Raider football finishes season unbeaten on field
By Bryan Eubank
Jackson Academy completed another perfect season in conference play with a 28-0 victory over Washington School in Greenville on Friday night. With the win, the Raiders also won their 32nd consecutive conference game and seventh straight over the Generals as they completed their fourth shutout of the season holding opponents to 7.5 points per game. 
The Raider offense eclipsed the 300 yard mark for the 10th time on the season while racking up a touchdown in each quarter. Duncan Maxwell did most of the dirty work with 135 yards on 22 carries. Daniel Kennedy found the end zone four times with 68 yards on 11 carries. The two seniors have now combined for 1,794 yards and 28 touchdowns. They also dominated with 61 offensive plays and they controlled the clock with 29:31 of possession to just 16:46 for Washington.
Jackson Academy dominated the first quarter with 84 yards on 19 plays while holding Washington to just 3 yards on 6 plays. The second quarter was relatively even in yards while JA held Washington School out of the end zone on four plays from the 1 yard line on an impressive goal line stand. The second half was completely controlled by JA as they outgained the Generals 169 yards to 34 yards.
Defensively, Peyton Adams grabbed an interception for the third straight game and the Raiders now have 12 on the year. The Raider defense also held the Generals to 1-for-8 on third down conversions and 0-for-3 on fourth down conversions.
The JA defense has now collected 9 interceptions in their last 7 games and has at least 1 sack in every game this season for a total of 28 1/2. JA also picked up 11 1/2 tackles for loss in the game for a total of 83 on the year. In their conference games this year, JA outscored their opponents 286-31.

The Raiders will take on Presbyterian Christian School on Friday, November 15th in the MAIS AAA-1 Semifinals. Kickoff is at 7:00pm. The Countdown to Kickoff Pregame Show will start at 6:00pm on SuperSport 930.

Colonels top Leake in 25-24 thriller

By Watson Cook

For the first time in school history, the Indianola Colonels have won consecutive playoff games at home. The Colonels, who trailed the Leake Academy Rebels 24-18 with 5:12 to play on Friday night, used a 14-play, 69-yard drive to set up the game-winning score a week after sneaking past Winona Christian in overtime. With the win, IA will take to the road to face #1 seed Simpson Academy on November 15.

A capacity crowd at Legion Field watched the Colonels build an early 12-0 lead. IA took the opening kickoff and started their first drive of the night from the Rebel 45. Ashton Knight capped the drive six plays later with a 2-yard rumble to put the Colonels up 6-0 (missed PAT) with 9:44 to play in the opening quarter.

Five plays into the Rebels’ first drive of the night, which started at their own 25, Tristan Knight recovered a fumble at the Leake 43 to give the Colonels another short field. The offense took advantage. Seven plays later, Jonathan Holland’s 1-yard quarterback keeper extended the Colonel lead to 12-0 (missed PAT) with 5:15 to play in the quarter. From that point, Leake took over the remainder of the half.

The Rebels responded on their second possession, going 75 yards on 10 plays. Taking advantage of a pass interference call on 3^rd and 1 from the IA 15, Taylor Nazary scored on the next play with a 7-yard touchdown run. John Forrest Sisson’s PAT cut the IA lead to 12-7 with 1:14 to play in the quarter.

A fumble by Hunter Vance on the following IA drive was the first of three straight turnovers for the Colonel offense. After the fumble, the Rebels took over at the IA 35. Eight plays later, Alex Shepard connected with Thomas Nazary from 4 yards out to give the Rebels their first lead of the night. Sisson’s PAT made it 14-12 with 8:40 to play in the half.

The Colonels began their next drive at their own 20. Three plays later, a Wheeler Timbs halfback pass was intercepted at the Leake 39. The Rebels though, were forced into a three-and-out and the Colonels got the ball back after the punt at their own 28. After driving to the Leake 37, Holland was picked off on 4^thand 8, giving the Rebels one more shot to extend their lead before halftime.

As the saying goes, the Colonel defense bent but did not break. After driving 76 yards to the IA 6, the Rebels were held out of the endzone as Chris Harris sacked Shepard on 2^nd goal with 0:05 left on the clock. Harris, a sophomore linebacker, was only getting started as he would come up big for the Colonel defense again in the second half. Leake though, out of timeouts, took a 14-12 lead into halftime.

IA regained the lead on its first drive of the second half. After the defense forced a Rebel punt to open the third quarter, the Colonels took over at their own 12. On the first play of the series, Timbs ripped off a 58-yard run down to the Leake 30. Eight plays later, Knight punched it in from 1 yard out to give the Colonels an 18-14 lead (2-point try unsuccessful) with 5:11 to play in the quarter.

Leake immediately answered. The Rebels drove 70 yards on only 5 plays and took the lead on Shepard’s 24-yard pass to William Johnston. Sisson’s PAT made it 21-18 with 2:51 to play in the third. Sisson then added to the Rebels’ lead with a 25-yard field goal that put Leake up 24-18 with 5:19 to play in the game, setting the stage for one of the most memorable comebacks in recent Colonel history.

