Now that they’re divisional opponents again, the stakes between Friday’s Clarkdale at Enterprise football game are even higher.

Not that they weren’t high already. Separated by just more than 10 miles, Clarkdale and Enterprise were both in the same division when the two schools were in MHSAA Class 2A. After Clarkdale became a 3A school following the 2018 realignment, the two schools kept their annual rivalry game on the schedule, and when Enterprise moved up to 3A following the most recent realignment, the MHSAA once again placed them in the same division.

Both teams are experiencing success, with Enterprise currently 7-0 overall and 2-0 in Region 5-3A following a 25-21 win against Union last week. Clarkdale suffered its first loss of the season last week against Morton, a 35-14 contest, and enters the game 6-1 overall and 1-1 in Region 5-3A.

“Anytime you play Enterprise it’s a big deal,” Clarkdale football coach Jason Soules said. “All the kids know each other, so it’s exciting, and I knew no matter what happened versus Morton that we wouldn’t have to motivate the kids this week.”

Enterprise head coach Kelly Jimmerson said the rivalry aspect already makes for a fun annual contest, and he commended Clarkdale for its success so far this fall.

“You’d think both teams will play the best they can and play with a lot of emotion,” Jimmerson said. “They’re a really good football team. The coaches have done a good job with them, and they have some good skill guys and some big guys up front that move people. We’re looking forward to it.”

CLARKDALE 

Last week’s game against Morton was tied 14-14 going into the fourth quarter before a string of miscues piled up for Clarkdale.

“I thought our kids played extremely hard,” Soules said. “We had a couple of plays on special teams that didn’t go our way, and we have to improve on that and finish the ball game. It was the first time all year we went into the fourth with it being a close game, and our kids played hard, but when you’re in these tight district games you have to be perfect.”

One positive for Clarkdale was its passing game, as quarterback Cal Culpepper finished with 170 yards and two touchdowns passing.

“We opened up our passing game a good bit, and that’s something we need to do again this week,” senior all-purpose athlete Mason Horne said.

This week’s game brings a lot of extra motivation for Clarkdale not just because it’s a rivalry game, but also because Clarkdale hasn’t beaten Enterprise since 2005.

“They’re 20 minutes down the road from us, so it’s always been a big rivalry,” Horne said.

Said Soules, “Enterprise is always extremely well-coached, and Coach (Jeremy) Wilkins and Coach Jimmerson do a good job. We’re going to have to be able to meet and match their physicality. If you allow them to be more physical, you’re going to be in for a long night.”

ENTERPRISE

Against Union, Enterprise trailed 14-10 at the end of the third but managed to score twice in the fourth quarter to edge out the Yellowjackets. A 73-yard punt return by quarterback Derryon Gray in the game’s waning minutes gave Enterprise the win.

“I was just trying to be that playmaker, trying to be that guy who saves the day,” Gray said.

It was another close divisional contest for Enterprise, as it also defeated Morton 20-14 on Oct. 1 to open Region 5-3A play. 

“It starts in practice every day,” Jimmerson said of his team’s ability to stay composed in close games. “You tell them to play with emotion but not off of it. These kids have been in close games before, and it’s something they’ve learned by being there before.”

Gray, a senior, said experience makes a big difference in close games, and he pointed to last year’s regular-season contest against Taylorsville — a 38-28 loss — as a learning experience as well. Taylorsville also eliminated Enterprise in the state semifinals and went on to win the state championship in Class 2A.

“Being a four-year starter, you know what it takes to win close games because I’ve lost close games,” Gray said. “Last year we were on the other end of the stick against Taylorsville, so it feels good to be on the good end of the stick. Against them, we saw what it takes to be the best and what it almost took to beat the best, so now we know what we have to do to beat the best.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday at Enterprise.