Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters will look at five prep football questions each Wednesday between now and Aug. 17, 2018, as we count down to the start of the prep football season.
Well the calendar has now hit August.
That means cooler weather will eventually be upon us. It also means football season is officially here.
The National Football League takes center stage with the first exhibition of the year Thursday night.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) will crank up with jamborees next weekend.
Eventually the back-to-school sales will be replaced by Christmas decorations. And yes, the weather will finally be cooler by then.
In the meanwhile, players and coaches are talking about practice.
And in this column, we are — as usual — answering questions.
1. How is the morale at Columbus?
The attitude is much better than one might imagine in the land of the Falcons.
A year ago, Columbus lost its final six games. However, the team had some critical season-ending injuries. Hopefully, this season will not have a similar finish.
First-year coach Eric Rice is installing a new offensive and defensive system. Rice was there for spring ball, so at least the current squad had a jump start on learning what they will be trying to do this fall.
Columbus will again open with the brutal stretch of West Point, Noxubee County and Starkville. Couple that with being in a new system on both sides of the ball and the early-season could be a struggle.
Once region play begins, the Falcons will have a chance to contend. The important thing will be remembering its a new season even if August is not kind.
2. Which opposing player do you most look forward to seeing?
Believe it or not, Horn Lake is the favorite in the MHSAA Class 6A, Region 1 race. Yes, this is the region of Tupelo and South Panola.
A large reason for that preseason expectation is senior running back Tyler Grim. Grim ran for 1,689 yards and 20 touchdowns a season ago.
Grim does not look imposing at 5-foot-10, 195-pounds. However, he has the heart of a champion. He also is pretty fast.
Due to an injury in the backfield, Grim drew his first start his sophomore year against Columbus. Grim ran for 285 yards in that contest and then added 250 more yards in last season’s rout of the Falcons.
It has been a pleasure watching this young man ball, even though the Falcons’ coaches may not agree.
As has been covered previously in this space, the main reason to attend a Horn Lake football game used to be the hot dogs. Grim and his teammates have slowly changed that.
3. Do we have any feel-good stories this season?
Why yes, how about the return of varsity football at Hebron Christian.
Coach David Foster was heart-broken when the Eagles did not have enough players to field a varsity eight-man team,
Area fans know Hebron has traditionally boasted one of the area’s most-competitive programs. As recently as three years ago, the Eagles dressed 24 players.
Well instead of watching the program go away, Foster did field a junior varsity team last season. Now, a big ninth-grade and tenth-grade class will combine to help send Hebron Christian back into varsity competition.
The MAIS does a great thing by allowing their smaller member schools to play eight-man football.
It will be great to see Hebron Christian back in that mix again this season.
4. How big will the West Point win streak grow?
Goodness, it’s a math question.
The 2018 Green Wave will begin the season on a 28-game winning streak.
West Point has won back-to-back MHSAA Class 5A state championships. The team has not lost since a 28-6 setback at Starkville on Sept. 2, 2016.
Not only has West Point not lost, very few games have been in doubt in the fourth quarter. Even traditional nemesis like Louisville, Columbus and Noxubee County have been put away early.
Finishing an undefeated season has always been one of the greatest challenges in sports. However, Marcus Murphy’s crew made it look easy last season.
Starkville will be looking for payback when this rivalry is renewed Aug. 31 at Starkville.
If West Point can manage the upset on this night, the win streak could easily extend into 2019.
5. How much fun is it to tweet during a game?
Quite honestly, not much.
Fortunately 280 characters does mean you can share more of the play-by-play on social media’s most intriguing platform.
It’s always a challenge to spell player names and team names on the fly. However, somehow or another, it works out each and every Friday.
Retweets and likes warm the heart.
Mix in radio broadcasting, stat keeping and tweeting … now that’s where the real challenge lies.
Scott Walters is a sports reporter for the Commercial Dispatch. He may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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