Columbus, Starkville look for fast starts in region openers

Well friends, we are here. Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) region play begins Friday for Class 6A football teams. We will know in the next seven weeks if Columbus will make consecutive playoff appearances and if Starkville will return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

Slimantics: MSU's latest success looks familiar

This is beginning to look familiar, isn't it? The Mississippi State football team flipped the script again against LSU and suddenly a team nobody thought very much of seems to have no limitations.

Columbus looking for victory in home opener

The Columbus High School football team will play host to Vicksburg in a big game Friday night. It won't be a win-or-go-home scenario like in the playoffs. It isn't a region game, either, so the result likely won't impact either team's bid to make the playoffs.

Renewal of Columbus-Starkville rivalry good for both sides

The on-again, off-again rivalry will be on again Friday night when the Columbus High School football team takes on Starkville at 7 p.m. Friday. The teams have had a hard time finding a spot for each other on their schedules when they're not playing a region game. However, common sense has prevailed and the teams will renew a rivalry that saw Starkville win 35-13 in 2013 and 43-0 in 2014. Those games were played as rivals in Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 2.

West Point flying high at 3-0

The quest for a repeat state championship is a fascinating challenge. Whether the school is a traditional power or a newcomer to championship honors, it seems like each one takes a different path when trying to win a second-straight state championship.

Simmons in middle of MSU's dominating defensive day

It would be premature to say the Mississippi State football team will have a dominant defense this season based on its performance Saturday in a season-opening 49-0 victory against Charleston Southern, a Football Championship Subdivision team that was playing out of its league.

Walters column: Dominant victory over Columbus pleases Noxubee County's Shorter

Seconds after Noxubee County knocked off Columbus 34-9 Friday night in Macon, Noxubee County head coach Tyrone Shorter uttered the phrase the rest of Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 4A doesn't want to hear.

Stephens, No. 2 EMCC face big season

The East Mississippi Community College football team's season opener against Jones County Junior College on Thursday night will kick off arguably the program's biggest season.

Walters column: Area teams make statements in opening week

Typically, the first week of the regular season is not full of a lot of quality matchups.

A son's actions make his father proud

Phil Atkins couldn't have been prouder. Seeing your son accomplish a first is one thing, but watching him handle the moment with the class and dignity of a sportsman is another.

First games will answer questions about prep teams

We have finally arrived at the opening weekend for football teams in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS).

Walters column: Celebrating six years with The Dispatch

As this newspaper hits your yard or perhaps is pulled from a rack, it's time to celebrate another milestone.

West Point shows it's ready to go

While it does little good to overanalyze last weekend's play at the New Hope Jamboree, the good news is the prep football season is here.

Behind scenes work helps New Hope Jamboree grow into state's best preseason event

STARKVILLE Aimee Bradley stopped to do an interview discussing the New Hope Jamboree. The eight-game high school football preseason event was held Friday and Saturday at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium. Bradley, the New Hope High School booster club vice president, has helped oversee the event the last five years.

Walters column: Prep Football Questions - Week 5

Well, we have finally arrived at game week, sort of.

Walters column: Prep schedule full of great games

Game week has finally arrived with practice games set for both the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) this weekend.

Walters column: Prep Football Questions - Week 4

By now, you know what we do on Wednesdays. Let's get it.

MSU women's basketball team's historic victory whets appetite for more

The Mississippi State women's basketball team is still the national runner-up. Pinch yourself MSU fans if you thought the last month of the 2016-17 season was a dream. Don't worry, it wasn't. A lot of the memories from MSU's run through the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in Oklahoma City and its victory against four-time reigning national champion Connecticut have come back into focus this month after MSU won the Best Upset ESPY for its 66-64 overtime victory against UConn in the national semifinals.

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