Following the kickoff, the Colonels started at their own 31. Using smash-mouth football, the Colonels drove straight down the field using 6 runs apiece from Knight and Timbs. After driving down to the 7, IA faced 4^th and 3 with just under a minute to play. Coming out of a timeout, Coach Nester dialed up the option, which Holland kept around the right side, picking up a 1st down by half of a football. On the very next play Timbs (pictured below) brought the house down with a 3-yard run up the middle to tie the game at 24-24 with 0:45 to play. Will Lang, who had missed his previous PAT attempt, split the uprights with plenty of distance to give the Colonels a 25-24 lead.

The Rebels had little time to work with, starting from their 33. After incomplete passes on 1^st and 2^nd down, Shepard was sacked by Chandler Danna and Ryan Eldridge for a 5-yard loss back to the 28, bringing up 4^th and 15. Harris, who brought down Shepard to end the first half, exploded into the backfield on 4^th down and sent Shepard to the ground before he could get a pass off. The Colonels took over on downs and Holland’s kneel with 0:10 left set off an explosive celebration, both on the field and amongst the hundreds of Colonel fans at Legion Field.

IA, the #4 seed, will travel to Mendenhall Friday night looking to pull the upset of #1 seed Simpson Academy with a spot in the AA state championship on the line. Kickoff is set for 7:00. Look for a preview of the semifinal matchup on Wednesday, November 13.

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

Glenbrook quarterback Regan Edwards is the Week Twelve Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The 6' 1", 170 lb. senior led Class AA fourth ranked Glenbrook to a 30-21 playoff road win over seventh ranked Adams Christian on Friday night by going 26/36 for 359 yards and 4 touchdowns passing and rushing for 124 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.

"Regan is the heart and soul of our offense," said Glenbrook head coach Greg Tibbett. "We are a pass first offense and his talents allow us to be very successful in our scheme. In the second half of our season and this playoff run, he has been outstanding. His ability to run the ball from our empty sets has made our offense even more dangerous. In our last 4 games he has thrown for over 300 yards a game and rushed for over 100 a game. We hope that his talent and leadership will continue to carry us in the playoffs."

Edwards has passed for over 3900 yards and 47 touchdowns on the season. He also has 7 rushing touchdowns and leads the MAIS with 54 touchdowns.

Glenbrook has advanced to the semi-final round of the playoffs, they will face top ranked Centreville on the road this Friday night.

Week Twelve Recap

Centreville 28 Tri-County 21

Tri-County jumped out to a 13-0 lead with 2:30 remaining in the first half in round two playoff action at Centreville on Friday night but saw the top ranked Tigers answer with 28 straight points as Centreville held on to defeat 3^rd ranked Tri-County 28-21.

Tyler Caston rushed for 91 yards and Mark Curry added 63 yards and 2 touchdowns as Centreville advanced to next week’s semi-final round where they will host the Glenbrook Apaches.

Centreville quarterback Casey Haywood went 10/16 for 138 yards and a touchdown and wide-out Colby Shaw had 5 receptions for 90 yards and a score in the win.

Centreville improved to 11-1 on the season.

Tri-County ends their 2013 season at 10-2. Ryan Cothern rushed for 192 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown and senior quarterback Trey Bozeman rushed for 87 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns in the defeat.

Simpson 40 Lee (MS) 9

The Class AA 2^nd ranked Simpson Cougars piled up 388 rushing yards in crushing 8^th ranked Lee in Mendenhall on Friday night.

Daniel Taylor ran for 122 yards on 14 carries and 3 touchdowns, quarterback Mason Herrin picked up 142 yards on 8 carries and 2 touchdowns and tailback Andrew Berry added 113 yards on 9 carries and a score as Simpson improved to 11-1 on the year.

Simpson advances to the semi-final round for the fourth time in the past five seasons and will host 5^th ranked Indianola.

Indianola 25 Leake 24

Indianola tailback Wheeler Timbs scored from 3 yards out with 45 seconds remaining in regulation and freshman Will Lang converted on the PAT as Indianola stunned Leake 25-24 Friday night in Indianola.

Timbs rushed for 180 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown and senior tailback Ashton Knight added 78 yards on 18 carries and 2 touchdowns as Indianola improved to 11-1 on the season.

The Colonels advance to the semi-final round of the playoffs and will travel to Mendenhall to battle 2^nd ranked Simpson next week.

Leake closes out the 2013 campaign at 8-4.

Glenbrook 30 Adams 21

Senior quarterback Regan Edwards went 26/36 for 359 yards and 4 touchdowns and rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown as the Glenbrook Apaches continued their hot play with a 30-21 road playoff win over 7^th ranked Adams Christian on Friday night.

