Friday night sends us past the one-third mark of the prep football season and close to the midway mark.
Region play already has begun for Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 1A schools, while Classes 5A and 6A will join next week. The following weeks, Classes 2A through 4A will swing into region action.
In the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), district games are sprinkled throughout the season. However, the races will pick up full steam as we count down toward October.
Here are some early season story lines:
1. Starkville starts season strong.
With so many new faces, it was going to be interesting to see what type of season Starkville could put together after winning the MHSAA Class 6A title a year ago.
So far, so good.
Starkville has beaten Noxubee County, West Point, and Oxford. Only the Noxubee County game was decided in the final quarter.
The Yellow Jackets went looking for a quarterback. They found sophomore Malik Brown.
Starkville also needed playmakers alongside Willie Gay on defense. They have also found those.
Class 6A, Region 2 appears to be on the upswing this season. However, if you look at scores from around the region, Starkville should place in the top two with Clinton.
We already know Starkville has a state championship coaching staff. Perhaps, the players can follow suit.
2. Kendre Conner is back.
It is really hard to get a good read on the Columbus Falcons through four games.
At 2-2, Columbus has defeated Kemper County and New Hope and lost in heart-breaking fashion to Noxubee County and West Point.
In the last two games, Columbus has racked up 589 rushing yards. That is good considering the offensive line had question marks before the season.
The biggest story has been the return of senior running back Kendre Conner (team-best 367 rushing yards). Conner was slowed by a nagging ankle injury a year ago.
You can tell the time Conner spent in the offseason in the weight room has paid off. He might have the best leg strength in all of Class 6A.
If the line continues to improve and Kylin Hill continues to be Kylin Hill, Conner could emerge as the ultimate under-the-radar hero for this team.
3. Noxubee County is ahead of schedule.
Noxubee County is 2-2. That isn’t a record indicative of a great team. However, coach Tyrone Shorter is still smiling.
Noxubee County is again playing the state’s most difficult schedule. This year, Shorter and the Tigers are doing it with a lot of young pups and players who are trying to prove they can play at the next level.
In a narrow win at Columbus and a dominating home victory against Forest, Noxubee County has shown it has everything it takes to win a third-straight MHSAA Class 4A title.
Maliek Stallings is maturing at quarterback. Kymbotric Mason is getting help from other receivers.
Kyziah Pruitt and Kalmorris Robinson lead what will be the best defense in Class 4A.
People are raving about the young talent at Starkville, but don’t sleep on Noxubee County’s sophomore class, either.
4. Starkville Academy and Heritage Academy should be fun.
The winner of the Starkville Academy-Heritage Academy game Sept. 23 at J.E. Logan Field will have the inside track for a MAIS Class AAA, District 2 title.
Both teams are off to 3-1 starts. Starkville Academy is breaking in a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball, while a more-experienced Heritage Academy squad is breaking in a new head coach.
The offensive numbers by both teams have been surprising, which suggests a head-to-head battle could be a high-scoring affair.
Regardless of which team wins, both should advance to the playoffs. By the time we get there, both teams will be more seasoned and have a firmer grasp of what they are trying to do.
5. Some teams need a hug.
While we have some really strong playoff contenders (for example, a 3-1 West Lowndes squad), other teams need a lift. Aberdeen has won one game after winning 11 a season ago. Hamilton remains injury-riddled and winless.
In the academy ranks, Columbus Christian is also looking to shake off key injuries. Our local eight-man teams, Central Academy and Hebron Christian, have one win between them.
The good news is the season hasn’t reached the halfway mark. Two weeks of strong play can get everything headed in the right direction.
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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