8 of 16 with 0 interceptions for 128 yards.

ERA completed 13 of 26 with 1 interception for 121 yds.

For receptions, McKenzie had 2 for 18 yds, King with 3 for 29 yds, Jake Winston with 2 for 59 yds, and Daniel Dunaway with 1 for 22 yds. Dunaway, McKenzie and Carter Smith each recovered one ERA fumble. Trinity is now 2-0 for the young season and will host Centreville next Friday.

Moore's blocked field goal preserves River Oaks win
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
River Oaks held off a furious second half rally by the Washington Generals to earn a huge 27-24 win over the defending AAA Division II state champions in Monroe on Friday night before a packed Woody Boyles Memorial Stadium. River Oaks senior Vincent Moore blocked a 17 yard field goal attempt by Washington’s Nathan Noble with 22 seconds remaining to preserve the win and move the second ranked Mustangs to 2-0.
In the early going it looked as though River Oaks would finish the Generals in the first half. The Mustangs took just two plays and 33 seconds on their first possession to hit pay-dirt. Teshadi Talton quickly scampered 18 yards on his first carry and Ryan MacGregor hit Vincent Moore with a short completion that Moore turned into a 49 yard touchdown at the 9:49 mark of the opening quarter.
On the Mustang’s next possession MacGregor nailed wide-out Joseph Hakim with a 31 yard strike into Washington territory at the 46 yard line. Three plays later while facing a 3rd and long two Teshadi Talton picked up 7 yards plus a 15 yard horse-collar penalty that moved the Mustangs down to the Generals 16 yard line. MacGregor’s 14 yard pass to tailback Aaron Rogers put the Mustangs in scoring position at the Washington 2 yard line and following an off-sides infraction by Washington MacGregor punched in a one yard keeper at the 5:54 mark to cap off a 7 play, 77 yard drive. A failed PAT attempt left River Oaks sporting a 13-0 lead. (Above) Vincent Moore of River Oaks
Washington managed to put together an 11 play drive to answer but the Generals stalled at the Mustang 16 yard line. With 1:41 remaining in the first quarter Nathan Noble nailed a 26 yard field goal to trim the deficit to 13-3.
On the ensuing kickoff Washington got the first turnover of the game as Teshadi Talton mishandled the ball and the Generals recovered at the River Oaks 33 yard line. Washington advanced to the Mustang 21 yard line on a 12 yard pass from Eric Brozovich to Jeffery Davis on a 3rd and nine to end the quarter.
The same combination of Brozovich to Davis to start the 2nd quarter moved the Generals just inside the Mustang’s 10 yard line. On the second play of the quarter tailback Ryan Gober rambled 10 yards for a touchdown as Washington capitalized on the River Oaks turnover. River Oaks blocked the PAT but Washington narrowed the margin to 13-9 with 11:13 remaining in the first half.
What momentum Washington had regained was crushed on the ensuing kickoff as Vincent Moore took the General’s pooch kick in at the River Oaks 30 yard line and cut across the field to sprint 70 yards for a touchdown at the 11:01 mark. Corey Talley’s PAT increased the Mustang lead to 20-9. (Above) Teshadi Talton (#9) of River Oaks
River Oaks looked prepared to blow the Generals out after scoring again on their next possession. This time River Oaks put together a 6 play, 53 yard drive that culminated on Ryan MacGregor’s 17 yard strike to Vincent Moore with 5:01 left in the half. Corey Talley added the PAT to push the Mustang’s lead to 27-9.
Washington threatened to strike before the end of the half. Eric Brozovich hit Nathan Noble for 31 yards down to the River Oaks 33 yard line and the Generals received an additional 15 yards on a Mustang personal foul infraction to put them in striking distance at the River Oaks 18 yard line. Washington’s drive would crumble on the next play as Andrew Steinle put the pigskin on the turf and River Oaks linebacker Davis Harris recovered it to preserve a 27-9 lead heading into intermission. (Above) Washington's Read Kelly (#32)
Washington began moving the ball in the 3rd quarter as senior quarterback Eric Brozovich executed the Generals short passing game like a surgeon. After moving the Generals to the River Oaks 33 yard line on their second possession of the half Brozovich appeared to be trapped in the backfield by Mustang defenders but the senior scrambled and found wide-out Hayden Lewis in the end-zone for a 33 yard touchdown with 2:45 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Washington trimmed the River Oaks lead to 27-17 after Brozovich hit Dylan Elkins in the end-zone for the 2 point conversion.
With a big momentum swing Washington’s defense quickly forced a River Oaks punt and regained possession at midfield with just under one minute left in the quarter. Facing a long 3rd and five from the River Oaks 46 yard line Brozovich hit tight-end Read Kelly in the flat and Kelly bulldozed his way to the Mustang 9 yard line to end the quarter.
Washington committed a costly turnover to begin the final quarter as Corey Talley picked off a Brozovich pass attempt in the end-zone at the 11:50 mark.
River Oaks couldn’t move the ball as Washington’s defense stiffened forcing another Mustang punt. Washington regained possession on their own 43 yard line following a 38 yard Davis Harris punt.
Washington put together a 10 play, 57 yard drive highlighted by a balanced mixture of the running and passing game. Washington capped of the drive on a Brozovich quarterback keeper from one yard out with 5:36 remaining. Nathan Noble’s PAT pulled the Generals to within three points at 27-24. (Above) Washington's Read Kelly (#32) is met by four Mustang defenders
With the River Oaks offense stagnant Washington looked to capitalize on the momentum swing as they took possession at their own 25 yard line with 2:43 on the clock following another River Oaks punt. Behind the running of Ryan Gober and Lea Turner the Generals moved methodically down to the River Oaks 37 yard line. Eric Brozovich then hit Nathan Noble two plays later for a 15 yard pickup down to the Mustang 17 yard line with 1:19 left in the game and Turner followed with a 7 yard run to the River Oaks 10 yard line where the Generals would burn a time-out with 53 seconds remaining in the game.
Following the time-out Brozovich would pick up a short three yard gain that left Washington a foot shy of a 1st down. Washington went for the win on 3rd down and a foot but Brozovich’s pass into the corner of the end-zone was incomplete setting up a 4th down field goal attempt from 17 yards out to tie the game at the 22 second mark.
Nathan Noble’s attempt was blocked by Vincent Moore as the senior pushed around the left end of the Washington line to send the River Oaks crowd into hysteria and preserve a 27-24 win.
River Oaks improves to 2-0 and will travel to Porter’s Chapel next week while Washington slips to 0-2 and will host Pillow.
Full game stats will be posted on Monday.