Glenbrook wide-out Arthur Jones had 12 receptions for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns and on defense Jones had 2 interceptions, one in the endzone to halt an Adams scoring threat.

Glenbrook has won 8 of their last 9 games and avenged their week seven 70-46 loss to Adams.

The Apaches advance to the semi-final round for the first time since 2008 and will travel to top ranked Centreville.

Marshall 48 DeSoto 24

The 2^nd ranked Marshall Patriots outscored DeSoto 27-3 in the second half to defeat the Thunderbirds 48-24 in Holly Springs on Friday night in Class A playoff action.

Marshall quarterback Dakota Dailey rushed for 230 yards on 15 carries and 4 touchdowns and passed for 115 yards and a score as Marshall advanced to their third straight semi-final round where they will host 4^th ranked Benton.

Junior tailback Devin McGregor added 81 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.

Zack Mahan led the Marshall defense with 11 tackles and 1 ½ sacks. Andrew Harrington and Hunter Barringer each had 11 tackles and Melvin Harris recorded 12 stops.

DeSoto finishes the season at 9-3.

Benton 20 Sylva Bay 18

Fourth ranked Benton Academy edged fifth ranked Sylva Bay 20-18 in Class A action on Friday night.

Sylva Bay scored with 1:34 left in regulation to take an 18-13 lead but Benton’s Barrett Whitworth and Kendell Prescott blocked a Sylva Bay punt with 18 seconds remaining in regulation and Ben Street recovered the blocked punt and returned it for the winning score.

Tailback Kent Manor rushed for 205 yards and passed for 2 touchdowns to lead Benton in the win.

Jerry Vandlandingham led the Raider defense with 9 tackles, Dalton Veazey had 9 tackles, Kent Manor had 8 tackles and a fumble recovery and Hunter Cox contributed with 5 tackles.

Benton upped their season mark to 10-2 and will travel to Holly Springs to take on 2^nd ranked Marshall on Friday night.

Sylva Bay ended their season at 10-2.

Cenla 52 Riverdale 0

Cenla Christian  scored early and often enroute to a 52-0 demolishing of Riverdale Academy on Friday night to improve to 9-3 and advance to the semi-final round of the Class A playoffs.

Dezmond Eddie rushed for 214 yards on 13 carries and 2 touchdowns as Cenla improved to 9-3.

Sophmore quarterback Peyton Gauthier went 11/18 for 265 yards and 5 touchdowns and Kofi Bieniemy had 4 catches for 97 yards 2 scores.

Cenla finished the night with 441 yards of total offense.

Dillion Foshee lead Riverdale with 17 rushes for 73 yards.

Riverdale (7-5) had 183 yards of total offense.

Cenla will travel to Natchez next Friday night to take on top ranked and undefeated Trinity.

Trinity defeated Cenla 44-34 in week one.

Playoff game ends in brawl, MAIS hands down sanctions

Southern Sports & Travel

A brawl that took place between Newton County Academy and Deer Creek School immediately following the closing seconds of the round one playoff game on Friday night has resulted in both schools being placed on probation.

The brawl reportedly included members of each coaching staff and players from both teams.

The MAIS has placed Deer Creek on probation for a period of two years and fined $1,500. The probation will end on November 1, 2015.

Additionally, the Deer Creek boy’s athletic programs are suspended from all post season play for the remainder of the 2013/14 school year.

Deer Creek assistant coach Lee McIntire is placed on probation for a period of one year, fined $750.00 and suspended from coaching for sixty days.

One Deer Creek player is suspended from participating in athletics for the remainder of the 2013/14 school year.

Newton Academy was placed on probation for a period of one year and fined $1,000 with the probation ending on November 1, 2014.

Coach Robert Roberts is placed on probation for one year and fined $250.

Also, assistant coach Rob Roberts is placed on probation for one year, fined $500 and suspended from coaching for 60 days.

The game was played at Newton Academy.

From the notebook

>>With three rounds still remaining in the 2013 MAIS football season there are some teams that appear to be on a collision course to determine state champions.

Trinity and Marshall have been heading head on towards each other all season and void any major injuries or surprises those two will determine the Class A crown on November 23^rd.

In Class AA the same can be said about Centreville and Simpson but with a little more caution than in Class A. Leake is one of the hottest squads in AA and Tri-County has proven they belong in Class AA.

In Class AAA Division-I Jackson Academy and Jackson Prep are once again at the top and could renew their annual title game in a few weeks.

Class AAA Division-II defending champion Heritage is on the ropes while Lamar and Magnolia Heights have separated themselves as the best two squads in the respective division.

There will be a brand new 8-Man champion this season and all indications tend to suggest that Sharkey and Franklin could butt heads on the 23^rd.

>>On another football note two coaches deserve big time “Shout Outs” for the work they have done at rebuilding and maintaining their programs.

