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August 18, 2008

Anonymous The Meridian Star Mon Aug 18, 2008, 07:55 AM CDT

By Brandon Walker

assistant sports editor

Several area matchups stand out as marquee games in the early part of the football season, but perhaps only one will draw as much statewide interest.

With the high school season a mere 11 days away, The Star's 30 Days of Football countdown turns to a second straight showdown between a powerhouse from the ranks of the Mississippi Private School Association and the Newton County Cougars.

A season ago, Jackson Prep and Newton County made headlines by meeting in the regular season, still somewhat of a rarity between MPSA and MHSAA opponents.

Prep, which has now won 25 games and two MPSA Class AAA state championships in a row, hosted Newton County last season and stole the show with a 24-0 victory.

The shutout loss marked Newton County's only regular season setback last year, in a season that saw the Cougars roll to a 11-2 mark before falling to eventual Class 3A South State Champion Franklin County in the postseason.

This year, a boatload of returning starters on both sides of the ball give the Cougars hope heading into the 2008 season that includes a rematch against Prep. This time, that game will be held in Decatur. Following last season's loss, the Cougars averaged 31 points per game over the next 10 weeks and put together an impressive 10-game winning streak. Also impressive in their own right, the Patriots of Prep were never challenged on their way to a second-straight state crown, outscoring opponents 502-70 en route to a perfect 13-0 season.

This year, that marquee MHSAA-MPSA showdown is set for Thursday, Sept. 4.

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Sports

Neel leaving champion War Eagles for Panthers
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May 26, 2012
Unexpected Honor
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To be named the Player of the Year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, that caught the Southeast Lauderdale senior off guard.

May 26, 2012 3 Photos
RCA’s Lee and pair of Generals chosen for All-Star tilt
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The local trio will play in the MAIS All-Star Class A game at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson at 2 p.m. The Class AA-AAA game will follow.

May 25, 2012
McFarland named first-team All-American for Jones County
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May 25, 2012
A Family Affair
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It’d be hard to find a family that had a better week than the one Robbi and Shay Cooper just experienced.

May 25, 2012 2 Photos
Roundup — Stephens receives Sekul Award
Adding to his impressive collection of coaching hardware, East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens was presented with the 2011 George Sekul Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions held earlier this month at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

May 24, 2012
The Drought Is Over
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The Southeast Lauderdale sophomore did that and so much more. Irby's single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 MHSAA Class 3A state championship win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday, and handing Southeast (32-7) its first title since 1966.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos 1 Slideshow
Ramey shines again, hurls Tigers to MHSAA Class 3A crown
    The bar was set pretty high.
   After all, Southeast Lauderdale senior right-hander Colby Ramey needed just 65 pitches to beat Kossuth in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game Thursday.
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May 24, 2012 2 Photos
Southeast wins MHSAA Class 3A Championsip Slideshow from the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game between Southeast Lauderdale and Kossuth.
May 23, 2012 1 Photo
Briarwood to host Emerald Coast Golf Tour in June
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May 23, 2012
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