Simpson holds on to defeat Lamar

Southern Sports & Travel

Football can sometimes be a game of inches and when Danny Weisner’s fourth quarter 33 yard field goal attempt went narrowly wide right it would ultimately prove to be the difference in Simpson defeating Lamar 17-14 last night in a smash-mouth battle between two top five teams.

Tailback Daniel Taylor pounded out 174 yards and 2 touchdowns and the Cougar defense forced 4 first half turnovers as Simpson improved to 7-1. The win also enabled Simpson to leapfrog top ranked Centreville in the all-important power point rankings.

With two district games remaining on their schedule, Simpson could nail down the top seed and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by winning out in a home game against Hartfield and at Central Hinds in two weeks and should Centreville slip up at Oak Forest to close out the regular season in two weeks.

Last night’s win over Class AAA fourth ranked Lamar would turn out to be the most physical of the season for a Simpson program that prides itself on power football.

“They (Lamar) by far were the most physical defense we’ve played,” said Simpson head coach Winston Mullins. “Give them credit, their defense is really, really good.”

Simpson tailback Daniel Taylor echoed that sentiment. “This was one of the most physical games I’ve ever played in,” said Taylor.

Simpson would strike first with an 8 play, 62 yard drive on their second offensive possession of the night.

Daniel Taylor burst through the middle of the Lamar defense for a 9 yard score with 5:21 remaining in the opening quarter of play to cap the drive. Andrew Berry’s PAT gave the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

Lamar would struggle offensively in the first half.

On the Raider’s possession following the Simpson score, Lamar would commit their first of four first half turnovers.

Davis Harrison connected with tailback Dalton McHenry for a short gain but McHenry coughed up the football and Colt Barron of Simpson would recover at the Cougar 37 yard line.

Lamar’s defense wasted little time in regaining possession as senior linebacker Shane Blanton picked off a Mason Herrin pass at the Simpson 46 yard line with 4:05 left in the quarter.

Lamar capitalized on the turnover and in short order.

Joseph Marcello connected with Lee Martin on a perfectly executed 46 yard halfback pass play on the Raiders first play following the turnover. Danny Weisner’s PAT knotted the contest at 7-7 with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Simpson would answer.

Daniel Taylor’s second touchdown of the night finished off an 8 play, 80 yard drive in which the senior tailback carried the football six times, the last a 7 yard jaunt to put Simpson back on top with 11 seconds left in the quarter. Andrew Berry drilled the PAT to give Simpson a 14-7 edge, one they would ultimately take into halftime.

Simpson opened the second half with an Andrew Berry 49 yard kick-off return to set the Cougars up at the Lamar 46 yard line.

Berry would nail a 40 yard field goal 12 plays later as Simpson extended their lead to 17-7 while at the same time chewing up 6:22 of clock time to open the half.

Lamar’s offense moved into scoring position to start the fourth quarter as freshman quarterback Davis Harrison spearheaded the threat.

Harrison’s last second option pitch to tailback Sam Vaughn on a 3^rd and 6 at the Lamar 37 yard line energized the Raiders as Vaughn would ramble for a 13 yard pick-up to midfield.

Harrison would then hook up with wide-out Danny Weisner for a 30 yard strike to the Simpson 20 yard line but the Raider drive would stall out when Weisner’s 33 yard field goal attempt went wide right by inches with 10:25 left in regulation.

Lamar hit pay-dirt two possessions later when senior tailback Lee Martin bulled his way in from 13 yards out to put the finishing touches on a 6 play, 70 yard drive with 51 seconds left in the contest. Weisner’s PAT pulled Lamar to within a field goal at 17-14 and set the stage for an onside kick.

Weisner’s perfectly placed kick to the left side of the Simpson return team ricocheted off a Cougar player and was recovered by Lamar at the Simpson 46 yard line with 46 seconds left in regulation.