Adams County Christian head coach David King posted a 3-8 mark in his first season at his Alma-mater in 2012 and this season heading into week two of the playoffs King has ACCS sitting at #5 in the Class AA rankings and a 10-1 season mark. To top that off King has lots of youth at the skill positions that will only get better.

Josh Loy stepped into a tough spot in getting a late start after being named Trinity’s head coach just two months prior to the 2012 season but Loy has posted an 18-5 mark to this point and has one of the top five teams in the entire MAIS.

>>Nominations for the Southern Sports & Travel MAIS Football Player of the Year are open through November 24th. Nominations can be sent via email to aafandaman@yahoo.com along with stats and other information deemed valuable.

>>The 2013/14 basketball season is underway. Rankings will be posted in a matter of days and as always I ask that coaches, athletic directors and administrators please assign someone to report all varsity scores following the games. Doing this allows the thousands who visit Southern Sports & Travel each week to track their team and get insight into those teams they may face during the season. Accurate and timely reporting of scores will also make the difficult task of posting district records a bit more managable when district play begins next month for many teams. Basketball scores can be reported in a variety of methods: Text 985-750-3455, email aafandaman@yahoo.com, follow me on Twitter or join the Southern Sports & Travel Facebook Scoreboard Page and post whatever you’d like about basketball or football.

>>The MAIS has eliminated split sessions during regional basketball post-season tournament action leading up to the state tournaments. This is a much needed change that will benefit everyone as a whole. Split sessions will remain for state tournaments that follow.

>>One of the greatest tools in keeping tabs on high school football has been MaxPreps. Each year more and more schools realize the value in assigning someone to update all matters of information from team to individual stats and more. MaxPreps is also a great source for basketball and baseball data during those respective seasons but participation is a bit scarce in those two sports. If your school doesn’t participate in updating your athletic program through MaxPreps I would strongly encourage it.

>>On a more somber note, sometimes life throws you an unhittable breaking ball. One that you see coming and have prepared for but the inevitable happens. In my case a three level cervical spinal fusion that can wait no longer. The goal was to make it through the 2013 football season but my efforts to control the immense pain and discomfort associated with the driving and covering the games have been fruitless. Thus, bright and early Monday morning I report for surgery with hopes that the neurosurgeon slept well the night before and is in good spirits. I’ve had two spinal fusion surgeries in the past but never a three level this close to a few vital organs in the neck that are kind of important such as the esophagus, vocal cords and that little carotid artery thing.

What all that being said, I’ve had to cancel round two playoff coverage of Glenbrook at Adams and semi-final action the following week. My hope is to personally provide state championship coverage on November 22^nd and 23^rd but that is to be determined in the coming weeks.

There will be NO interruption in reporting scores and a contingency plan with regards to providing championship football coverage is in the works.

I sincerely apologize for the failure on my part to continue doing what I love, particularly post-season football, and I ask that you keep me in your prayers for a quick recovery.
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God is great.............

Week Eleven Recap

Riverdale 17 Carroll 14

Tyler Waters nailed a 25 yard field goal in overtime to give Class A 8^th ranked Riverdale a 17-14 road playoff win over Carroll on Friday night.

Tailback Dillon Foshee had 225 all-purpose yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Rebels who improved to 7-4 on the season.

The win was the first playoff win for Riverdale since 1992.

Riverdale advances and will take on 4^th ranked Cenla on the road this Friday night. Cenla defeated the Rebels 30-8 two weeks ago.

Carroll finished the season at 4-7.

Adams 28 Central Hinds 7

The 5^th ranked Adams County Christian Rebels won their first playoff game in 31 years on Friday night by topping Central Hinds 28-7.

Tailback Torrey Smith rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown and Lester Wells added 62 yards on 7 carries and scored a touchdown rushing and receiving as ACCS improved to 10-1 on the season.

Trey Fleming added an 83 yard punt return for a touchdown and junior quarterback Tyler Stockstill went 10/14 for 117 yards and a touchdown as Adams defeated Central Hinds for the second time in three weeks.

Matt Rymer led the Rebel defense with 16 tackles and a forced fumble, Brandon Ross had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery and Chisum Mardis had 7 tackles and 2 sacks to led ACCS to the playoff win.

Adams advances to take on 8^th ranked Glenbrook this Friday night in Natchez. Adams defeated Glenbrook 70-46 in week seven.

Tailback Brian King led Central Hinds (5-6) with 198 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Trinity 55 Immanuel Christian 0

Senior quarterback Michael Whitley threw for 6 touchdowns on 14/19 passing and 181 yards as the Class A number one ranked Trinity Saints recorded their fifth shutout of the season.

Tailback Demarcus Fleming rushed for 124 yards on 7 carries and a touchdown and Quinton Logan had 3 receptions, all for touchdowns, as the Saints upped their season mark to 10-0.

Trinity will host 7^th ranked Newton (7-4) in round two playoff action on Friday night in Natchez. Newton defeated Deer Creek 14-0 last week.

