Week 9 high school football at a glance (Friday's games)
Oct. 21—FEATURED GAMES
(All games kick off at 7 p.m.)
CORINTH (4-4, 2-1) AT SHANNON (5-3, 2-1)
THE PLAYERS
Corinth: QB Brawner Cregeen is 54 of 102 for 575 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs. ... WR Broderick Alexander has made 29 catches for 431 yards, 5 TDs. ... RB/LB Chris Rodgers has rushed for 447 yards, 9 TDs on 61 carries; on defense, he has 80 tackles, 8 TFL.
Shannon: QB Jamarcus Shines is 40 of 84 for 554 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs; he has rushed for 560 yards, 9 TDs on 74 carries. ... LB Jayden Thompson has made 68 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT. ... DE/LB Octavian Gillespie has made 50 tackles, 9.5 sacks.
FOUR DOWNS
—Last week, Corinth lost to Itawamba AHS 28-6; Shannon beat Tishomingo County 46-6.
—This is a Division 1-4A game.
—Shannon beat Corinth 58-28 last season.
—Shannon averages 323 rushing yards per game.
NEXT UP: Corinth hosts Tishomingo County (Thur.); Shannon at Caledonia (Thur.).
HOUSTON (7-1, 3-0) AT RIPLEY (8-0, 3-0)
THE PLAYERS
Houston: QB Steele Brooks is 41 of 91 for 671 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs; he has rushed for 153 yards, 5 TDs on 36 carries. ... RB/LB Jamal Cooperwood has rushed for 695 yards, 10 TDs on 105 carries; on defense, he has made 50 tackles, 7 TFL. ... RB Chris Parker has rushed for 374 yards, 3 TDs on 32 carries; he has 12 catches for 163 yards, 2 TDs.
Ripley: QB Ty Long is 45 of 83 for 683 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs. ... RB/LB Jaylen Brooks has rushed for 528 yards, 4 TDs on 66 carries; on defense, he has 38 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT. ... S Tyler Rucker has recorded 44 tackles, 3 INTs.
FOUR DOWNS
—Last week, Houston beat Pontotoc 18-0; Ripley beat South Pontotoc 42-7.
—This is a Division 2-4A game.
—Ripley won this game last year, 52-44.
—Houston and Ripley have each recorded 3 shutouts this season.
NEXT UP: Houston at New Albany (Thur.); Ripley at Pontotoc (Thur.).
MANTACHIE (6-2, 1-1) AT KOSSUTH (6-2, 3-0)
THE PLAYERS
Mantachie: RB Braedon Sauls has rushed for 611 yards, 12 TDs on 69 carries. ... RB Luke Ellis has rushed for 580 yards, 11 TDs on 71 carries. ... LB Jake Spradling has recorded 58 tackles
Kossuth: QB Jack Johnson is 56 of 90 for 1,025 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs; he has rushed for 635 yards, 12 TDs on 86 carries. ... RB Brady Kelly has rushed for 458 yards, 4 TDs on 78 carries. ... WR Reid Coward has made 12 catches for 302 yards, 4 TDs.
FOUR DOWNS
—Last week, Mantachie lost to MASE 30-12; Kossuth beat Water Valley 22-20.
—This is a Division 1-3A game.
—Kossuth is 3-0 all-time against Mantachie, including a 39-0 win last year.
—Mantachie averages 274.4 rushing yards per game.
NEXT UP: Mantachie hosts Booneville (Thur.); Kossuth hosts Hatley (Thur.).
STARKVILLE (5-3, 1-3) AT OXFORD (4-3, 2-2)
THE PLAYERS
Starkville: QB Trey Petty is 100 of 162 for 1,364 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs; he has rushed for 163 yards, 4 TDs on 48 carries. ... WR Braylon Burnside has made 42 catches for 591 yards, 4 TDs. ... LB Ny'Jadus Holloway has recorded 90 tackles, 18 TFL.
Oxford: QB Mack Howard is 78 of 122 for 865 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs. ... RB Roman Gregory has rushed for 597 yards, 9 TDs on 108 carries; he has 11 catches for 159 yards, 3 TDs. ... LB Alex Sanford has 61 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks.
FOUR DOWNS
—Last week, Starkville beat Murrah 49-13; Oxford beat Clinton 24-22.
—This is a Division 2-6A game.
—Oxford won last year's Little Egg Bowl, 42-35.
—Starkville has a minus-3 turnover ratio.
NEXT UP: Starkville at Germantown; Oxford at Grenada.
VARDAMAN (7-1, 4-0) AT HAMILTON (8-0, 4-0)
THE PLAYERS
Vardaman: QB Chipper Drake Moore is 32 of 60 for 589 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT. ... RB/LB Za Pratt has rushed for 850 yards, 14 TDs on 105 carries; on defense, he has 58 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 INTs. ... DL Trey Coots has made 38 tackles, 12 TFL.
Hamilton: QB Evan Pounders is 47 of 79 for 844 yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs; he has rushed for 432 yards, 10 TDs on 56 carries. ... RB Kyzer Verner has rushed for 1,436 yards, 20 TDs on 115 carries. ... LB Parker Beasley has made 42 tackles, 1 INT.
FOUR DOWNS
—Last week, Vardaman beat French Camp 14-10; Hamilton beat West Lowndes 41-36.
—These teams are tied for first place in Division 3-1A.
—Hamilton beat Vardaman 19-13 last season.
—Hamilton averages 493.4 total yards per game.
NEXT UP: Vardaman hosts Ethel; Hamilton at Leake County.
ALSO TONIGHT
ABERDEEN (6-2, 1-1) AT HATLEY (2-6, 0-3)
Aberdeen QB Jermaine Strong completed 11 of 13 passes for 240 yards and 3 TDs in last week's 48-14 win over East Webster. He also ran for 129 yards and 3 TDs. Hatley enters this game on a four-game losing streak. This is a Division 4-3A game.
