Columbus (0-2) vs. Louisville (1-1)
Ethan Conner just wants to win.
Columbus’ quarterback wants to break the losing streak that dates back to Sept. 22, 2017. That’s 19 straight losses — a “bad look” for the team, Conner said.
“We want to break it really badly.”
While the Falcons have the chance to do so in front of their home fans for the first time this season, their opponent Friday is likely to extend the streak another week.
Louisville is in town and Falcons coach Joshua Pulphus knows the threat the Wildcats pose.
“They know how to play the game of football,” Pulphus said. “They’ve been in tough game situations before.”
On defense, Conner said, the Wildcats “fly to the ball” and make plays all over the field.
Louisville is riding the momentum of a win over defending Class 5A champion West Point, making Friday’s matchup even tougher for the Falcons.
“They are a team that’s very fast and very athletic and well-coached,” Pulphus said. “They are constantly getting better themselves.”
But even if Columbus can’t snap the winning streak Friday against one of its toughest opponents, Pulphus won’t be discouraged.
“We’re just excited about getting the chance to go and play them,” Pulphus said.
Playing at home allows friends and family members a better chance to see the Falcons in action, and Pulphus is happy his team will finally have the home crowd behind it.
“Even if the outcome’s not what we desire, you’ll be pleased at the effort that the boys are putting in fighting from whistle to whistle,” Pulphus said.
Heritage Academy (3-0) vs. Magnolia Heights (2-0)
Heritage Academy coach Sean Harrison knows what to expect when the Patriots host Magnolia Heights in a battle of unbeaten teams.
“The tradition of winning is there,” Harrison said. “You always count on a Mag Heights team, especially on defense, being A, really well coached and B, being really physical. They tackle well. They hit you hard. They get to the ball really well.”
Magnolia Heights also has the size to rival the Patriots on the lines, something Heritage Academy doesn’t often see.
So the Patriots’ first division game of the season should be a good matchup between two skilled teams.
“I think they’re excited to get into district play and play a quality opponent,” Harrison said.
New Hope (1-1) vs. Houston (2-0)
New Hope coach Wade Tackett doesn’t feel Shannon beat his Trojans in Friday’s game.
“We feel like we beat ourselves,” Tackett said.
A couple key holding calls were some of the penalties that led to New Hope’s 44-21 loss to Shannon.
Now the Trojans, who Tackett noted are still young and in need of growth, host unbeaten Houston, which shut out Pontotoc in Week 1 and beat Calhoun City 32-7 in Week 2.
Tackett knows the Hilltoppers will pose a tough challenge for the home team.
“We’re expecting a hard, tough, physical football game,” Tackett said.
Caledonia (1-1) vs. Amory (1-1)
Amory may be a Class 3A team, but the Panthers still feel like a 4A team to Caledonia coach Michael Kelly.
“Nice size up front on the offensive and defensive lines, which can pose us a lot of problems,” Kelly said. “We don’t match up very well with that.”
The Confederates will play host to the Panthers on Friday riding a 10-point win over Aberdeen, but Kelly noted it will take cleaner play and more discipline for Caledonia to get its second win.
“We’ve given up too many big plays the first two weeks in special teams,” Kelly said. “Luckily it didn’t come back to hurt us the other night. We definitely need to clean up that area of our game.”
Against Amory, which Kelly said will cause the ‘Feds problems defensively, Caledonia must step up.
“If our kids just keep improving their game, we’ll see if we can put our best foot forward and have a chance to win the game when it comes toward the end of the game,” Kelly said.
Noxubee County (2-0) at Shannon (1-1)
Noxubee County will walk off the bus for today’s game at Shannon already down two touchdowns.
At least, that’s the mentality coach Teddy Young wants the Tigers to have.
“We’ve gotta come out swinging,” Young said. “We’ve gotta come out with our backs against the wall.”
Noxubee County is facing its first road test of the season with a young team. Many Tigers haven’t played on the road before. And facing Shannon’s “big-play offense,” keeping the fundamentals in order is critical.
“We’ve just gotta play fundamentally sound football,” Young said. “As long as we cut down the turnovers and mental mistakes, I think we’ll be just fine.”
Starkville Academy (1-1) at Noxapater (2-0)
Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson saw a lot of improvement in his team from a Week 1 loss to Lamar to a Week 2 shutout of French Camp.
But the Volunteers will need yet more improvement before a tough road matchup with Noxapater, the second-ranked team in Class 1A.
Nicholson knows Noxapater coach Casey Orr will have the Tigers “coached up” and well prepared for the contest, but he also knows the tough test will help his team in the long run.
“We just want to keep getting better, keep improving,” Nicholson said. “We believe that Noxapater and that game is going to be a game that gets us better and moves us forward to where we want to go.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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