Player safety always takes precedence, even in rivalries
The entire New Hope football stadium stood still for about 20 minutes on Friday night, not in anticipation, but in prayer for the safety of an injured player.
Caledonia linebacker Trevor Dennis went down hard with an apparent head injury, one which warranted the attention of both teams’ staffs. Game medics tended to Dennis for several minutes before an emergency vehicle arrived with a stretcher to help cart him off the field. Thankfully, Dennis gave a thumbs-up to the crowd, who cheered in relief.
After the game, Cavaliers head coach Michael Kelly said that Dennis wanted to walk off on his own two feet, but staff took precautions with him.
A big concern was the response time, with an ambulance arriving only after Dennis was taken off the field and examined. He fortunately did not need to be rushed to the hospital, but if his prognosis had been more serious, the absence of even an available stretcher to transport him raises serious questions. That sort of experience puts timing into perspective, and really underscores the importance of trained staff ready and available at a moment’s notice.
Football is a violent game, violent to the point of serious discourse over safety and responsibility in recent years. At the center of it all, the safety of players should always take precedence.
— Colin Damms
Louisville stakes claim as best team in Mississippi
The early weeks of the high school football season typically feature a round robin of games between East Mississippi powers, with Starkville, West Point, Noxubee County and Louisville all playing one another.
Although Louisville is smaller in enrollment than both Starkville and West Point, the Wildcats have emerged as the dominant power in the area, and perhaps the entire state, in recent years. Louisville lost by one point to the Yellow Jackets in 2022 and defeated both the Green Wave and the Tigers, before beating all three teams last year en route to an undefeated MHSAA Class 4A championship season.
This year has been more of the same — the Wildcats have earned one-point wins over West Point and Starkville, and host Noxubee County this week. Louisville ran the ball down the Yellow Jackets’ throats last Friday night, throwing just often enough to keep the defense honest, and Starkville never had an answer as the Wildcats won their 30th straight game, 42-41.
“I read an article early in the week, some people (were) doubting that we were the No. 1 team in the state,” Louisville head coach Tyrone Shorter said. “I challenged our guys. We could shut all that up by coming out here and beating a top 7A program in the state, and that’s what we did. I knew our kids were going to play well. We had the best week of practice that we’ve had the whole year.”
— Benjamin Rosenberg
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