.

Post game with River Oaks head coach Robert Hannah and Vincent Moore

.

Photo at top of page: Vincent Moore blocks a field goal attempt with 22 seconds remaining

North Delta falls to Magnolia Hts in opener

For Southern Sports & Travel, By Brad Greer

North Delta had visiting Magnolia Heights right where they wanted them. That was until the second half got under way.
Trailing 18-14 at halftime, the Chiefs unleashed a powerful ground game to reel off 18 unanswered points to run past the Green Wave 32-18 Friday night in the season-opener for both schools. Senior Ben Billingsley bulldozed his way to 108 rushing yards while quarterback Mac McDonald rushed 17 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns to help guide the Chiefs to 248 yards on the ground.
Magnolia Heights took the lead for good by marching on a six-play, 61-yard drive to their first possession of the second half. Facing a 2nd-and 1 from the North Delta 41, McDonald hooked up with six-foot-three inch, 230-pound wide receiver Taz Zettegren for a 41-yard touchdown strike with 8:49 remaining in the third quarter to give the Chiefs a 20-18 lead.
After North Delta went three-and-out on the following drive, McDonald, who battled leg cramps for most of the second half, scampered 18 yards into the end-zone on a 4th-and-15 play from the Green Wave 18 at the 2:51 mark of the third period that made the score 26-18 after North Delta's Corbin Baker blocked the point after conversion attempt.
The Chiefs added a four-yard touchdown run by Zettegren with 39 seconds left in the contest to round out the final margin of victory. Zettegren finished the night with 207 all-purpose yards which included seven rushes for 51 yards to go along with six receptions for 99 yards and two scores.
Following a scoreless first quarter, Magnolia Heights jumped out to a 7-0 lead at 9:58 to go before halftime when McDonald found Zettegren all alone in the back corner of the end-zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass followed by Payton Smith's successful PAT.
North Delta would strike back quickly however as on the next series quarterback Bryan "B" Nickle juked four would-be Chief defenders then darted 58 yards for the score. John Cody Dalrymple's point after failed, leaving the score 7-6 with 8:17 remaining before intermission. The fleet-footed Nickle paced the Green Wave offense with 114 yards rushing on 14 carries.
The Green Wave took their first lead of the game on the next series as senior linebacker Micheal Magee got the home crowd on their feet by picking off a McDonald pass at the Chief 40 and returning it 30 yards to the Magnolia Heights 10-yard line. Then on the first play from scrimmage, Dalrymple took a pitchout from Nickle and dove into the end-zone to give North Delta a 12-7 lead after the two-point conversion failed.
Magnolia Heights then re-took the lead at 14-12 on a one-yard quarterback sneak by McDonald that capped off a eight-play 53-yard drive by the Chiefs with Smith added the PAT.
North Delta regained the lead however just before halftime as Magee hauled in a short pass from Nickle then busted loose from two tackles and raced 67 yards for the score. Tres Brasell was then stopped at the goal line on the two-point try, leaving the score 18-14 with 1:40 remaining before halftime.
North Delta rolled up 240 yards of offense on the night with including 164 rushing. Dalrymple followed Nickle in rushing with 25 yards on four carries while Brasell added 13 yards on four carries. Magee chipped in with 12 yards on three totes. Nickle finished the night two-of-11 passing for 76 yards and a touchdown. Baker caught one pass for nine yards while Magee had one reception for 67 yards.
Derrick Shawn led the Green Wave defense with nine tackles while Magee followed with six. Carson Bailey and Dalrymple added five stops each. Will Dunlap and Baker chipped in with four tackles while Will Reynolds registered a quarterback sack.
North Delta will host Tunica Academy Friday night at 7:30. Tunica had their game with Greenville Christian suspended Friday in the second quarter due to lighting problems. The contest will be resumed on Oct.8th.