This will be the first meeting between the two squads since 2007.

Immanuel ended the season at 4-7.

Glenbrook 36 River Oaks 13

Senior quarterback Regan Edwards went 22/34 for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns and rushed for 121 yards on 19 carries and 2 scores to lead Class AA 8^th ranked Glenbrook to a 36-13 win over River Oaks in Monroe on Friday night to avenge a 41-24 week three loss to the Mustangs.

Wide-out Arthur Jones had 8 receptions for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns as Glenbrook improved to 8-3.

Tristan Sanders led the Apache defense with 26 tackles.

Glenbrook moves on and will face #5 Adams Christian who defeated the Apaches 70-46 in week seven.

River Oaks closes the 2013 campaign at 5-6. It was the Mustang's first losing season since 2002.

Cenla 32 WCCA 14

Class A 4^th ranked Cenla Christian broke open a 14-14 halftime tie to defeat WCCA 32-14 on Friday night behind the balanced attack of Dezmond Eddie with 13 rushes for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns and J Rae Battles with 12 rushes for 90 yards and 3 scores.

Quarterback Peyton Gauthier went 18/37 for 210 yards and the defense came up huge in the second half limiting WCCA's offense to just 1 first down and a total of 156 yards for the game.

WCCA (3-7) was led by Jamal Vessel with 21 carries for 116 yards.

Cenla improved to 8-3 and will host Riverdale in round two playoff action on Friday night.

Benton 47 Claiborne 0

Senior tailback Kent Manor rushed for 364 yards on 19 carries and 5 touchdowns as 5^th ranked Benton punished Claiborne 47-0 in round one playoff action in Benton on Friday night.

Storm Davis added 44 yards on the ground as the Raiders improved to 9-2 on the season and will host 3^rd ranked Sylva Bay who defeated Heidelberg 43-6 last week.

Benton defeated Sylva Bay 21-20 at home in week three.

Jeremy Vandlandingham led Benton’s defense with 8 tackles.

This was Benton’s fifth shutout of the season.

Claiborne closes the season at 4-7.

Marshall 49 Tunica 13

The 2^nd ranked Marshall Patriots won their seventh straight game with a 49-13 playoff win thumping of Tunica on Friday night in Holly Springs.

Quarterback Dakota Dailey went 11/13 for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns and had a rushing touchdown and junior tailback Devin McGregor rushed for 75 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. McGregor’s touchdowns came by way of rushing, receiving and a 38 yard pick six on defense.

Junior wide-out Jordon Harris also scored 3 touchdowns, 2 receiving and a 76 yard kick-off return for the 10-1 Patriots.

Marshall advances to play 6^th ranked DeSoto for the second time in three weeks. The Patriots topped the Thunderbirds 62-28 on October 25^th in Holly Springs.

Tunica finished the 2013 season at 4-7.

Leake 35 Riverfield 0

Tailback Taylor Nazary led Leake to a 35-0 pounding of Riverfield on Friday night with 145 yards rushing on 21 carries and 3 touchdowns.

Leake, one of the hottest teams in Class AA, will travel to take on 6^th ranked Indianola on Friday night. The last time these two matched up was in 2007 with Indianola winning a first round playoff contest 36-22 in Madden.

Joshua Jones added 73 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown for Leake (8-3) while quarterback Alex Shepard went 3/3 for 102 yards and a score.

Leake’s defense held Riverfield to 121 total yards on the night.

Riverfield ended the season at 8-3.

DeSoto 39 West Memphis 20

Quarterback Zac Manning passed for 143 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 90 yards and a score as 6^th ranked DeSoto defeated West Memphis 39-20 in round one playoff action.  It was the second time in three weeks DeSoto has defeated West Memphis.

Reed St. Columbia picked up 142 yards on 20 carries and 2 touchdowns and caught another and Griffin Christine added 45 rushing yards and a score as DeSoto upped their season mark to 9-2.

The Thunderbirds will battle 2^nd ranked Marshall on the road this Friday night in round two play. The two squads played two weeks ago with Marshall winning 62-38 in Holly Springs.

West Memphis ended the season at 5-6.

Simpson 38 Brookhaven 14

Senior tailback Daniel Taylor rushed for 230 yards on 16 carries and 3 touchdowns to lead Class AA 2nd ranked Simpson to a 38-14 home playoff win over defending state champion Brookhaven on Friday night.

Andrew Berry added 108 yards on 10 carries as Simpson (10-1) rushed for 377 yards on the night.

Berry also had 9.5 tackles and a sack while Hayden Benton led the Simpson defense with 10.5 tackles and a sack.

Connor Dorman rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown and Landon Nettles ran for 71 yards and a touchdown for Brookhaven, who finished the season at 4-7.

Simpson will host 7^th ranked Lee on Friday night. The Colts defeated Canton 35-27 in round one playoff action.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2005 when Simpson defeated Lee 12-7 to win the Class AA North crown.