Davis Harrison hit Lee Martin for a quick 9 yards to the Simpson 37 but Lamar’s efforts to advance into field goal range fell short as Simpson senior defensive lineman Triston Shivers sacked Harrison four plays later as time expired to end the contest.

“This was a very important game for us because of power points and getting the top seed for the playoffs,” said Daniel Taylor. “We can’t lose focus over the next two weeks.”

Taylor finished the night with 174 yards on 31 carries and 2 touchdowns and 5 tackles on defense.

“Daniel has been a workhorse all year for us,” said Winston Mullins.

Andrew Berry picked up 26 yards on the ground to go along with solid special teams play.

On defense senior defensive lineman Chase Ainsworth had 5 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack.

Colt Barron, a junior defensive back, recorded 4 tackles and a fumble recovery and both Cade Caughman and Kolby Burton picked off a Lamar pass.

Simpson improves to 7-1 and will host District 4-AA foe Hartfield next week.

Lee Martin led Lamar with 41 yards rushing and a touchdown along with a receiving touchdown.

Davis Harrison rushed for 37 yards and had 131 passing yards.

Lamar falls to 6-2 and will travel to Presbyterian for a huge District 2-AAA matchup next week. 

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Post Game with Simpson Head Coach Winston Mullins

Jackson Academy continues mastery of Hillcrest

By Bryan Eubank

For the second straight week the Raiders dominated a conference foe as they defeated the Hillcrest Christian Cougars 49-8 in South Jackson. They improved to 5-2 on the season and more importantly 4-0 in conference play. All seven touchdowns were scored by different players as JA led 42-0 at halftime. The lone Cougar score came with 0:16 left in the game which ended a conference scoreless streak of 15 quarters for the Raider defense. In 23 meetings between the two schools JA has never lost to Hillcrest.

Offensively JA piled up 224 yards on the ground and 117 yards in the air. Daniel Kennedy, Hayden Tierney, Davis Simmons and Marsei Hogan scored on the ground. David Ford, Connor Carmody and Jace Stanley scored in the air. Junior Quarterback Nick Conley was one of the brightest spots on offense as he went 5-for-8 and 2 TDs to carry his season total to 9 TD passes.

Until the final drive by Hillcrest the JA Defense had limited Hillcrest to 51 yards of total offense. JA was led by Hayes Walker with 7 tackles. Sam Berry recorded 6 tackles, while Hunter Berry picked up 5 and Kent McNamara along with 4 others collected 4 tackles. The defense tallied 11 tackles for loss (including 2 1/2 sacks), 7 pass break ups and 1 interception.Next week the Raiders return to the Brickyard to take on Jackson Prep (6-1) for the 42nd time in school history on Friday, October 11th. Kickoff is at 7:00pm in Jackson, MS. The Countdown to Kickoff Pregame Show will start at 6:00pm on SuperSport 930.

SLOTS OPEN IN BROOKHAVEN CHRISTMAS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Brookhaven Academy will be hosting their annual Christmas Basketball Tournament on December 27, 28 & 30. (Friday, Saturday, Monday)

There is one slot open for a boys team and one slot open for a girls team. 

Each team is guaranteed two games.

For schools interested in filling the remaining slots contact Brookhaven girls head basketball coach Mack Gardner at 731-614-2075.

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

DeSoto senior Reed St. Columbia is the Week Seven Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The 6'3", 195 lb. tailback rushed for 219 yards and scored 3 touchdowns in the Thunderbird's 28-20 win over Kirk on Friday night.

St. Columbia has rushed for 625 yards along with 14 touchdowns for the Class A second ranked and undefeated Thunderbirds.

"Reed St. Columbia is an outstanding young man," said DeSoto head coach Bill Beck.  "He is a school leader, as well as, a gifted athlete.  Reed worked very hard in the off-season to increase his strength and speed.  He is versatile which allows us to do many things within our offense scheme.  He is a team leader who encourages those around him to maximize their potential."

St. Columbia will lead DeSoto this Friday night in a road match-up with Winona Christian.