Central Hinds rolls past Hillcrest

For Southern Sports & Travel, By Greg Biggs

Hillcrest Christian had revenge on their mind coming into Friday Night since Central Hinds had whopped them 40-0 last year. It marked the first time in several years Central Hinds had beaten Hillcrest in any sport. On this hot and sweaty night, Hillcrest won the toss and deferred hoping to stop Central Hinds and then regaining the edge in opening the second half. However, Hillcrest was thwarted from the opening kickoff. After a good run back to around their 40 yard line, Central Hinds marched down the field on the legs of QB Jordon Currie and RB Hunter Farrior and scored on a 4 yard run to go up 7 to 0. Hillcrest started on offense and after a 3 and out punted and again Central Hinds had good field position around their own 30 yard line. During this drive QB Jordon Currie made an electrifying run of 56 yards for a CHA touchdown to make it a 14-0 game. Again Hillcrest had a 3 and out and the 1st quarter ended 14-0. Central Hinds scored again on a long march that culminated in a RB Hunter Farrior touchdown run of 10 yards. Hillcrest had another 3 and out and the second quarter came to a close with all-state kicker Pate Demuth nailing a 47 yard field goal that had plenty of leg. Halftime 23-0
Hillcrest received the second half kickoff and proceeded to go 3 and out. Again Central Hinds had good field position and marched to another touchdown scored by RB Lee Douglas on a 1 yard run. That is where things became really interesting as Hillcrest's T.J. Knowles electrified the Hillcrest crowd with a 98 yard kick off return for a touchdown. However, he received an unsportsmanlike penalty as he flipped into the end zone. 30-6. Hillcrest then had to kickoff on it's own 25 yard line and Jordon Currie returned the favor running back a kickoff 56 yards for a Central Hinds touchdown. 36-6.
Needless to say the evening was dominated by the Central Hinds defense as Hillcrest did not convert a first down until 4:40 left in the contest. Overall, Hillcrest had an unofficial 27 yards of total Offense with 2 first downs. Central Hinds ended the evening with 306 total yards with Jordon Currie rushing for 138 yards on 15 carries and 1 touchdown and Hunter Farrior with 71 yards rushing on 10 carries and 3 touchdowns. Great team effort for Central Hinds as they have now outscored Hillcrest 89-6 in the last two years.
Final

Central Hinds 49
Hillcrest 6

Oak Forest edges Centreville in defensive battle

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
On a hot and humid night in Centreville the Oak Forest Yellow Jackets produced two late game defensive stands to preserve a 14-6 week one win over the Centreville Tigers. Quarterback Chris Gill ran for one touchdown and hit Keaton Carter with a 38 yard strike for another as the Jackets earned a hard fought win for a 1-0 start to the 2010 season.

.
Oak Forest took the opening possession and established their running game as four different ball carriers advanced the line of scrimmage to the Centreville 38 yard line four minutes into the opening quarter. Facing a 3rd and 8 Oak Forest quarterback Chris Gill hit senior wide-out Keanon Carter with a 38 yard touchdown strike at the 8:00 minute mark to complete a 75 yard 8 play drive. Tailback Denton Hanson went off right tackle for the two point conversion as the Jackets took an early 8-0 lead.

Oak Forest picked up 163 yards on the ground
Centreville mounted a solid drive on their initial possession and after the Oak Forest defense stiffened at the Jacket 43 yard line the Tigers converted on a 4th and 1 as Cliff Hurst went off the left side for a yard to extend the drive. Centreville’s drive stalled after a failed 3rd and 10 pass attempt with 3:30 remaining in the quarter.
Following a Cliff Hurst punt into the end-zone Oak Forest picked up a quick ten yards as tailback Alex Rimes busted through a hole to the Jacket 30 yard line. Centreville sophomore Randy Bell then picked off a Chris Gill pass at the Tiger 37 yard line at the 2:39 mark of the first quarter.
Centreville again found themselves glaring at a 3rd and long as the Oak Forest defense began controlling the line of scrimmage but a Cliff Hurst scramble for 21 yards to the Jacket 45 yard line gave the Tigers new life. Hunter Travis scampered for 14 yards to the Oak Forest 29 yard line to end the opening quarter with Oak Forest on top 8-0.