Lamar 35 Parklane 14

Freshman quarterback Davis Harrison passed for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for 138 yards on 14 carries and 3 touchdowns to lead Class AAA 5^th ranked Lamar to a 35-14 home win over Parklane on Friday night.

Lamar dialed up 456 yards on offense and led 28-7 at the end of three quarters.

Lee Martin had 4 receptions for 90 yards and a scored a touchdown and Jesse Seal led the Raider defense with 10 tackles and a sack as Lamar improved to 9-2 and will close out the regular season at Oak Forest.

Parklane falls to 6-4 and will close their 2013 season at Jackson Prep.

Dan Gill led the Pioneers with 66 yards on the ground.

Washington 28 Pillow 14

The Washington Generals improved their record to 6-3 on the season with a hard fought 28-14 victory over the Pillow Mustangs this past Friday night in Greenville. The General defense had 6 interceptions on the evening and Landon Zepponi returned to rush for 136 yards and a score on 21 carries. Walker Coleman also had a big night offensively, scoring twice, while rushing for 111 yards on 11 carries. Gore Pulliam had another good night passing, completing 7 of 14 passes for 104 yards. Bobby Elliot had a 60 yard reception for a score and finished the night with 4 catches for 86 yards. The General defense had another outstanding performance, limiting the Mustangs to only 160 yards on the night. Bobby Elliot led the charges with 13 tackles and two interceptions. He was followed by Michael Bruton with 12 tackles and an interception. Rob VanNamen and Andrew Farmer each recorded 7 tackles and a sack each, while Ross Jernigan, William Smith, and Roman Fratesi all had an interception. The Generals will host Jackson Academy this Friday night. Kick-off is 7:00.

Presbyterian 49 Columbia 20

Fate Eiland rushed for 251 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown and Isaiah Woulard picked up 175 yards on 8 carries and 4 touchdowns as Presbyterian improved to 7-4 with a 49-20 road win over Columbia on Friday night.

The Bobcats will look to close out the 2013 regular season on a high note with a road trip to East Rankin while Columbia (3-7) will attempt to end a six game losing skid at Copiah.

Bowling Green opens season with huge win

By Johnnie Daniel

The Bowling Green Lady Bucs began the 2013-14 season by facing the defending Overall Champion Starkville Academy Lady Vols. Bowling Green, the defending AA State Champions, finished last season with a 37-2 record with both losses coming at the hands of the Lady Vols. In the season opener for both teams, Starkville entered the contest riding a 52 game win streak while the Lady Bucs had won 37 of their last 39 games.

The Lady Bucs jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but the Lady Vols answered and held an 11-10 lead after one quarter of play. Bowling Green again got out to a quick start in the second quarter and led by as many as 8 points. Starkville Academy closed the quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 23-21 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, the Lady Bucs continued their first-half trend of getting out to quick starts and quickly pulled ahead of the Lady Vols. Bowling Green would hold the lead this time by outscoring the Lady Vols by 11 to take a 43-34 lead into the final period of play. The Lady Bucs would stretch their lead to as many as 16 points before finishing with a 61-48 win.

The 13 point win snapped the Lady Vols 52 game winning streak and gave the Lady Bucs their first win over Starkville Academy in 4 tries. The Lady Vols defeated the Lady Bucs in last season’s opener and in the semifinals of the Overall Tournament.

Junior Kristina Jerrell led the Lady Bucs in scoring with 19 points followed by junior Reagan Moody with 14. Senior Melissa Crowe added 10 while freshmen McKinley Seal (6), Holly Waskom (5) and Katelyn Junkins (4) rounded out the scoring. The Lady Bucs were without All-State sophomore Ashley Foret who is rehabbing a knee injury. Sally Kate Richardson led Starkville Academy with 15 while Nora Katherine Carrol added 13. 

Colonels edge Stars in OT to advance in playoffs

By Watson Cook

It took overtime Friday night but the Colonels found a way to edge the Winona Christian Stars 13-7 in the first round of the AA playoffs. The win marked the first playoff victory at Legion Field since 1982. In a game that proved why you play on the field and not on a stat sheet, Winona Christian bottled up one of the state’s better rushing attacks and forced the Colonels to find another way to win the game. Colonel quarterback Jonathan Holland answered the call.

Scoreless at halftime, the Colonels received the second half kickoff and started from their own 32. Eight plays later, Holland found freshman tight end Ben Van Cleve wide open from 21 yards out. Tyler Hill added the PAT to give IA a 7-0 lead with 8:48 to play in the third quarter.

Following the kickoff, the Stars began their first series of the second half at their own 11. Managing only 6 yards on the drive, Winona Chr. was forced to punt. A short kick gave the Colonels possession at the Star 43. A promising drive that looked to add to the IA lead was cut short by an Ashton Knight fumble at the 12 yard line. The Stars recovered and ended the threat.

