When New Hope football coach Wade Tackett found out the Mississippi High School Activities Association had delayed the 2020 season by two weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he got on the phone with his biggest rival.
Tackett’s Trojans were set to play at coach Michael Kelly’s Caledonia team Aug. 20 this year’s version of the Lowndes County rivalry contest, but the two-week delay meant that game wouldn’t happen.
But Tackett and Kelly got in touch, adamant they’d still be able to face each other in some way this season.
Ultimately, it took the form of a two-quarter scrimmage, set for Friday in Caledonia, as the two local schools ensured they won’t miss out on a game that carries special significance in the Golden Triangle.
“It means a lot to the guys here in this field house,” Tackett said. “That’s a game that they look forward to every year.”
And make no mistake: just because the game is a scrimmage doesn’t mean either team will take it less seriously.
“Caledonia always plays New Hope tough, and vice versa,” Tackett said.
Kelly said it’s good to see football being played after the delays caused by COVID-19 since mid-March.
“With all the adversity our kids went through this offseason — missing part of school, missing the summer, dealing with all the CDC guidelines — our kids are just ready to get to ball out there,” he said. “I think New Hope will be the same way. It’ll be a good job for us coaches to see our own players hit somebody else and go against somebody else.”
Kelly said Caledonia just started practicing in pads Monday because the team’s helmets only arrived over the weekend. A few days behind, the team is still acclimating to heat, contact and playing with pads on.
“Our whole football team needs a lot of work right now,” Kelly said. “We need it at every area from coaching to taking snaps to tackling and everything else. If it can be practiced in football, we need to do it.”
Friday’s scrimmage will be an excellent way to achieve that goal without worrying about falling to 0-1 in the official standings. New Hope knows that, too. Tackett said he’s focused on cleaning up the mental mistakes, such as pre-snap penalties, that typically abound in the first few weeks.
“It’ll be a good measuring stick to see where we are early in the season,” Tackett said.
The coach said he’s appreciated his players’ focus, determination and attitude since summer workouts began June 1.
“They’ve been working hard since we’ve been allowed to come back and work,” Tackett said. “I’m really proud of their effort so far.”
He said the Trojans’ senior group — led by defensive backs Trayon Ivy and Immanuel Jones, offensive linemen Logan Bailey and CJ Sanders, wide receiver Mike Chambers and linebacker Hayden Harris — makes up in leadership what it lacks in numbers.
Overall, New Hope returns nine starters on defense and five on offense, so the Trojans hope for plenty of improvement on last year’s 3-9 season.
Caledonia, meanwhile, has its own core group of experienced players: senior offensive tackle Alex Matthews and linebackers Brandon Chrest and Loren Cox as well as junior defensive end Antwaun Adkins.
“They’ve grown with us over three years,” Kelly said. “We expect them to go out and perform that way, and we’re going to put a lot on them.”
The coach said he hasn’t decided whether Daniel Wilburn or Zack Gorum will start at quarterback for Caledonia this year. Both sophomores, the pair will split reps in Friday’s scrimmage and could both see significant playing time until division play.
“They both looked good at practice, so I’m going to just see if they can command the huddle, see if they can command their troops out there on the field,” Kelly said.
Tackett, meanwhile, has yet to name a starting signal caller for New Hope, but he said he will make the decision before Friday’s scrimmage.
And while the two-quarter exhibition contest doesn’t count in the standings, both coaches said their players, schools and fans have been excited to get back on the field.
“I think it’s just fair to our communities, fair to our student bodies just to let our kids go out there and play, and we’re looking forward to it Friday night,” Kelly said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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