(Above) Centreville's Cliff Hurst is stopped by Oak Forest linebacker Drew Misita
Centreville’s momentum continued as Cliff Hurst hit freshman wide-out Colby Shaw on a slant pattern that extended the drive to the Oak Forest 8 yard line. Hurst went off the left side for 4 yards to the Jacket 4 yard line but a fumbled exchange on 2nd and goal cost the Tigers three yards. Centreville then hit pay-dirt as junior tailback Hunter Travis ran in from 7 yards out on a reverse at the 9:53 mark of the second quarter to complete a 63 yard 11 play drive. The PAT attempt failed giving Oak Forest an 8-6 advantage.
Oak Forest appeared to be on their way to increasing their lead at the end of the first half. Nine consecutive rushing plays that netted 48 yards from five different backs set the Jackets up at the Centreville 18 yard line with 1:25 remaining in the half. Following an incomplete pass and a Josh Hughes run for no gain, quarterback Chris Gill nailed Keaton Carter with an 18 yard touchdown pass with 45 seconds remaining but yellow flags littered the field as the score was negated due to a holding infraction. Following an Oak Forest unsuccessful 4th down attempt to extend the drive Centreville took over and killed the half with the Jackets on top 8-6.
Defense dominated much of a quickly played 3rd quarter but Oak Forest managed to finish the final four minutes with a drive that began on their own 15 yard line and at the onset of the final quarter the Jackets were sitting at Centreville’s 18 yard line.

(Above) Centreville tailback Hunter Travis (#2)
Quarterback Chris Gill started the final quarter with an 11 yard keeper down to the Tiger 7 yard line. Four plays later Gill would cap a 14 play 85 yard drive with a keeper from the one yard line to extend the Jackets lead to 14-6 with 9:35 remaining. The two point conversion attempt failed.

Centreville wasted little time in mounting an answer as a Hunter Travis 8 yard pickup and a 15 yard facemask penalty moved the Tigers from their own 28 yard line to midfield in quick fashion. Tyler Towles then hit senior Devin Hughes for a 19 yard hookup down to the Oak Forest 31 yard line. Centreville’s drive appeared to have stalled following a holding penalty and a loss of 5 yards on a JT Doughty run that pushed the ball back to the Oak Forest 39 yard line. On 3rd down Tyler Towles hit Hunter Travis for an 11 yard pick up to the Jackets 28 yard line. With 7:17 remaining in the 4th quarter, and facing a 4th and 12, Oak Forest was flagged for pass interference as quarterback Cliff Hurst attempted to hit Colby Shaw near the 8 yard line.
After a Hurst to Shaw reception gave the Tigers a 1st and goal from the Oak Forest 6 yard line the Jacket defense clamped down. Hurst was stopped for a 1 yard gain on 1st down and then Randy Bell was stopped for no gain setting up a crucial 3rd and goal with 5:16 remaining. A huge mistake cost the Tigers five yards pushing them back to the 10 yard line as they were flagged for delay of game. Cliff Hurst hit Randy Bell for a 5 yard pickup back to the original line of scrimmage but with 4:31 remaining Hurst was stopped for no gain on 4th down on a quarterback keeper as Oak Forest regained possession.

(Above) Oak Forest tailback Denton Hanson (#2)
Centreville’s defense responded by allowing 0 yards on three consecutive Oak Forest running plays forcing the Jackets to punt from their own end-zone after chewing up just over two minutes on the clock.
The Tigers set up shop at the Oak Forest 29 yard line with 2:04 remaining following a Chris Gill punt. Two incomplete passes presented Centreville with a 3rd and 10 but a false start penalty pushed the ball back five yards to the 34 yard line with 1:48 left. A Hurst to Travis completion netted 6 yards to the Oak Forest 28 setting up a 4th and 9 for the Tigers with 1:02 remaining. Centreville’s last hope ended on an incomplete pass that fell at the 3 yard line.
Oak Forest took over and knelt to earn a tough 14-6 road win.
“When it was crunch time they produced and controlled the line of scrimmage and ran the ball well,” said Oak Forest head coach Jason Brabham. “Our defense made two big stands at the end of the game to win it.”
Senior tailback Alex Rimes led Oak Forest with 65 yards on the ground while quarterback Chris Gill picked up 64 yards through the air and 27 yards rushing.
Cliff Hurst led Centreville with 73 yards on the ground and 33 yards passing.
Next up for Oak Forest is a trip to Jackson to take on Jackson Academy while Centreville hosts Parklane.

**Post game with Oak Forest head coach Jason Brabham**

Top ranked Brookhaven rolls

For Southern Sports & Travel, By Brett Rutland

With all of the high expectations that have surrounded the Brookhaven Academy Cougars and the 2010 season, head coach Herbert Davis just wanted his team to play well in the season debut against Silliman Institute. The Cougars did play well; so well in fact, that the starting offense and defense didn’t see the field after the first half.
Brookhaven thumped the Wildcats from Clinton, La 56-20 in the season opener for both schools and extended its win streak to 16 games. Silliman, which ended last season with a 34-14 playoff loss to the Cougars, fell to Brookhaven for the second time in as many games.

(Above) Brookhaven wide-out Bubba Keene (#5)
The Cougars wasted little time in getting things going offensively. On their second series, it took just three plays to find the end zone as Chandler Rogers connected with Bubba Keene on a 22 yard strike with 8:14 left in the first quarter. Tyler Trout added the first of his 7 extra points on the night, giving the visitors a 7-0 lead.
Less than three minutes later, Jennings Mills found pay dirt for the Cougars on a 2 yard run, pushing the lead to 14-0 with 5:24 left in the first.
From that point on, the Cougars scored at will. Mills scored on runs of 5, 13, and 61 yards before the intermission and Rogers connected with Jeff Rushing on a 12 yard strike and Sidney Chaffin on a 34 yard bomb to push the Cougar lead to 49-14 at the half.