After an exchange of punts and another Colonel fumble, the Stars took over at the IA 24 with 8:53 to play in the fourth quarter. On 4^th and 4 from the 18, Brooks Lott connected with Bailey Lott in the back of the endzone. Tyler Ballard’s PAT knotted the game at 7-7 with 7:30 to play.

Still tied at the end of regulation, the game headed to overtime. The Colonels had the first offensive series in the overtime period. Staring at 3^rd and goal from the 10, Holland hit Wheeler Timbs with a fade pass in the left corner of the endzone to put IA up 13-7. Hill’s PAT was just wide left, leaving the door open for the Stars.

Winona Christian pounded Stuart Dickerson straight up the middle, as they had all night, on 1^st and 2^nd down. On 3^rd and goal from the 3, what appeared to be a botched handoff left Brooks Lott dropped for a loss back to the 5. With the game on the line, the Stars turned to Bailey Lott who was swarmed by blue shirts and brought down at the 1, setting off a wild celebration as the Colonels escaped with the 6-point victory.

With the win, #4 IA will host #5 Leake Academy at Legion Field on Friday, November 8 at 7:00. The winner will advance to the AA semifinals. Leake Academy dominated Riverfield Academy 35-0 to move on to round two.

Raiders extend multiple streaks on senior night

By Bryan Eubanks

It was Senior Night at The Brickyard as the Raiders won their 41st consecutive game at home with a 49-3 victory over Starkville Academy on Friday night. With the win, the Raiders also clinched their 5th conescutive North AAA Title with their 31st straight conference victory and clinched home-field advantage for the MAIS AAA-1 Semifinals.

The game started on an interesting note as Starkville elected to try an onside kick to start the game. The kick went out of bounds at the Starkville 49 and JA had a short field to start the game. The Raiders took advantage and traveled down the field in 7 plays capped off by a 28 yard TD run by Duncan Maxwell. Peyton Adams grabbed an interception for the second straight game on the third play from scrimmage for Starkville and on the next offensive play Colin Welsh found Connor Carmody wide open behind the Vol defense and hooked up for a 36yd Touchdown. Daniel Kennedy capped the scoring in the first quarter with a 14yd TD run to make it 21-0 Raiders.

The Raider defense fell asleep a little bit towards the end of the first quarter but stood strong and held Starkville to a 27yd Field Goal by Jonathon Burton. JA added two more scores before halftime by Duncan Maxwell (56yd TD Run & 67yd TD Reception from Welsh). Maxwell finished the half and the game with 18 touches and 200 yards (10 rushes, 188yds, 2TDs — 4 receptions, 82yds, TD). Colin Welsh finished nearly perfect going 6-for-7 for 127yds and 2 TDs.

JA picked up two more scores in the second half as Daniel Kennedy ran 52yds to daylight in the third quarter and Davis Simmons scooped up a fumble and ran 75 yards for the last score of the game in the fourth quarter.

The JA Defense has now collected 9 interceptions in their last 7 games and has at least 1 sack in every game this season for a total of 24 1/2. In their conference games this year, JA has outscored their opponents 258-31 this year.

The Raiders close out the regular season in Greenville as they take on the Washington School Generals (6-3), for the 20th time in school history on Friday, November 8th. Kickoff is at 7:00pm at Huddleston Memorial Stadium. The Countdown to Kickoff Pregame Show will start at 6:00pm on SuperSport 930.

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

Simpson Academy tailback Daniel Taylor in the Week Eleven Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The 5'11", 200 lb. senior rushed for 230 yards on 16 carries and 3 touchdowns  and had 4 tackles and a sack on defense in leading Class AA second ranked Simpson to a 38-14 round one playoff win over defending state champion Brookhaven this past Friday night.

"Daniel is a guy who just enjoys playing the game of football," said Simpson head coach Winston Mullins. "He is a warrior and a guy who is a 100 percent team player. He enjoys getting to score touchdowns but he really wants Simpson to win and his teammates to excel. If you ask him he would give a lot of credit to his offensive line. He represents what our team is all about, nose to the ground grinding all the time."

Taylor, who rushed for 1,155 yards as a junior last season, is the fifth leading rusher in the MAIS this season with 1,526 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns and will lead the 10-1 Cougars into round two of the playoffs against seventh ranked Lee this Friday night in Mendenhall. 

Rebels advance in OT, win 9th straight playoff game

Southern Sports & Travel

Tri-County head football coach David Blount summed it up in three simple words following the Rebel’s 20-17 overtime playoff win over Silliman on Friday night. “Success breeds success.”

Quarterback Trey Bozeman scored from 1 yard out in overtime to give third ranked Tri-County a 20-17 win over seventh ranked Silliman last night in Flora, Mississippi before another huge crowd. It was Tri-County’s ninth straight playoff win dating back to 2011.

