Columbus coach Joshua Pulphus knows what football is really about: assignments, he says.
“If one person misses an assignment, it’ll lead to points quickly,” Pulphus said.
That’s happened the past two weeks in the Falcons’ 31-8 loss to Center Hill and their 35-6 defeat at the hands of Grenada.
Both those games were at home for Columbus, but now the Falcons (2-5) must go on the road to face division foe Lake Cormorant (4-3).
“Great football team, physical team, explosive team,” Pulphus said of the Gators. “Got some guys that are Division 1 ready. They are fast on defense, very physical on offense. Just gonna be a good team to play getting ready to head into the playoffs.”
Going into Friday’s contest, Pulphus has stressed staying physical on offense, finishing plays and drives, and, of course, executing the team’s assignments on both sides of the ball.
If the Falcons can’t manage that, they might find themselves on the losing end of another lopsided score. Pulphus has been there before, and he hopes not to see it again.
“The game has a quick way of reminding you where you come from,” Pulphus said.
West Point (7-1) at Grenada (5-2)
Asked what he’s expecting out of the rest of West Point’s 2019 season, senior quarterback Brandon Harris held out four fingers.
“Four-peat,” Harris announced. “A lot of people think we’re not gonna do it, but that’s what motivates us.”
If the Green Wave can handle district foe Grenada on Friday, it’ll be a big step toward achieving just that — a fourth straight Class 5A championship.
“They’re gonna be a big challenge for us,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “It’s gonna be a smash-mouth, hard-nosed football team.”
The Chargers have Emmanuel Forbes, one of the state’s top recruits, playing offense and defense. They welcome back “All-Star caliber” receiver Christian Wortham. Running back Demarquese Gibson “can fly.” And quarterback Joshua Phillips, Chambless said, is a true dual threat.
“They’re gonna make great plays,” senior running back Dantariyus Cannon said. “Can’t stop them from making great plays.”
Though Grenada has a lot of offensive firepower, the Green Wave, winners of six straight, aren’t overly concerned.
“It’s all about staying together,” Cannon said. “If we stay together, we’re gonna overcome everything.”
Caledonia (4-3) at Pontotoc (3-4)
Caledonia turned the ball over five times in last week’s win against Mooreville. Pontotoc, the Confederates’ opponent Friday, is an improving team that’s always dangerous at home, and the Warriors force a lot of turnovers.
So Caledonia coach Michael Kelly knows something’s got to change.
“This time of year, we can’t beat ourselves,” Kelly said. “We can’t fumble and turn over the football five teams, especially when we play a team of their caliber.”
The ‘Feds will face a team that Kelly said is starting to hit its stride: The Warriors have a 2-0 record in district play despite a 3-4 record overall.
“They’ve got a lot of playmakers on offense at the wide receiver position and skill players,” Kelly said.
To get a road win that would put its record at 5-3, Caledonia knows what it has to do.
“We’re gonna have to play well and play a very clean game this weekend just to give ourselves a chance,” Kelly said.
Noxubee County (4-4) vs. Hatley (4-4)
In last week’s 51-14 road loss to Corinth, Noxubee County was hurt greatly by its special teams play, Tigers coach Teddy Young said.
“Last week, our special teams kind of let us down, put us in bad field position,” Young said.
Fixing special teams before Friday’s game against Hatley is perhaps priority No. 1 in a game between two teams with identical Tiger mascots and identical 4-4 records.
To get over .500, Young said, Noxubee County must avoid turnovers and sustain drives when in possession.
“We’ve gotta finish drives offensively,” Young said.
Friday is Noxubee County’s homecoming game, so Young knows what to expect: high energy from his players and a big crowd of energetic fans.
He just needs to make sure of one thing for his players.
“Gotta keep them focused,” Young said.
West Lowndes (7-1) at Noxapater (6-2)
West Lowndes coach Anthony King knows what his team is playing for Friday at Noxapater.
A second straight upset? Check. A big road win? Sure. But perhaps most important is home-field advantage in the Class 1A playoffs, which the Panthers could all but secure with a victory over the second-ranked Tigers in their first of three season-ending road games.
“We’re feeling pretty good,” King said. “Just have to go out and play smart ball.”
A key to beating Noxapater will be stopping sophomore quarterback KD Carter, a force with the ball in his hands.
“He’s a great athlete, and we’d like to try to get him to the outside,” King said. “We’ve got to try to contain him, keep him bunched up and be ready for him.”
If the Panthers can do just that, they could be on their way toward hosting a first-round playoff game at the very least.
“We’ll find out Friday,” King said, “but right now, the kids seem to be pretty fired up about it.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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