Colonels pound Lee 

By Watson Cook 

Indianola hosted Lee Academy for homecoming on Friday night and had plenty to celebrate when the clock hit 0:00. Many were expecting a close ball game as IA came into the contest 6-0 and ranked #1 in AA while the Colts came in 5-1 and ranked #5 in AA. However, the Colonels were dominant from the opening kick and pounded the visitors from Clarksdale 35-7. Defensively, the Colonels were nearly flawless in the first half, not allowing Lee inside the IA 30. After forcing a three-and-out on the Colts' opening drive, the defense was put in a rough spot as Wheeler Timbs fumbled on the punt return and Lee recovered at the IA 32. However on the following play, Hunter Vance bailed out Timbs with an interception and returned it to the Lee 22. Four plays later, IA took the lead on Ashton Knight's 1-yard touchdown run. Tyler Hill added the PAT to put IA up 7-0 with 8:33 to play in the first quarter. After a Lee turnover on downs and an exchange of punts, the Colonels took over at their own 3 to open the second quarter. Timbs (pictured below, #22) capped an 11-play, 97-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown run on 4th and 5 to extend the Colonel lead to 14-0 (Hill PAT) with 7:18 to play in the quarter. IA took that lead into halftime. 

The Colonels started the third quarter with possession at their own 33 and continued to pound Lee with a strong running game. Timbs added his second touchdown of the night with a 14-yard run at the 6:03 mark to cap an 11-play, 67-yard drive. Hill's PAT was blocked and left IA with a 20-0 lead. Lee got on the board after a Timbs fumble inside the IA 10 on the Colonels next drive. The Colts recovered at the 9 and Scott Berry punched it in 3 plays later from 2 yards out. Hays Stubbs added the PAT to cut the IA lead to 20-7 with 1:55 to play in the third quarter. IA answered on their following drive. Staring at 3rd and 5 from the Lee 45, Jonathan Holland hooked up with a wide open Vance who took it down to the Colt 4. Knight provided the points on the following play with his second touchdown run of the night. Holland added the 2-point run to put the Colonels up 28-7 with 10:49 to play in the game. The Colts had an opportunity with 2:00 left to put more points on the board but Michael Sykes scooped up a fumble at the IA 15 and returned it 85 yards for the score to put an exclamation point on the homecoming celebration. Hill added the PAT to make it 35-7. With the win, the Colonels improved to 7-0 (3-0) for the first time since 1975. Next up is a trip to West Point where IA will take on 4-3 Oak Hill on Friday, October 11. Kickoff is set for 7:00.

Patriots put the brakes on Generals

Southern Sports & Travel

Parker Short’s 9 yard touchdown pass to wide-out Mark Thatcher with 4:07 remaining in regulation broke a 7-7 deadlock and propelled Heritage Academy a 14-7 upset win over third ranked and previously unbeaten Washington on Friday night in Columbus.

Heritage looked to have taken the lead on the previous play when quarterback Austin Fitch connected with Jace Caldwell from 4 yards out for a score but an illegal procedure infraction wiped away the touchdown setting up the ensuing halfback pass play call that paid dividends for the Patriots.

“That’s an inside the 20 play for us,” said Heritage head coach Barrett Donahoe. “We work on that a lot, the halfback pass. We’re trying to get the corner to come up and bite and get over the top. Mark did a great job of going up and catching the football for a touchdown.”

The win pushed Heritage’s season mark to 6-1 with a date at Pillow next on the schedule.

Heritage, the defending Class AAA Division II state champions, has won 11 of their last 12 games dating back to last season.

Washington got the started they wanted last night.

The Generals opened the game with a pooch kick that Bailey Black recovered at the Heritage 31 yard line but 8 plays later Washington would turn the football over when Hunter Anderson recovered a Walker Coleman fumble at the Patriot 5 yard line with 8:48 left in the opening quarter.

Washington scored the only points of the half in the second quarter.

