Almost all prep football coaches enjoy practicing on Thanksgiving Day.
School isn’t in session, so it usually involves a workout in the crisp, early morning air. After a couple of hours of work, teams usually will break and share a Thanksgiving meal. Booster clubs have been known to buy large numbers of turkeys to make the day complete.
The most important thing about practicing on Thanksgiving Day is it means your team is on the doorstep of playing for a state championship.
With three weeks left in the playoffs, plans already are being made for Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) state championship weekend Dec. 2-3 at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville.
From a local standpoint, our state championship hopes reside with Noxubee County in Class 4A and West Point in Class 5A.
With both teams trying to earn a chance to practice on Thanksgiving Day, here is what we are watching for in Week No. 14:
Green Wave or Chargers
Can West Point beat Oxford a second time this season?
West Point senior wide receiver Demarrio Edwards was doing some foreshadowing when West Point beat Oxford 22-8 on Sept. 23 at West Point.
Edwards said the win was important for West Point because it showed it could finally beat Oxford. Edwards also said he knew the teams would play again in the playoffs, so the confidence the Green Wave gained would be crucial to help them do it again.
When West Point won the Class 5A, Region 1 opener, it halted a five-game winning streak by Oxford in the series. Oxford won the 2013 regular-season meeting and beat West Point in the regular season and postseason in 2014 and 2015.
On Friday, the teams will meet again in Oxford in the second round of this season’s Class 5A playoffs.
Against Oxford, the hurdle was as much mental as it was physical for West Point. The Green Wave had stretches of solid play against the Chargers, but Oxford’s depth and experience won out.
Things have changed this season. Oxford has been rebuilding and breaking in a new coach, while West Point relied on the experience of its juniors and seniors to win 10-straight games. After losing to Starkville in the second game of the season, West Point has been untouched.
West Point last won a region title in 2012. The Green Wave did it this season with relative ease. West Point opened the Oxford win and followed that up with six more region victories. A 20-17 win at Clarksdale was the only region game decided by one score. In that one, West Point held a 10-point lead in the final minute before giving up a late score.
Marcus Murphy has continued to progress and remains a focal point of the offense. However, the Green Wave have gotten things going in the passing game with senior transfer Clayton Knight leading the way.
The defense has been under-valued all year. Junior Antrayvious Brownlee and senior Terence Cherry lead a unit that should be even better next year.
At 8-4, Oxford might have overachieved to be in this spot. The Chargers will play with nothing to lose.
West Point will have to play its best game to keep its hopes for its first state title since 2010 alive.
Tigers or Warriors
Can Noxubee County make it 13 straight wins in the postseason?
There is little doubt Noxubee County will have to earn its third-straight Class 4A state championship.
On Friday, Noxubee County (9-4) will play at Pontotoc (12-1) in the third round of the playoffs. The winner of the game between Amory (11-2) and Lafayette (10-2) will be the opponent for the North State championship.
Noxubee County defeated St. Stanislaus in each of the last two state championship games. We know that rematch won’t happen after Mendenhall upset St. Stanislaus last week.
Noxubee County would like to hold up its end of the deal and get a chance to play for a record third-straight tile. It has won 12-straight games in the Class 4A playoffs dating back to a third-round loss to Lafayette in 2013.
With seven-straight wins, the Tigers are peaking at the right time. Sophomore quarterback Maliek Stallings has made great strides and has thrown for 2,342 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Tigers have struggled to run the ball consistently. However, Kyziah Pruitt and Kymbotric Mason have proven to be two of the most valuable receivers in Class 4A.
For Noxubee County, the struggle has been on defense. The Tigers have given up chunks of yardage and big plays throughout the season. If you rely on the pass and the passing game has a bad night, the defense will need to pick up the slack.
Noxubee County is averaging 30 points per game, which is a nice number until you see Pontotoc is averaging 41 points per game.
This game could be a shootout. If it comes to matching scores, Noxubee County needs to have a flashback to the defenses of old to have a chance.
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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