Well we officially start the second half of the prep football season Friday night.
It does not seem possible but we have gone from two-a-days to the official stretch run of the 2018 season.
When Friday night’s finals are posted, virtually all teams will have begun the region part of their schedule.
With that in mind, we can now seriously discuss the playoff picture. Each game means more and the countdown to state championship weekend is taking place at a frightening speed.
Today, we look at the four biggest games remaining on this season’s schedule:
Noxubee County at Louisville (October 5)
With the retirement of Louisville coach MC Miller at season’s end, we are faced with the sad development that this could be the final installment of the “Toothpick bowl.”
If nothing else, the teams won’t meet more than twice more, with a rematch in the MHSAA Class 4A North State title game entirely possible.
While Noxubee County has held the upper hand in the series between currnet coach Tyrone Shorter and his former boss Miller, the contests have frequently come down to late in the fourth quarter.
Louisville is 5-1 and has looked dominant on several occasions. The lone loss was a 26-10 setback at West Point.
On the other hand, Noxubee County is 2-4. The Tigers have again played one of the state’s most challenging schedules and have been hard-pressed to compete due to a long list of injuries.
Still, don’t worry about Noxubee County. Shorter has had 2-4 teams come back to win state championships.
We are all aware of the Noxubee County region winning streak. The Tigers have won 30 straight region games dating back to the 2011 season.
This will be a fun matchup. Hopefully, we see it twice.
Starkville at Madison Central (October 12)
While top-ranked Starkville (5-0) could have its hands full with Friday night’s Class 6A, Region 2 opener at Northwest Rankin, most thoughts are on this matchup.
Madison Central has a tradition-rich program, while Northwest Rankin is enjoying newfound success. Both teams are 4-1 overall and 1-0 in region play.
The Starkville-Madison Central game has also provided drama on more than one occasion.
Still, Starkville looks well-rested and up for this challenge. The Yellow Jackets have blitzed five opponents so far and there does not seem to be a letdown in sight.
A year ago, Starkville was rolling through the region until a slip-up at Warren Central.
With that in mind, it’s a safe bet Starkville will dominate region play from start to finish this go-around.
West Point at Olive Branch (October 12)
While most people hyped West Point versus Olive Branch a year ago, it turns out both matchups (regular season and postseason) were nothing to write home about.
Olive Branch only lost two games last season. However, the two losses were to West Point by a combined 77 points.
This season, Olive Branch is 5-0, while West Point is 4-1 (lone loss coming to Starkville).
Olive Branch has allowed 49 points this season, while West Point has allowed 52 points.
In its region opener, West Point rode a stellar defensive performance to a 14-13 home win over Lafayette.
Speaking of region win streaks, that makes 21 straight for West Point in that category.
This contest should be more tightly-contested than last season’s pair of games. However, meeting twice again is likely.
Heritage Academy at Starkville Academy (October 12)
Alright, almost ready to guarantee this contest will deliver.
The MAIS Class AAA, District 1 title will most likely be on the line when this rivalry is played at J.E. Logan Field.
A year ago, Starkville Academy used a 17-14 victory in Columbus to propel itself to a high seed in the MAIS playoff bracket and the eventual state championship.
This season, Starkville Academy is 6-0, while Heritage Academy is 4-2. While the Patriots have lost to Lamar School and Pillow Academy, writing them off at this stage would be foolish.
Both of these teams are alike in a lot of ways. Both have depth, lots of juniors and offenses that can score points in bunches.
While the Starkville Academy defense has set the tone statewide this season, any team can have a good or bad night, especially in a rivalry setting.
Marquee football matchups? Why yes, let’s have some.
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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