(Above) Brookhaven tailback Jennings Mills (#10)
Jason Palermo connected with J.Q. Austin on passes of 43 and 20 yards to give the Wildcats their only scores of the half.
Davis took advantage of the cushion and played reserves for the remainder of the game. The only other points of the game came in the fourth quarter as Gage Posey scored on a 10 yard run. Bubba Keene added the extra point for a 56-14 Brookhaven lead with 10:38 left in the game.
Silliman's final score came on the last play of the game as Palermo scored on a two yard run.
“It was good to get our subs in and get them some experience early in the season.” said Davis. “Hopefully it will help give us some depth as the season goes on. But at the same time, we need to get our starters more time in game situations before they start to develop bad habits. Not every game we play is going to be like this so we have to be able to execute and score in tougher situations.”
Mills led the Brookhaven offense with 13 carries for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Rogers completed 3 of his 6 pass attempts for 68 yards and three scores. Will Lucas was the leading receiver, with 2 catches for 39 yards.
On defense, Mark Rushing led the Cougars with 7 tackles and an interception. C.J. Duckworth followed with 6 stops. Bailey Hodge, Jeff Rushing, and Alan Michael Allred each made five stops a piece. Connor Briarfield recovered a fumble.
Jason Palermo led the Silliman offense, completing 12 of his 29 pass attempts for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once. J.Q. Austin was the leading receiver with 2 catches for 63 yards and two scores.
Brookhaven returns home to host Copiah Academy Friday night in a non-district match up. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at R.M. “Red” Stuard” Field.

Game Stats
BA.......SI
First Downs 16..13
Rushes-Yards 33-260 26-(-12)
Passing Yards 109..170
Total Offense 369..158
Passing
Comp/Att/Int 6-13-0..12-29-1
Fumbles-Lost 1-0..3-1
Punts-AVG 3-47..7-29
Penalties-Yards 12-101..8-79

Score by Quarters
BA 21 28 0 7 56
SI...0 .14 0 6 20

.*Photos courtesy of Rhonda Posey

Prewitt propels Sylva Bay
For Southern Sports & Travel, By Josh Smith
Sylva Bay pulled the Jasper County Rivalry even at one Thursday night with a 20-15 victory over the Stringer Red Devils. Sylva Bay jumped out to a 20-0 lead, before leading 20-7 at halftime. The Saints scored on the first play from scrimmage with a 51 yard run from Cody Prewitt, Prewitt finished the night with 19 carries for 182 yards, 32 yards passing and 11 tackles. Prewitt was truly everywhere on the field Thursday night. Sylva Bay scored its second touchdown on a 2 yard buck by Wade Robertson with 7:21 left in the second quarter. The play of the night put the Saints up 20-0, Prewitt rushed around his right end, broke one tackle, hurdled a defender and raced 71 yards to the end zone. Stringer answer this score, when Jeremiah Chandler scored a touchdown on a 1 yard quarterback sneak with 18 seconds left before halftime.
In the 2nd half, the Stringer Red Devils played much better, but it still wasn't enough. Stringer started the second half scoring with a safety with 1:54 left in the 3rd quarter. Stringer sacked Prewitt, the Sylva Bay quarterback in the end zone. Sylva Bay had chances to increase its lead in the 4th quarter, but two fumbled snaps killed its drives. The 1st fumbled snap came on 3rd down at the 6:05 mark of the 4th quarter and the 2nd fumbled snap came on 4th and short, in the red zone, with just 1:40 left in the game. Stringer sandwiched a 40 yard touchdown from Jeremiah Chandler to Josh Chandler with 5 minutes left in the game in between the fumbled snaps. After the 2nd fumbled snap, Stringer was not able to move the ball and went four plays and out, turning the ball over to Sylva Bay. Stringer was out of time outs at this point and thus, Sylva Bay knelled the ball for the remaining plays of the game, giving the Saints the victory. Zach Gregory had 11 carries for 52 yards for the Saints. Anthony Moore rushed 15 times for 111 yards for Stringer while Jeremiah Chandler completed 6 of 14 passes for 96 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions.