The Generals put together a 10 play, 65 yard drive that culminated on Landon Zepponi’s 25 yard touchdown run off right tackle at the 8:21 mark of the quarter.

Ross Jernigan’s PAT gave Washington a 7-0 lead in a physical chess-match with Heritage.

Washington would dominate the second quarter by controlling the time of possession with just over 9 minutes and the General defense held Heritage to one first down but could not expand their lead before the close of the half.

Heritage grabbed momentum in the third quarter.

The Patriots would take advantage of an 11 yard Washington punt to the General 32 yard line with 3:26 to go in the quarter.

Austin Fitch’s scrambling completion to Walker Brown gave Heritage a 1^st and goal at the Washington 8 yard line and tailback Parker Short would cap the drive on the next play.

Graham McCain knotted the contest at 7-7 with the PAT with 2:13 remaining in the quarter.

Washington’s inability to crack the Heritage defense was never more evident than in the second half of the contest as the Generals would punt on five of their six possessions.

Heritage’s game winning drive would begin with 8:40 left in regulation.

Hunter Anderson’s 21 yard burst through the middle of the Washington defense on a 3^rd and 5 moved the football to the General 35 yard line.

Anderson added to that total with an 8 yard run to the 27 two plays later.

Following an offsides infraction on Washington, Anderson’s number was called again. This time the senior tailback responded with an 11 yard gain to the 11 yard line and another 6 yard gainer to the 5.

Facing a 3^rd and 3 at the Washington 4 yard line Austin Fitch appeared to have put Heritage in the lead when he connected with tailback Jace Caldwell in the endzone but an illegal procedure penalty nullified the score.

On the next play Parker Short would take a handoff from Fitch and hit wide-out Mark Thatcher in the corner of the endzone to give Heritage their first lead of the night.

Graham McCain’s PAT gave Heritage a 14-7 advantage with 4:07 remaining and Washington’s final possession of the night would end with a Jace Caldwell interception of Gore Pulliam’s pass at midfield with 1:16 left in the game.

Heritage ran out the clock to preserve the win.

Austin Fitch went 10/21 for 185 yards on the night with Hunter Anderson leading the Heritage ground attack with 43 yards.

Mark Thatcher (Right) had 2 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown while Logan Bell had 3 for 40 yards.

For Washington (4-1) Landon Zepponi rushed for 63 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown and Roman Fratesi added 32 yards on 9 carries.

Gore Pulliam went 10/20 for 92 yards.

Next up for Washington is MRA on the road.

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Post Game with Heritage Head Coach Barrett Donahoe

Reminder

Week seven of the 2013 MAIS football season is already here and critical matchups will be taking place over the next four weeks to determine district champions and seeding for the playoffs.

Please continue to report football scores to 985-750-3455 each Friday night. If texting is not your thing please call and leave a voice message. Friday nights are hectic so please be assured that if you leave a message it will be listened to promptly.

Join the Southern Sports & Travel FaceBook Scoreboard Page to post and view scores. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/282422635125055/

Rushing and touchdown leaderboards have been updated. If you don't see players from particular schools it is because they have chosen to not participate in providing stats each week. Numerous efforts have been made to a handful of schools regarding stats and recognition but they have been fruitless.

Also, if anyone has something of interest regarding MAIS athletics please email aafandaman@yahoo.com or call/text 985-750-3455.

Please pray for safe travels this weekend as many will be on the road attending sporting events and remember to buckle up.

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God is great............

1 Chronicles 29:12-13

Inspired Turner leads Warriors to win

By Chris Whitaker

Delta Democrat-Times

Deer Creek’s Chance Turner was an inspired man Friday night.

His grandfather was diagnosed in May with Stage 4 lung cancer and was admitted to the hospital Wednesday.

“My grandma texted me (Friday) night and told me he wanted me to finish the season out for him because he didn’t know if he’d be able to make it to anymore of my games, but he’d be with me every play,” said the senior running back and linebacker.

