Prep football players are beginning to spend a few extra hours in the weight room.
Coaches are also beginning to slow the game tapes down just a tad bit more.
It’s that time of year as the prep football season officially starts one month from yesterday with a handful of jamborees throughout the area.
Each Wednesday as we get ready for the season, we will continue to look at a handful of questions needing to be answered during the campaign.
Now the latest…
1. Was Caledonia a one-hit wonder or will the Confederates enjoy some staying power?
One of the biggest surprises last season came in the form of Caledonia.
In its first season under coach Andy Crotwell, Caldedonia won six games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Quarterback Spencer Unruh is back from that team and he is still only a junior. Last season, Unruh completed 53.8 percent of his passes, while throwing for 1,628 yards. He had 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
The Confederates do lose the bulk of its running game. However, it has several quality offensive lineman returning.
Caledonia has always been competitive but has had a difficult time winning enough games against rigorous Class 4A, Region 4 competition. This season, the challenge will be even stiffer with traditional power Louisville returning to the region.
Noxubee County will again be the team to be beat in the region. However, Caledonia should be right in the mix.
It takes some time for a downtrodden program to learn how to win. Fortunately, the Confederates are past that point and can look for even better times ahead.
2. Speaking of Noxubee County, will anyone stop the Tigers on offense this season?
The short answer is no.
Coach Tyrone Shorter does not hold back on the praise of his offensive unit. The Tigers will be able to throw it, run it and will also be able to block. A year ago, Noxubee County averaged 35.4 points per game. The pieces are in place to make that number go even higher this season. Senior Timorrius Conner went from a boy to a man year ago and could be even better.
Shorter has talked about his team wanting to repeat. In its illustrious history, Noxubee County has not had a repeat football state champion. That appears the main motivating point for this fall.
On defense, the Tigers have some holes to fill. How quickly that unit will gel will be the answer to how many games the team can win this season.
Noxubee County again plays a brutal non-region schedule. If the Tigers hold their own with some of these powers, you will be able to go ahead and pencil them in for Oxford and this season’s state championship game.
3. Do we have high expectations for Daniel Merchant in his first season at Sulligent?
Yes, we do.
As a football coach, Merchant gets it. He understands the need to be tough on kids, while loving them at the same time. He understands the important of being mentally prepared, as well as physically trained.
He had success as a head coach at Oak Hill Academy and most recently as a coordinator at West Lowndes. Look for that success to continue.
A year ago, the Blue Devils did win six football games and returned to the playoffs for the first time in a while.
However, the uncertainty of its coaching situation led to a difficult end to the season. Merchant, a Sulligent graduate, will step in and help solidify that position.
Look for big things from the Blue Devils in the years ahead.
4. What will be learning at the New Hope Jamboree on Aug. 14 ad 15?
As always, the answer is not much.
Different coaches use jamborees for different reasons. However, first-year coaches (Starkville High’s Ricky Woods) will learn more than other coaches, since it will be his first time to physically be on the sidelines while his new team plays.
Each year, someone immediately becomes the story of the day. In 2013, Louisville decked West Point. As the season progressed, we learned how really good Louisville is. We also saw where West Point was one or two players shy of being really elite.
So moving ahead, New Hope plays Amory on Friday night and six games will follow at Davis Wade Stadium on Aug. 15.
Personally, the Columbus-Louisville matchup is very enticing. The New Hope-Amory matchup is also pretty good on face value.
Again, we can’t read too much into the results. However, coaches will get a vibe. Vibes are good. Positive vibes can go a long way in a season.
5. How about a player to watch?
This week we look at Columbus High School junior Kylin Hill.
Under consideration for a Dandy Dozen spot, Hill has shown all the skills needed to emerge as one the premier backs in Class 6A this season.
Last season, Hill ran for 277 yards and four touchdowns. He was part of the culture change as Randal Montgomery started firmly planting his seeds for his program to grow.
Columbus won four games but played much better down the stretch with a ton of sophomores doing the heavy lifting. With an off-season of conditioning and maturing, it is a safe bet we will see the Falcons go next level this season.
From a personal standpoint, Hill is slated to attend Mississippi State’s Big Dawg camp Friday and follow that up with a one-day camp at Ole Miss Saturday.
The offers are beginning to pile up. That number will continue to go up as the Falcons’ win total does, too.
Scott Walters is a sports reporter for The Dispatch. He may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.