Plenty of big region matchups set for Friday

The anticipation has been building for Friday night's Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 1 showdown between third-ranked Tupelo and Columbus. Columbus opened the season with some of the highest expectations in program history. At the midway mark of the schedule, the Falcons are at 3-2. Columbus easily could be 5-0. Its losses were to Noxubee County and West Point by a combined five points. Tupelo is undefeated and will provide Columbus one of its biggest challenges to date. Columbus is 3-0 on the road and 0-2 at home this season. While this is one the state's marquee matchups, there will be several other good games Friday night.

Big region games on deck for locals

One doesn't need a calendar to know how important the prep football games are this weekend. When the temperatures start dropping, it's a safe bet that region play has begun. The quest for playoff berths heats up as the weather cools down. We are barreling toward October with several teams having a lot on the table. Let's look at the worksheet on some of our playoff hopefuls:

Non-conference schedule has right mix for MSU women

Gas up the recreational vehicle. Check to see which credit card is giving out free airline miles and sign up. If you already have one of those credit cards, get ready to accumulate some frequent flier miles into free tickets. You better be ready because those are some of the things you're going to have to do in November and December if you want to see the Mississippi State women's basketball team.

Top area teams open region play Friday

This is a big week. Columbus, Starkville, New Hope, and West Point begin Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) region play Friday night. Those four teams are 11-5 as the curtain goes up on the most important part of the season.

Walters column: Columbus looks to take flight in region play

For the Columbus High School football team, the crossroads of the season have now been reached.

Noxubee County-West Point matchup highlights prep football slate

Another excellent week of prep football action is on tap throughout the Golden Triangle area. Noxubee County-West Point, Starkville-Meridian, and New Hope-Caledonia make for some outstanding matchups as teams are beginning to wind down their respective non-region schedules.

MSU offers signs of how good it can be

STARKVILLE Raise you hand if you saw this coming. Two games into the 2016 football season, it's still hard to know what to make of the Mississippi State football team. For now, the Bulldogs reside in that murky zone between awful and awesome. Most likely, Bulldog fans are fine with that uncertainty.

Walters column: What To Watch For - Week 4

We reach the official one-third mark of the prep football season this week.

Walters column: EMCC football season begins for real Thursday night

The East Mississippi Community College football program has finally paid the bill in full.

Rivalry games highlight Week 3 of prep football slate

Rivalry weekend has arrived on the prep football scene. As senior college football finally gets ready to join the fray this weekend, we find Week 3 of the prep football regular season littered with good games.

Walters column: Rivalry games highlight third week of prep season

My goodness, with barely enough time to recover from Noxubee County's thrilling 24-23 win at Columbus Friday night, we now turn the page and look to the third week of the prep football season.

Top teams face off in Week 2

A rather uneventful first week of the prep football season is in the books. On a statewide level, there weren't that many marquee matchups. However, it was good to have touchdowns, heat timeouts, and concession stand hot dogs again. Things change with the second week of the season where there are some really good matchups, including two top-10 showdowns: Starkville at Oxford and Noxubee County at Columbus.

Walters column: EMCC on path for national championship

We are eight days away from normalcy for the East Mississippi Community College football program.

Enticing prep football matchups await Friday

We have finally made it. When the sun sets, the prep football regular season will have started in the state of Mississippi. The opening weeks always provide intriguing matchups. The area is full of title contenders this season, so the run to championship weekend should be fun. Here is what we are watching for in Week One:

Walters column: Closing the door on the prep football preseason

After getting a tease this past weekend, the prep football season is really here.

Local teams have goals set for December

Noxubee County High School football coach Tyrone Shorter hasn't won three Mississippi High School Activities Association state championships by taking short cuts. When his team is down, Shorter finds a way to lift it up. When his players are up, Shorter reminds them nothing has been accomplished and that they are capable of much more.

West Point primed to get back on title road

When asked about his team's offensive game plan for this season, West Point High School junior Marcus Murphy thought about the question, smiled broadly, and said, "We might just be 50-50 this year. Let me emphasize might." Times are different for the West Point football program. The Green Wave began practice Monday, and will enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A State title.

Walters column: Finishing off another set of prep football questions

Teams are now gathering for photo shoots.

Walters column: Answering more prep football questions

Well, it is that time of year.

Plenty of questions loom for start of prep football season

As we look toward the end of July, it is time to think about back to school sales and the return of the prep football season. Once again, the Mississippi High School Activities Association and Mississippi Association of Independent Schools feel the need to start the football season with jamboree games on the weekend of Aug. 12-13. Hopefully, we will soon skip the summer and start the season in late June. That being said, players have been hitting the weight room hard and it is time for coaches to put their practice plans together for their two-a-day workouts.

2016 High School Football Preview

2016 College Football Preview

2016 Dining Guide