Bozeman scored twice on the night and MAIS leading rusher Ryan Cothern ran for 120 tough yards on 36 carries and a touchdown as Tri-County improved to 10-1 and will head to Centreville next week to take on top ranked Centreville, a 59-34 winner over Oak Hill on Friday night.

“It was kind of what we expected,” said Blount. “We expected them to be big and physical, but we’re a pretty good football team too.”

Silliman hit first in the contest with a 9 play, 65 yard drive on the Wildcat’s opening possession of the night. Fullback Marquell Smith capped the drive with a 3 yard run at the 6:28 mark of the quarter.

Daniel Myers’ PAT gave Silliman an early 7-0 lead.

Tri-County threatened on the ensuing possession but penalties and an interception by strong safety Keifer Bourgeois at the Silliman 13 yard line halted the 10 play drive with 36 seconds left in the opening quarter of play.

Tri-County produced another 10 play drive in the second quarter, this one would result in points.

Ryan Cothern scored from 1 yard out to finish a drive that was preserved on a critical 4^th and 4 fake punt conversion when a direct snap to Trey Bozeman caught Silliman off guard.

Tucker Millican’s PAT knotted the contest up at 7-7 with 3:37 remaining in the half.

The ensuing kick-off proved disastrous for Tri-County as Silliman senior Collen McDowell went 77 yards to put the Wildcats back on top.

Myers would add the PAT to give Silliman a 14-7 advantage that they would take into intermission but the Wildcats would score no more.

Tri-County caught Silliman off guard once again to begin the second half recovering an onside kick but the Wildcat defense would stop quarterback Trey Bozeman 1 yard short six plays later on a 4^th and 5 in the redzone to preserve a 14-7 lead.

The Rebel defense forced Silliman’s offense into a quick three and out on the ensuing possession and Tri-County started taking control of the game.

Ryan Cothern returned a Tabary Cucullu punt 17 yards to the Wildcat 40 yard line to set the table for what would prove to be the biggest play of the game.

Tri-County struggled to find cracks in the Silliman defense but on a 3^rd and 7 from the Wildcat 28 yard line quarterback Trey Bozeman connected with senior wide-out Baylor Travis who made a highlight film catch over a Silliman defender in the endzone to pull Tri-County to within a point at 14-13 with 5:17 left in the quarter.

Tucker Millican’s PAT tied the game at 14-14.

Silliman’s attempt to break the deadlock failed as a Daniel Myers 47 yard field goal attempt fell short with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Tri-County appeared to have taken their first lead of the night at the 4:40 mark of the fourth quarter when Ryan Cothern returned a Silliman punt 66 yards for an apparent touchdown but a block in the back infraction negated the score.

Silliman looked primed to make a late game drive after Caleb Jackson intercepted a Trey Bozeman pass at the Wildcat 9 yard line with 1:40 remaining in regulation but two plays later Tri-County would regain possession as senior linebacker Barrett Shepard picked off a Zach Kelly throw and returned it to the Silliman 9 yard line with 1:08 to go.

Three Ryan Cothern running plays advanced the football to the Silliman 4 yard line where Tri-County set up for a game winning 21 yard field goal but Tucker Millican’s attempt went wide left as time expired in regulation with the contest tied at 14-14.

In the overtime period fullback Marquell Smith plowed forward for a quick 7 yards to the Rebel 3 yard line on Silliman’s first play from scrimmage but the Tri-County defense stiffened and would hold the Wildcats to a Daniel Myers 25 yard field goal.

Ryan Cothern would return the favor on Tri-County’s possession with a 7 yard gain to the 3 yard line. Cothern followed that with a 2 yard push to the Silliman 1 yard line to set up Bozeman’s keeper for the game winner.

“Our defense played the biggest role tonight,” said Tri-County junior tailback Ryan Cothern. “We matched up well on defense and rose to the occasion; this was one of the most physical games I’ve played in.”

Cothern rushed for 120 yards on 36 carries and scored once and had 4 receptions for 51 yards while senior signal-caller Trey Bozeman went 14/25 for 135 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 25 yards and a score.

“Trey had a good game,” said Tri-County head coach David Blount. “He made the big plays when we needed big plays.”

Tri-County, ranked third in the Class AA Southern Sports & Travel rankings, has had a dominating run the past four seasons with a 50-2 mark including two straight Class A State Championships and three consecutive state title game appearances.

“The kids just aren’t gonna quit,” said Blount

Tri-County held Silliman (7-4) to 134 yards of total offense on the night.

Todd Micah Bourgeois rushed for 23 yards on 4 carries, Marquell Smith 19 yards on 5 carries and a touchdown.

Silliman quarterback Zach Kelly went 6/10 for 73 yards and rushed for 8 yards on 4 carries.

Next up for third ranked Tri-County is round two play at top ranked Centreville on Friday night.

Tri-County has won 22 of their last 23 games away from home.

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Post Game with Tri-County Head Coach David Blount