Prep Football: Around the Area

Published 6:00 am Thursday, September 22, 2011

     With Division 2-5A play beginning Friday, Neshoba Central’s opportunity to snap a seven-year playoff drought is here.

    The first step for the 2-2 Rockets would be to win their division opener, something they have done the past three years. Standing in their way, though, is 4-0 Yazoo City. It is the Indians’ best start since 2007 when they also began 4-0 on the way to an 8-3 finish and a Class 4A playoff berth. Yazoo also advanced to the playoffs in 2008, finishing 7-4, before falling to 3-8 in 2009 and 2-9 last year in Class 5A. Both of those seasons, Neshoba won the division opener between the two schools ? 35-6 last year and 21-6 in 2009.

    O’Neal McCarty has rushed for 348 yards to lead Neshoba, which blasted Northeast Lauderdale XX-6 in its last game. Josh Stewart has added 183 ayrds and three touchdowns as the Rockets have rushed for 198.3 yards per game. Joseph Willis, meanwhile, has added 435 yards passing and five touchdowns with McCarty being his main target (eight receptions for 136 yards).

Thursday

Enterprise at Choctaw Central

    After breaking through for their first win of the season last week, 26-25 against visiting Lake, the Bulldogs look to improve to 2-3 with their second straight win in the series against Choctaw.

    Enterprise beat the Warriors 42-21 in 2006, following a 33-14 Warrior win in 2005. Following a 197-yard outing against the Hornets, Zac Morgan leads the Bulldogs with 434 yards on 56 carries. Quarterback Maxwell Harmon, who had completed 3 of 11 passes through the first three games, was 3 of 5 last week for 88 yards and a touchdown.

    Choctaw, though, is still searching for its first win, off to its worst start since 2004 when the Warriors finished 0-10. Choctaw’s last losing streak this long came in 2008 when it lost the final eight games of the year.

Friday

Philly- Leflore County

    A pair of Class 3A unbeatens meet Friday at Harpole Stadium when the Tigers visit. Following a 26-22 decision against Greenwood in Week 1, Leflore rolled through its next three opponents – by an average of 38.333 points – before a 18-12 margin at Gentry last week.

    The Tigers are led by Grant Simms, who has thrown for 1,126 yards and 14 touchdowns. DMontrise Swinney has been his main target, with 21 catches for 483 yards and five scores.

    Philly, meanwhile, counters with a physical running game. Even with star running back Marquise Matthews out the past two weeks with an injury, the Tornadoes are averaging 267.6 rushing yards per game. Philadelphia rushed for 319 yards against Morton in the opener, 317 a week later against Kosciusko and 322 last week at Northeast Lauderdale.

    Matthews’ 522 yards leads Philly, while senior Medgal Peebles churned out 280 yards last week against the Trojans.

Union at Madison-St. Joseph

    The Yellowjackets look to extend their best start since 2005 to 6-0 with their third road win of the season. Union began that year 7-0.

    Union, which hasn’t been scored on at home, won their previous two road games 28-7 at Clarkdale and 50-14 at Enterprise.

    The Bruins, meanwhile, are 4-1 following a 27-26 loss to Pisgah. That followed wins against St. Aloysius, St. Patrick, Greenville-St. Joseph and St. Andrew’s.

Newton County Academy at

Heidelberg Academy

    The Generals, ranked No. 2 in MAIS Class A by The Jackson Clarion-Ledger, and the Rebels meet as the lone unbeatens in Division 4-A. A win would also give Newton County Academy (3-1, 2-0) the tiebreaker against its three closest division competitors.

    The past two weeks, following a loss to Wayne Academy and an open week, the Generals beat Porter’s Chapel (4-1, 2-1) 32-20 and Prentiss Christian (1-4, 1-1) 34-14.

    Heidelberg (3-1, 1-0) was off last week and have won three straight following a season-opening loss against MHSAA opponent Richton.

Noxubee County at

Kemper County

    The Wildcats’ tough non-region slate continues when the Class 4A power Tigers visit. Kemper, which fell to 2-3 with last week’s 43-0 loss at Northeast Jones, has also played defending Class 2A champion Lumberton and Class 4A heavyweight Louisville.

    The Tigers enter at 4-1 following a 22-17 home win against two-time defending Class 5A champion West Point. Noxubee’s lone loss was a 24-20 setback to Spain Park (Ala.) on Aug. 27.

    The two neighboring counties last met in 2002 with Noxubee winning 61-8. The Tigers also won in 2001 by a 55-0 margin.

Kemper Academy at

Delta Academy

    The Rams look to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Raiders. KA, 2-3 overall, is also still searching for its first MAIS 8-Man, District 1 win as the three-game losing streak came inside the division.

    Kemper’s last losing streak this long came at the close of the 2009 season when the Rams finished on a three-game skid. That streak began following a 52-40 win against Delta Academy. KA won 44-0 last year.

    Delta enters 2-3 and 1-2 in the division following last week’s 40-20 win against Marvell (Ark.) Academy. Both the Raiders’ wins have come against the Eagles.