Saints march past Spartans
Courtesy of The Bastrop Enterprise
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Seven different players crossed the goal line as the Trinity Episcopal Saints streamed to a 54-8 season-opening victory over Prairie View on Friday night.
Trinity, the defending MAIS Class 1A state champion, needed just 86 seconds to get on the board as Jake Winston gathered in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Givonni Dent.
It remained 6-0 until Dent scored on a 14-yard keeper with 5:42 remaining in the first period. Zach Marshall’s first of six PATs put the Saints up 13-0.
Just over three minutes later, Kent King scored on a 50-yard burst to give the Saints a 19-0 first quarter cushion.
Scoring twice during a span of one minute, 20 seconds late in the second quarter, Trinity put the game out of reach at the half.
Daniel Dunaway powered his way into the endzone from three yards away and Dent flipped a 19-yard TD strike to Tanner Cage to put the Saints in command 33-0.
Trinity added three defensive touchdowns in the second half.
Eric James and Tip McKenzie returned interceptions for touchdowns from 30 and 60 yards out, respectively, as Trinity opened up a 47-0 third quarter spread.
Prairie View broke up the shutout early in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard pass to Curtis Blakely from Cody Smith. Garrett Laird ran the 2-point conversion.
Dent, who had a hand in four touchdowns, closed out the scoring with a 75-yard fumble return with 3:30 remaining.
Trinity rushed for 205 yards on 22 carries, an average of 9.3 yards per pop. King led the way with 145 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts. Dent accounted for 105 yards of total offense (72 passing, 33 rushing).
Sam Spires was a bright spot offensively for the Spartans with 64 yards on seven carries.
Blakely topped the Spartans’ tackle chart with six stops.
Prairie View’s home opener is Friday at 7 p.m. with Porter’s Chapel providing the opposition.

Pick Em Championship

Picks must be received via email by noon on Fridays. One "gimme" game is on this weeks' board with Sylva Bay at Stringer playing tonight. Week one response has been great.

."S"Shout Outs"

Weekly "Shout Outs" will be posted each week. If you know of a player deserving of a "Shout Out" email info to aafandaman@yahoo.com

.

Each Friday night scores will be posted on Southern Sports & Travel live as they are reported.

.

PLEASE TEXT SCORES TO 985-750-3455

Brookhaven starts season on the road

Cougars look to extend winning streak as 2010 season gets underway

Brookhaven’s quest to defend their AA state championship begins this Friday as the top ranked Cougars travel to Clinton, Louisiana to battle the tenth ranked Silliman Wildcats. Led by quarterback Chandler Rogers Brookhaven will be looking to extend their winning streak to sixteen games after a perfect 15-0 season in 2009.
Brookhaven head coach Herbert Davis talks about the upcoming season, his concerns about this season’s squad and the Cougar’s week one matchup against Silliman in the audio clip below.

Trinity reloaded in 2010

Could the 2010 version be better?

The Trinity Saints open up the 2010 season at home this Friday night as the Prairie View Spartans visit Natchez. Trinity is coming of a 12-3 season and their second class-A state championship in the past four years. David King enters his 13th season as Trinity head coach and talks about the upcoming season, replacing key players from last season and class-A football in the audio clip below.

Writers wanted!!

Southern Sports & Travel is looking for students or fans who have an interest in sports writing. If you're a school administrator or teacher and know of a student that may possess writing skills, what better way to gain experience than writing about his or her school's athletic events? If you're just a fan writing about your school's athletic program is a great way to promote your school and give athletes the recognition they deserve. Southern Sports & Travel is growing at such a rate that the ability to provide comprehensive coverage is a challenge. Be a part of that continuing growth.

email me at aafandaman@yahoo.com

It's "Go Time"

Could 2010 be that rare season?
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
Summer conditioning programs, two-a-days, scrimmages and jamborees.......The only thing remaining until the start of the 2010 football season is a few days of final preparation as Presbyterian visits Columbia and Sylva Bay travels to Stringer to officially kick off the season this Thursday night.
Could we see repeat state champions in all three classes in 2010 or will there be a whole new crop of state champions at seasons' end? The more energy spent crunching stats and making roster comparisons amongst who could be serious contenders proves only one thing, paper doesn't mean squat! While there are many arguments to support favorites in each class it's also easy to see scenarios where no 2009 state title holders repeat.
This past week I was fortunate enough to see the two teams holding down the top two spots in the Southern Sports & Travel class AA rankings. On Thursday I made the drive to balmy Gallman to take in the Copiah Jamboree for the second consecutive year. While I was interested in seeing all the squads participating I was most interested in taking a gander at the River Oaks Mustangs. Much talk about AA football has been centered around River Oaks and the weapons they'll have particularly on offense this season. The big question has been, is it just hype or do the Mustangs have a legitimate shot at winning the south AA title and advancing to the state championship? After seeing River Oaks in person I can qualify that this squad has the talent to win a state title. I'll also submit that River Oaks could possess the best team speed in the MAIS. If there is a better running back tandem than Vincent Moore and Teshadi Talton I want to know.
This brings me to Friday night in McComb where Parklane hosted their yearly Jamboree with regulars Brookhaven and Centreville. After qualifying my statement that River Oaks has the talent to win a state crown it would be no stretch to suggest that Brookhaven could run the table in 2010 as they did in 2009. While River Oaks may have an edge in team speed the state champs have arguably the best quarterback/receiver tandem in the MAIS in Chandler Rogers and Bubba Keene. To be a champion you must beat the champion and in 2009 Brookhaven halted Centreville's quest for a third consecutive AA title and most importantly the Cougars have won the big game. Looking at the south and north regions in class AA it's my humble opinion that while I think the best two teams are in the south it appears to me that the north is more balanced with several very good contenders. By week three the north region could dominate the top ten rankings. Also apparent is the distinct possibility that the two best teams will be neglected the opportunity to play each other for the state title due to the current two region formula that is becoming increasingly unpopular amongst football fans.
Finding anyone to dispute that the Trinity Saints are heavily favored to repeat as single-A state champions is nearly impossible. Trinity head coach David King lost big offensive contributors in RJ Fleming, Jordan Dossett and Brandon Daggs but the Saints shouldn't miss a beat in 2010. Having the toughest schedule in single-A has paid huge dividends for the Saints over the years and 2010 should be no exception. Just who is most likely to advance to the class A title game from the north region may surprise a few but I like Tunica's chances of getting a huge monkey off their backs and finally getting past DeSoto.
Is there anyone who thinks it will not be a Jackson Academy/Prep battle in class AAA division I once again? JA head coach David Sykes has a solid core returning from a 2009 squad that had just one blemish on their AAA title run, a 22-21 loss to MRA in week four. Jackson Academy's 29 point win over Jackson Prep to win the state AAA crown solidified the Raiders as the best in the MAIS in 2009.
The class AAA division II race could be wide open as Washington prepares to defend their title for the second straight season. Pillow, Magnolia Heights and Oak Forest will mount strong opposition in division II. Washington's metal will be tested early as the Generals face Jackson Prep and River Oaks on the road followed by home games against Pillow and Magnolia Heights.
So after all the study and prognosticating could this be one of those very rare football seasons in which all three class champions successfully defend their titles?

