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:
n Columbus (3-2, 1-0 Class 6A, Region 1): It appears Randal Montgomery’s squad will face its biggest challenge of the season Friday night when third-ranked Tupelo (5-0, 1-0) comes to Falcon Field.
Columbus sent shock waves through the region last week when it collected 791 yards of offense in a 59-13 victory against DeSoto Central. Columbus scored on seven straight first-half possessions to build a 49-13 halftime lead.
It was a far cry from last season when Columbus needed a Chris Taylor field goal in the fourth quarter to escape with a 23-21 victory.
Coach Trent Hammond’s Tupelo team owns wins against preseason No. 1 Brandon and a 31-0 pasting of previously undefeated Hernando to start region play.
Columbus should be able to take care of the rest of its region opponents. One of the other biggest questions likely will be the game against South Panola (2-4) on Oct. 28 in Columbus. However, a
victory Friday night would give the Falcons some breathing room and send notice to the rest of the state the team is for real.
n Starkville (4-1, 1-0 Class 6A, Region 2): Coach Ricky Woods’ second team bounced back from a disappointing performance at Meridian to rout Callaway 30-6 in the region opener.
Starkville will look for its second-straight victory with a road trip to Northwest Rankin (4-2, 0-1). The Yellow Jackets haven’t lost a region game since 2013.
In the preseason, it appeared Class 6A, Region 2 would be stronger than Region 1 for a second-straight season. However, strong starts by Horn Lake, Hernando, DeSoto Central, and Tupelo have forced a closer examination.
It appears the strongest powers in Class 6A are in the southern part of the state and that both North State regions are up for grabs.
Starkville’s region schedule will get stronger as the season progresses. Key showdowns against Warren Central and Clinton won’t be for the faint of heart.
In the meantime, Starkville will continue to get by with new faces on offense who are learning and a dominant defense that will continue to clamp down on the opposition.
While we will learn more about Columbus on Friday night, the true report card on Starkville is still a few weeks away.
West Point (4-1, 1-0 Class 5A, Region 1): The Green Wave finally have cleared the mental hurdle of beating the Oxford Chargers.
The Green Wave had lost five-straight games to the Chargers. That streak ended Friday night when West Point earned a 22-8 victory at Hamblin Stadium. In a script very familiar to this season, coach Chris Chambless’ squad started slowly and had to erase an 8-7 halftime deficit.
Now, West Point enters the part of the region schedule where it should be favored against every team. On Friday, West Point will travel to Clarksdale. While the Wildcats are 5-1, the Green Wave should be able to grab another win on the heels of last season’s 53-16 rout.
West Point has established itself as the team to beat in Class 5A. The Green Wave last won the state championship in 2010. Wins against Class 6A power Columbus and a rout of Class 4A power Noxubee County should prepare the squad for what lies ahead.
However, one can’t under estimate the importance of beating Oxford. In each of the last two seasons, West Point lost to Oxford in the regular season and in the postseason.
While Starkville has its hardest work down the road and Columbus faces a defining challenge Friday, West Point already might have passed its hardest test.
New Hope (3-2, 0-1 Class 5A, Region 1): While the season still has six games remaining, it is a conclusion New Hope is vastly improved.
Coach Kris Pickle’s third squad should exceed last season’s three-win total. However, if the squad is to earn a playoff berth, Friday’s game at Center Hill (2-3, 1-0) is vital.
New Hope lost to Clarksdale 42-13 last week at home in its region opener. After being routed by Columbus, New Hope regrouped to beat Caledonia. Now, the Trojans must again have a short memory and get back to work.
Against Clarksdale, New Hope committed six turnovers. Even the lesser teams in a region can beat you if you turn the ball over six times.
With West Point and Oxford still ahead, New Hope’s most difficult work is also down the road, which is why would be in the Trojans’ best interest to avoid an 0-2 start in region play.
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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