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?

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See ya somewhere........