Now that we are really close to the turning the calendar to August, the prep football season can come into full focus.
Several area teams will again be considered state championship contenders. Others will be looking to take the next step to return to postseason play.
Again, we will be blessed with dozens of play-makers who will be headed to collegiate careers when the season ends.
Today, we continue to break down the prep football season with a look ahead at a few more questions….
1. Which area team has the greatest chance to win a state championship?
Well, we need to open this discussion in Macon.
Noxubee County returns eight offensive starters from last season’s Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state championship team. The Tigers shook off early losses to Starkville and West Point by winning their final 11 games.
Coach Tyrone Shorter feels like his offensive unit will be even better this season. However, there are some holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball.
Noxubee County will again be battling a difficult non-region schedule while it figures out who to put where on defense.
By the time, Class 4A, Region 4 play begins, the Tigers will again look like a fine-tuned machine.
One should also consider Starkville as a legitimate Class 6A contender if it can match the offensive firepower of Clinton. West Point appears poised to make another run in Class 5A as well.
2. Which area team will show the most improvement this season?
Typically, this question is answered by how a team finishes this season.
A year ago, Columbus played its best football in the final month of the season. After a disappointing home loss to Northwest Rankin, coach Randal Montgomery challenged his squad. A lengthy postgame chat inspired the Falcons to take flight. Instead of pointing fingers, it was time to bond and get it in gear together.
Columbus won three of its final four games and competed in the loss – a setback at Warren Central. In the final month, the Falcons went from no chances at the playoffs to having a pulse down the stretch.
During the off-season, Montgomery challenged his players to do some soul-searching. The ones who were committed and want to build something special remained with the team.
The administration has also opened up some more avenues of support.
Columbus will be far better than its 4-7 record of a year ago. We will see if they can make the jump from average to good or average to great.
3. Which games are you most excited about this season?
Well there are so many good choices but we are going to go slightly out of the box for this one.
Columbus plays at Tupelo in a really big Class 6A, Region 1 contest on Oct. 2. The Falcons open with DeSoto Central in region play, so this should present a huge opportunity to start 2-0 in region play.
When Columbus and Tupelo were last in the same region, Tupelo was having some struggles. However, the Golden Wave has won 21 of their last 27 games and moved back to the upper echelon in Class 6A play.
With four teams making the postseason from the region, this game could help decide one of the playoff participants.
Columbus will play Southaven, Olive Branch and South Panola in the final three week of October. It will be vital to have a full head of steam, lots of confidence and a good region record heading into that stretch.
4. What would you like to see more of this season?
Games that kick off at 6:57 p.m. (every minute helps). Rosters that are accurate (heights and weights are nice, but correctly spelled names are even better). No rain (yes, don’t even want that passing shower). Officials who execute the heat timeout correctly (the clock does not stop until the ball is snapped if the time out occurs during live play). Coaches who meet you before they meet their team. Penalties that are marked off correctly. Running the ball. Complete passes when passing the ball. Players who say yes sir and no sir. Side judges who will offer light chat on the sidelines. Halftime shows that are entertaining and well organized. Scoreboard clocks that run correctly (worst phrase in athletics … time will be kept on the field).
This is simply the early wish list. We will come back with more at a later time.
5. How about another player to watch?
Let’s go back to Macon for a look at Noxubee County senior quarterback Timorrius Conner.
A 5-foot-10, 165-pound senior, Conner took his game to a different level last season. The Tigers went along for the ride.
Conner threw for 3,009 yards and 35 touchdowns with only nine interceptions for the Class 4A state champions.
In his sophomore season, Conner was thrown to the wolves early. He started right away but had to learn the game against a stellar list of opponents. The Tigers were limited on offense and rode a strong ground game to nine victories.
During the off-season, Conner attended several games and pushed himself into becoming a better passes. The leadership skills also began to manifest themselves.
This season, Noxubee County again has high aspirations and they have a battle-tested group of veterans leading the way on the offensive side of the ball. If Conner takes his game to yet another level this season, look out.
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.
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