.
See ya somewhere........

Copiah Jamboree

River Oaks head coach Robert Hannah & Adams Christian head coach Paul Hayles discuss the Copiah Jamboree and week one

East Rankin head coach Matt Butts talks about the Copiah Jamboree and the Patriots week one matchup with Lamar

Pillow coach ready to see his team perform in jamboree
Courtesy of The Greenwood Commonwealth
Pillow Academy head football coach Michael Fair is excited about seeing his team battle in a game situation.
He'll get that chance Friday during a jamboree at Lee Academy in Clarksdale. The Mustangs will go against Washington School at 6:30 p.m. and Lee at 8:30 p.m.
The Pillow B-team will play against Washington at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
"We just want to compete against some other folks. It's been a long three weeks of practice, and we're tired of beating up on each other," said the third-year PA head coach. "I want to see how we handle game-like situations because we've got plenty of guys who haven't been in a lot of those.
"Of course, you want to win, but I want to see us be physical and hit folks."
The Mustangs kick off the 2010 season at home Aug. 20 against Kirk Academy.
Pillow is holding "Meet the Mustangs" at 6:30 p.m. today where all fall athletes and cheerleaders will be introduced.
• CARROLL: The Rebels of Carroll Academy will compete in a jamboree Friday at Manchester Academy in Yazoo City.
The Rebels will face off against Oak Hill at 6 p.m. and Hillcrest at 7:10 p.m.
First-year CA head coach Roger Gordon said this will give him a better idea of where his young squad is going into its Aug. 20 season opener at home against Winona Christian.
"It's hard for us to get a real good look in practice against an opposing offense or defense. We look real good in practice, but this will give us a true indication of where we are and what need to work on."

2010 MAIS AA Football Forecast

Click heading for link

From the notebook.............
*With only two short weeks remaining until the official start of the 2010 MAIS football season coaching staffs are in the process of planning and preparing for the August 20th start. The same can be said for Southern Sports & Travel as improvements have been made in preparation for the upcoming year. Improvements such as a new web design, audio clips, video highlights, Facebook page specifically for game photos, player profiles and a wider coverage to include all four MAIS classes. These improvements are part of a long range plan to provide not only quality coverage of MAIS athletics but also highlight the many gifted coaches and athletes in the association.
*Big “Shout Out” for former MAIS standouts Witt Haggard of Lamar and Pack Toler of Jackson Prep. Both Haggard and Toler are officially Ole Miss Rebels. Haggard is a quarterback and Toler is listed as a safety on the Rebel’s roster.
*One topic that repeatedly comes up in many of my conversations about the upcoming football season is the desire to move the season back to begin on the first Friday of September. I’ve yet to hear a serious counter to that suggestion. The MAIS wisely nixed the state basketball playoff format that was introduced last season and put the previous format back into place. Many hope serious consideration will be put upon the need to revamp the early start of football season as well.
*I’ve received several calls regarding player profile videos and what I can now say with confidence is that there are two methods in which the profiles can be posted. Videos can be uploaded to YouTube and then published on Southern Sports & Travel or completed player profile videos on DVD can be mailed to me and I’ll post them.
*The 2010 Football Preview will be posted on Tuesday. Many hours of sending faxes and making phone calls over the past two weeks have produced good results in the area of gathering information but there is still work to be done. Phone calls, messages and multiple faxes have been sent to all 89 MAIS schools participating in football.
*Another new feature for the 2010 football season is the “Fast Facts” links on the right sidebar of the website. These links provide tidbits of information about all the teams and the hope is to have the links 100% complete by August 20th.
*Many thanks to the schools that have purchased sponsorship ads to help Southern Sports & Travel continue to grow. Without continued support this site will obviously fail to provide coverage to MAIS athletics. To purchase an ad please email me at aafandaman@yahoo.com for rates.
*Beginning in two weeks I’ll be a weekly regular on Sportstalk 107.7 fm. I’ll be discussing MAIS football with Robbie Hamilton either on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings. We’ll discuss the previous weeks’ big matchups and the ones upcoming. Might even include some predictions. Sportstalk 107.7 fm provides a live internet stream and their link is posted on Southern Sports & Travel.
*Southern Sports & Travel featured games for the first three weeks are already in the books. Week one will feature Oak Forest at Centreville….Week two will be Washington at River Oaks….Week three will feature two matchups: Riverfield at Brookhaven and Central Hinds at Lamar.
*Live scores will be posted each Friday night. Please email me at aafandaman@yahoo.com or text me at 985-750-3455 if you can provide scores on game nights.