Turner played for his grandfather, who would have been a proud one if he was in attendance. Turner rushed for a career-high 207 yards and four touchdowns, and he made eight tackles and recovered a fumble on defense as Deer Creek was back to its Warrior ways in a 41-12 win against Claiborne (La.).

“It just made me want to play harder for him. He was a running back, too, when he was in high school,” Turner said. “The line was blocking good, and we changed the offense up a little bit and added some plays. We went to a spread, and it opened up everything because you don’t have so many people in the box like when we’re in the I (formation).”

The Warriors (3-3) scored 29 unanswered points after the Rebels tied the game on a 50-yard pass from Tyler Pitson to Brock Ayers in the second quarter. Chris Smith put the Warriors back on top for good with a 11-yard run as Deer Creek led 20-12 at the half.

Turner added touchdown runs of 4, 48 and 21 in the second half to go with his other 16-yard touchdown.

“He was rolling,” said DC coach Murry Rhodes. “It was just fun to watch. He was relentless. You thought he was stopped, but he kept running his feet and wouldn’t go down. He had an impressive night and much needed.”

Turner has been hampered with shoulder and knee problems all season. But he felt 100 percent for the first time this season on Friday.

The Warriors rushed for 384 yards. Hobie Hobart had 60 on 13 carries, and Chris Smith had 56 on four attempts. Hobart was 4 of 11 passing for 38 yards, with three of the passes going to Smith for 35 yards.

Hobart also had a 4-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for an early 6-0 lead.

Defensively, Stone Bennett had 13 tackles, and Grant Muncher added six. Claiborne had averaged 45.3 points in their three wins this year and three in its two losses.

“It was a great win for us,” Rhodes said. “I was really pleased how we fought back from last week’s loss. The defense was flying around, and they just played physical. We were able to cut off their outside runs really good.”

The Warriors host Greenville Christian this week, and Turner plans on carrying on for his grandfather the rest of the season.

“I know it means a lot to him,” Turner said. “I hope it goes like this the rest of the year. I hope we can go 5-0 and I can do the same thing every Friday night.”

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Photo by Carol Hunter

Week Six Recap

Cenla 28 River Oaks 24
Cenla Christian battled back from a 21-6 3rd quarter deficit to defeat River Oaks 28-24 in Monroe on Friday night. The win was the first ever over River Oaks.
Wide-out Kylnd Joiner had 3 receptions for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns and had a 3rd quarter 78 yard pick six on defense that sparked the Cenla comeback.
Dez Eddie rushed for 76 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown and quarterback Peyton Gauthier threw 2 touchdown passes as Cenla improved to 3-3 on the year.
Cenla travels to Claiborne on Friday in a District 5-A battle while River Oaks (3-3) looks to rebound when they host Central Hinds. 
Parklane 28 Oak Forest 20

Brady Lea rushed for 225 yards and passed for 99 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead Parklane to a 28-20 home win over Oak Forest.

Carr Young had 3 receptions for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns and passed for another and Jack Dumas caught 4 for 39 yards and 2 scores to contribute in the win.

Walt Aldridge led the Pioneer defense with 7-1/2 tackles.

Parklane improves to 4-2 and will host Presbyterian this Friday while Oak Forest falls to 3-3 and entertains Copiah in Amite.

Benton 44 Central Holmes 0

Fourth ranked Benton upped their season mark to 5-1 with a 44-0 road win over Central Holmes.

Tailback Kent Manor rambled for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns and Ben Street added 78 yards and a touchdown.

Kendell Prescott led the Raider defense to their third straight shutout with 5 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.

Benton heads to Heidelberg on Friday in a critical District 3-A matchup while Central Holmes (0-6) goes to Newton.

Porter’s Chapel 34 Russell Christian 20

Jonah Masterson passed for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead Porter’s Chapel to  34-20 win at Russell Christian.  Masterson went 17/30 on the night.

Tailback Arrion Galloway rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries and 2 touchdowns and had 4 receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.

