Starkville and Oxford have played in the “Little Egg Bowl” nearly 50 times over the years, but Friday will be just their third meeting in the playoffs.
Starkville’s dominant 44-0 win over Southaven in the first round of the MHSAA Class 7A playoffs last Friday set in motion what could be another deep playoff run, with only the Chargers standing in the way of a berth in the north half title game.
“I think that’s important, just trying to stack good days on top of good days as far as preparation and practice,” head coach Chris Jones said. “I always feel good about playing well when we practice well. That’s been our emphasis.”
Oxford (8-3) survived a two-overtime thriller against Germantown to even reach the second round of postseason play, exhausting everything it had to win.
Meanwhile, the Jackets (8-3) coasted to a win, an important bounce-back win following the previous week’s blowout loss at Tupelo in their regular season finale.
This matchup has favored Starkville heavily all-time, 35-12-1, but not as much recently as the Jackets are 3-2 in their last five meetings with Oxford.
Starkville, however, intends to keep the dial pointed in their favor with a statement win to reach the semis.
“We just have to focus on the now and play some good football, don’t beat ourselves and be prepared for anything and everything,” Jones said.
West Point at Holmes County Central, 7 p.m. (MHSAA Class 5A playoffs, second round)
Home cooking is the best way to describe West Point’s first round playoff game against Gentry last week, a 54-8 beatdown to advance onward in the MHSAA Class 5A playoffs.
The Green Wave have been tested on a number of occasions this season, but potentially none more than what’s to come Friday night, a road showdown against a 12-0 Holmes County Central program searching for its first-ever state title.
“Our guys are completely focused, staff is focused and I think this community is focused,” head coach Chris Chambless said. “We’re all ready to go. We know we have a tough task on the road. Holmes County is good. They’re undefeated for a reason.”
The Green Wave (8-3), of course, are built for tests like Friday’s.
West Point’s record might not show it, but facing the likes of Starkville, Louisville and Tupelo before a competitive district slate could be the difference as the Green Wave eye another appearance in the north half title game.
“We have a tough task ahead of us, but that’s why you play the game,” Chambless said. “We’re going to take the mentality that we have down there and try to focus and squeeze out a win.
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