Lady Spartans well-armed for repeat run
By Marq Mitcham, Bastrop Daily Enterprise
Since winning the MAIS Class 2A state championship last season, the Prairie View Lady Spartans’ fastpitch team has undergone a makeover.
Principal Ed Bain, who guided the Lady Spartans to a 22-3 record and the school’s first-ever fastpitch state title, has turned the coaching duties over to his assistant, Dan Smart.
On the field, the Lady Spartans have only one player in the same position, although it would be difficult to overstate her value. Senior pitcher Kayla Tyson (20-1), last year’s state MVP, allowed just 16 runs in 21 games last season and was untouchable down the stretch. She also contributed at the plate, batting .263.
Prairie View enters the season minus three fixtures as catcher Mallory Hall, third baseman Caroline Oliphant and shortstop Kara Burchfield were all five-year starters. Also lost to graduation were starting first baseman Lena Kate Thompson and reserve outfielder Laiken Russell. In addition, junior Molly Gregory, who was projected to make the move from center field to catcher, suffered a season-ending knee injury during a summer basketball camp. She is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday to repair a torn ACL.
The Lady Spartans opened the season Friday in the Riverfield round robin tournament, picking up wins against Riverdale and Riverfield and falling to Tensas in a game in which most of the starters sat out.
In all, the Lady Spartans return four starters, although all except Tyson have changed positions since last season.
Kristen Oliphant (.300) has moved from second base to catcher, while Leslie Spires (.340) and Victoria Billings (.321) have shifted from the outfield to shortstop and third base, respectively. Oliphant and Spires are also Tyson’s backups in the circle.
The remainder of the infield has Blake Stutts at first base and Bastrop High transfer Stormee Sebren at second.
Stutts, a senior who only came out for softball this season, has been a pleasant surprise.
“Blake was in one of my Civics classes and I asked if anyone would like to come out for softball,” Smart recalled. “Blake said, ‘I’d love to play softball.’ I hit her some ground balls one day and coach (Larry) Taylor and I looked at each other like, oh my God.”
An all-new outfield has Taylor Gentry in center field with Amanda Jones and Kirstin Swain flip-flopping between left and right.
Although he has had to tinker with the lineup, Smart believes he may have already found the right combination.
“We’ve had to move a lot of people around,” Smart said. “The way we’re jelling, this may be (the lineup) for a while.”
Smart is pleasantly surprised by the Lady Spartans’ progress.
“We’re a little further along than I expected us to be at this time,” Smart said. “A lot of times when you have a team coming off of a state championship, everybody wants to live in the past. They want it to be like last year. But every year brings changes.
“We already have good team chemistry. Usually, you don’t see that on a team that hasn’t been together very long. The girls were having fun in the Riverfield tournament. That’s 90 percent of it — if you relax and have fun, you’re going to play a lot better.”
Prairie View is back in action Thursday at 6 p.m. vs. Franklin Academy in Winnsboro.

Heat no bother for Raiders
Courtesy of The Daily Times Leader
Oak Hill Academy head football coach Leroy Gregg said on Tuesday that the temperature was just a number.
It was a mighty high number by the time Gregg and his team walked out on to the practice field in the mid-afternoon heat.
Temperatures reached as high as 104 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, but it was business as usual for the Raiders, who are getting ready for their season opener against Heritage on August 20.
The team took the field at about 3:15, and the sun was relentless.
However, the Raider players did their warm-ups, stretches and first practices without a bother.
There was plenty of water to hydrate with, and every Raider took advantage, but it was right back to business when that was over.
Good practices in this current heat wave are going to prove big for the Raiders, who have Immanuel Christian coming this Friday for a scrimmage game.
Temperatures are forecasted to dip down into the mid-90s again as the week goes on, but Friday night’s game-time temps are not going to be cool by any stretch.
Since practice started last Monday, Gregg has noted multiple times that his team has completed very good practices and that the boys are in good shape from a summer of conditioning and weight training.
Practices on Monday and Tuesday were a testament to that.

Inside The Huddle

Lamar head football coach Mac Barnes talks about the upcoming 2010 season