Arnaches Turner had 7 receptions for 140 yards and a score as Porter’s Chapel evened their season record at 3-3.

Next up for the Eagles is Riverfield.

North Delta 29 SBEC 19

Quarterback Hays Hudson went 6/12 for 167 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another to lead North Delta to a one point road win.

Hunter Baker was the leading rusher for the Green Waves with 52 yards on 6 carries.

Sam Copeland had 2 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Beard caught 2 balls for 73 yards on the night.

North Delta (4-2) hosts Class A third ranked Marshall on Friday night.

Tri-County 21 Central Hinds 14

Ryan Cothern rushed for 206 yards on 26 carries and 2 touchdowns and quarterback Trey Bozeman passed for a score as Tri-County improved to 5-1 with a 21-14 win over Central Hinds in Flora on Friday night.

Brian King led Central Hinds (4-2) with 210 yards on 27 carries and 2 touchdowns.

Tri-County will host Canton next while Central Hinds travels to River Oaks.

Marshall 48 Fayette 0

Dakota Dailey passed for 3 touchdowns and rushed for another as Class A third ranked Marshall hammered Fayette 48-0 on the road Friday night.

Devin McGregor matched Dailey with 4 touchdowns as the junior rushed for 110 yards on 7 carries and 3 touchdowns and caught another to help Marshall improve to 5-1 on the year.

Melvin Harris led the Patriot defense with 10 tackles and 1-1/2 sacks.

The Patriots travel to Batesville on Friday to tackle North Delta.

Heritage 23 Oak Hill 14

Hunter Anderson and Parker Short combined for 216 rushing yards to propel Heritage to a 23-14 win over Oak Hill in Columbus on Friday.

Anderson rushed for 125 yards on 13 carries and Short added 91 yards on 13 carries as Heritage improved to 5-1.

Quarterback Austin Fitch went 12/21 for 155 yards on the night.

Logan Bell had 7 receptions for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Heritage held Oak Hill to 60 yards on the ground.

The Patriots host third ranked Washington this Friday.

Oak Hill travels to Manchester.

Brookhaven 28 East Rankin 23

Heath Hickman went 13/17 for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Brookhaven to a 28-23 home win over East Rankin.

Jacob Thurman led all receivers with 105 yards on 5 receptions and a touchdown and Conner Dorman led the Cougar ground game with 71 yards on 13 carries.

Ethan Harris led the Brookhaven defense with 7-1/2 tackles and a forced fumble.

Brookhaven improved to 3-3 and will host second ranked Simpson next while East Rankin falls to 0-5 and entertains Jackson Prep.

Centreville 24 Silliman 21

Casey Haygood passed for 221 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another as Class AA top ranked Centreville edged Silliman 24-21 in a huge District 6-AA matchup on Friday.

Tyler Caston had 4 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown and tailback John Malcolm McDowell rushed for 74 yards and a score as Centreville improved to 5-1 on the season.

Todd Micah Bourgeois led Silliman (3-3) with 122 yards on 13 carries and 2 touchdowns.

Centreville travels to Bowling Green this week while Silliman hosts Central Private.

Trinity 55 Bowling Green 0

The Trinity Episcopal Saints traveled to Franklinton to play  Bowling Green  and won 55-0 in another game in which most of the 2nd half was played with a running clock.

Jacob Sandrock scored the 1st touchdown of the evening on a 46 yard pass from Michael Whitley.  Then Dre McCoy caught a 51 yard pass from Whitley, but both runs for 2 points failed.

Sandrock scored again on a 28 yard pass from Whitley and Whitley ran in for 2.  

In the 2nd quarter, Trey Hall scored on a 52 yard pass play from Whitley, and again the run failed.  Dre Mccoy caught a 17 yard pass from Whitley and Sandrock caught a pass from Whitley for 2 extra points.  

In the 3rd quarter, Quinton Logan caught a 3 yard pass from Whitley and Dee Fleming ran in for 2.  

For the 4th quarter, Steward Malory scored on a 2 yard run and Sandrock kicked the extra point.  

Wyatt Boothe finished TE scoring with a 7 yard run and the kick failed.

Whitley completed 16 or 20 pass attempts with 1 interception, for 328 yards and 6 touchdowns.  

Trey Hall had 4 receptions for 90 yards and 1 touchdown.

Sandrock caught 5 passes for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, Dre McCoy had 3 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown and Quinton Logan had 4 catches for 41 yards and a score.  

Dee Fleming was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 111 yards.  Trey Hall had 4 carries for 20 yards. 

Whitley also intercepted a pass, and Caleb Cross had one interception which he returned for 19 yards.  

Cross and JoJo Vinson also each recovered one Bucaneer fumble.  

Trinity (6-0) travels to WCCA next while Bowling Green (2-4) hosts Centreville.

Starkville 14 Winston 0

Starkville improved to 3-3 with a 14-0 shutout of Winston on Friday night in Starkville.

The Vols piled up 243 yards on the ground, led by Grant Wolfe’s 141 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.

Noah Heflin added 84 yards on 14 carries and a score.

Next up for Starkville is a home date with MRA.

Winston (1-5) heads to Madden to take on a red hot Leake squad.

Lamar 48 Copiah 6

Lamar improved to 5-1 with a 48-6 blowout of Copiah in Gallman on Friday.

Quarterback Davis Harrison passed for 219 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for another and Lee Martin had 2 receptions for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead the Raiders.

Jon Young led the Lamar defense with 10 tackles and a sack and Danny Weisner picked off 2 Copiah passes, one for a touchdown, and had a sack on the night.

Lamar hosts Columbia on Friday while Copiah (1-5) heads to Oak Forest.

Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week

Michael Whitley of Trinity Episcopal is the Week Six Gateway Tire & Service Center Player of the Week.

The 5'11", 185 lb. senior quarterback led Class A number one ranked Trinity to a 55-0 road win over Bowling Green this past Friday night by going 16/20 for 328 yards and 6 touchdowns.

"Michael really is the centerpiece of our offense," said Trinity head coach Josh Loy. "We wouldn't be able to do the things we have done so far this season on offense without Michael and his tremendous leadership. His calm presence in our huddle, his play on the field and the way he conducts himself off the field is what every coach wants in their quarterback. He continues to be one of our hardest workers and deserves all the success and accolades he receives. Two things that make him so special is he never lets a bad or a good play change his focus, and when something breaks down he has a knack for making something special happen with his arm or his legs. I am honored to coach him and extremely proud of Michael. I truly believe his best football is ahead of him."

Whitley will lead undefeated Trinity this Friday night in a District 4-A matchup at WCCA.

Leake muscles past Canton in district battle

Southern Sports & Travel

Only one week removed from upsetting Tri-County to halt the state’s longest win streak at 31 games, the  sixth ranked Leake Rebels wrapped up a brutal three game road swing on Friday night with a 21-3 win over fifth ranked Canton.

Leake rolled up 227 rushing yards and scored 21 unanswered points in defeating Canton to improve to 4-2 overall and sit alone at 3-0 in District 2-AA play.

After forcing the Canton offense into a quick three and out on the opening possession of the night Leake went right to work as the Rebels powered their way to the Canton 39 yard line but the drive would end when Canton linebacker Tanner Tate recovered a Taylor Nazary fumble at the Panther 30 yard line at the 7:12 mark of the quarter.

Canton capitalized on the turnover and took a 3-0 lead on Dominic Sanderson’s 32 yard field goal with 3:48 left in the opening quarter of play.

Leake responded with a grinding 17 play, 80 yard drive that chewed up 8:58 off the clock and included two 4^th down conversions.

Chris Pippin’s 11 yard burst up the middle to the Canton 11 yard line preserved the Rebel drive and four plays later, facing a 4^th and 3 from the Panther 4 yard line, quarterback Alex Shepard found Drew McMillan in the endzone for a 4 yard touchdown pass to give Leake their first lead of the night.

John Forrest Sisson’s PAT gave Leake a 7-3 lead with 6:43 remaining in the half.

Canton managed just 4 yards on the ensuing possession and it would prove costly.

Kraft McLean’s 31 yard punt gave Leake advantageous field position at the Rebel 43 yard line with 4:24 remaining in the half.

Leake powered their way to the Canton 24 yard line on seven consecutive run plays and then Alex Shepard hooked up with Chris Pippin for a 21 yard pass and catch to the Panther 3.

Three plays later Shepard’s bootleg left capped the 11 play, 54 yard drive with 10 seconds remaining in the half.

Sisson’s PAT extended Leake’s advantage to 14-3.

Leake threatened to blow the game open to start the second half.

Taylor Nazary returned the second half opening kick-off 88 yards before getting hauled down at the Canton 7 yard line but the Rebels couldn’t cash in on the opportunity as John Forrest Sisson’s 20 yard field goal attempt went wide right four plays later.

With 7:08 remaining in the third quarter Canton produced their most serious scoring threat of the night.

Following Cedric Clanton’s 31 yard punt return to the Leake 42 yard line the Panthers moved 8 plays to the Rebel 10 yard line.

Houston Persac hit tight-end Cole Goza for a quick 6 yards to the Leake 4 but on the following play Persac’s pass would be intercepted by John Forrest Sisson in the endzone to squelch the drive with 1:22 left in the third quarter.

Canton would pin Leake deep into their own territory with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.

Kraft McLean’s 56 yard punt would roll dead at the Rebel 3 yard line but Leake was about to salt away the game with a 13 play, 97 yard drive in which five different Rebels carried the football.

Junior quarterback Alex Shepard sealed the win with a 13 yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining and a John Forrest Sisson PAT capped the scoring and gave Leake a 21-3 win at Canton.

“I’m very proud of my crew,” said Leake head coach Brian Pickens. “We knew it was going to be a physical game.”

Senior tailback Taylor Nazary (Right) led the Leake ground game with 102 yards on 20 carries and John Forrest Sisson picked up 59 yards on 14 carries.

Chris Pippin rushed for 41 yards and had a 21 yard reception.

Thomas Nazary had 2 receptions for 52 yards and Drew McMillan had 2 catches for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Alex Shepard, starting in just his third game at quarterback, went 5/9 for 101 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 24 yards and 2 scores.

The Leake defense has faced three of the top rushers in Class AA over the past three weeks.

The Rebels held Simpson’s Daniel Taylor to 110 yards two weeks ago, Tri-County’s Ryan Cothern to 78 yards last week and contained Canton tailback Lafayette Wales to 93 yards on 15 carries last night.

Leake will return home next Friday night to host Winston while Canton (4-2 & 0-1) travels to Flora to take on Tri-County.

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Post Game with Leake Head Coach Brian Pickens

Wildcats picking up steam

The fourth ranked Silliman Wildcats scored touchdowns on their first two possessions of the 1^st quarter to take a 14-0 lead and never looked back in their 33-6 defeat of 6AA opponent Bowling Green.   

The Wildcats first drive was highlighted by a Zach Kelly to Marquel Smith 46 yard pass and Kelly ran it in from the 7 a few plays later.   

Senior fullback Marquel Smith finished with night with 4 carries for 40 yards (2 tds) and 1 reception for 46 yards.   Senior tailback Todd Micah Bourgeois was the workhorse of the night getting 16 carries for 90 yards (1 td).   

Sophomore quarterback Zach Kelly finish with 139 yards passing (7/14) and 30 yards rushing (2 tds).   

The Wildcats Gang Green Defense lead by seniors Collen McDowell & John Gill and juniors Jozie Milton,  Jordan Talley & Darian Tunstel has now gone 9 quarters without giving up a touchdown. 

The Wildcats travel to #1 ranked Centreville for a game that will surely decide the 6AA Championship Friday night.