ASHLAND (1-6, 1-3) AT OKOLONA (3-5, 3-1)
Okolona is coming off a 44-6 win over Thrasher and is currently tied for second place in Division 1-1A. Ashland lost to Tupelo Christian last week, 36-6.
BIGGERSVILLE (7-0, 4-0), AT FALKNER (3-4, 2-2)
Biggersville, the Daily Journal's No. 4 Small School, is alone in first place in Division 1-1A. Falkner is in fourth place after losing to Smithville last week, 32-14. Biggersville has won its last five meetings against Falkner.
BRUCE (1-7, 0-2) AT CHOCTAW COUNTY (2-5, 1-1)
Bruce has lost seven-straight games and has been outscored 295-40 during the skid. Choctaw County is led by RB Antonio Kennedy, who has rushed for 879 yards, 8 TDs on 122 carries. The Chargers average 226.6 rushing yards per game. This is a Division 2-2A game.
CLEVELAND CENTRAL (3-5, 1-3) AT LAFAYETTE (4-4, 3-1)
Lafayette is tied for second place in Division 1-5A. The Commodores are paced by RB Jayden Reed, who has rushed for 841 yards, 15 TDs on 155 carries. He had 157 yards, 4 TDs in last week's 34-14 win over New Hope.
EUPORA (6-2, 3-0) AT EAST WEBSTER (4-4, 0-2)
East Webster is coming off a 48-14 non-division loss to Aberdeen. The Wolverines are led by QB Kaleb Warnock, who has passed for 637 yards, 6 TDs and 4 INTs; he's rushed for 542 yards, 12 TDs. Eupora also has a dual-threat QB in Ty Murphy, who has passed for 887 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, and has rushed for 1,122 yards, 6 TDs. Eupora sits atop the Division 2-2A standings.
GREENVILLE (0-7, 0-4) AT WEST POINT (5-2, 4-0)
West Point is in first place in Division 1-5A and has won five-straight games. Greenville has lost 14 games in a row, with its last win coming against Greenwood on Sept. 10, 2021.
HOLLY SPRINGS (1-6, 0-2) AT BYHALIA (1-7, 0-2)
These teams are bringing up the rear in Division 2-3A. Holly Springs lost to Rosa Fort 58-14 last week, while Byhalia picked up its first win of the season, 44-12 over Manassas (Tenn.).
ITAWAMBA AHS (8-0, 3-0) AT CALEDONIA (3-5, 2-1)
IAHS quarterback Ty Davis has passed for 1,973 yards, 21 TDs and 7 INTs. His top target has been WR Zion Ashby, who has 30 catches for 602 yards, 9 TDs. Ashby has also come up big on defense, with four INTs. This is a Division 1-4A game.
MOOREVILLE (0-8, 0-3) AT TISHOMINGO COUNTY (1-7, 0-3)
These teams are tied for last in Division 1-4A. Mooreville has been shut our four times this season, including each of the last two weeks. Tish County is averaging 15.4 points per game and lost to Shannon last week, 46-6.
MYRTLE (2-5, 0-3) AT WALNUT (3-5, 0-3)
These teams are tied for last in Division 1-2A. Belmont fell to Belmont last week, 32-26, for its fifth-straight loss. Myrtle lost to East Union last week, 48-17.
NETTLETON (6-2, 1-1) AT NOXUBEE COUNTY (4-4, 1-1)
These teams are part of a three-way tie for second place in Division 4-3A. Nettleton is led by QB Braylen Williams, who has thrown for 1,785 yards, 20 TDs, 4 INTs. His top receivers are Anterion Venson (709 yards, 5 TDs) and Zavian Dilworth (628 yards, 11 TDs).
NEW ALBANY (6-2, 2-1) AT SOUTH PONTOTOC (2-6, 0-3)
QB Braden Shettles leads New Albany with 1,331 yards, 10 TDs, 4 INTs. In last week's 43-6 win over North Pontotoc, the freshman completed 17 of 22 passes for 309 yards, 4 TDs. This is a Division 2-4A game.
PONTOTOC (3-5, 1-2) AT NORTH PONTOTOC (2-6, 0-3)
These rivals meet in a Division 2-4A tilt. Pontotoc is led on defense by LB Qualen Dixon, who has recorded 82 tackles and 4 sacks. North Pontotoc has been outscored 208-39 during its current six-game losing streak.
POTTS CAMP (4-4, 1-2) AT EAST UNION (3-5, 3-0)
East Union has won three in a row and is tied with Baldwyn for first place in Division 1-2A. The Urchins beat Myrtle 48-17 last week, while Potts Camp lost 59-0 to Baldwyn.
SALTILLO (3-5, 2-2) AT COLUMBUS (3-5, 3-1)
With last week's 35-8 win over Greenville, Saltillo has two division wins in a season for the first time since 2014. The Tigers are tied with Lake Cormorant for fourth place in 1-5A. Columbus is tied for second with Lafayette.
SMITHVILLE (2-6, 1-3) AT H.W. BYERS (4-3, 1-3)
These teams are part of a three-way tie for fifth place in Division 1-1A. Smithville beat Falkner 32-14 last week, as QB Chandler Brunetti had two touchdowns passing and two rushing. H.W. Byers lost to Biggersville 63-6.
THRASHER (2-6, 1-3) AT TUPELO CHRISTIAN (3-4, 3-1)
TCPS is tied with Okolona for second place in Division 1-1A. The Eagles are led by QB/S Brewer Bailey, who has accounted for 5 TDs on offense and made 67 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 INTs on defense. Thrasher has gotten a big season out of RB/LB Jude White, who leads the team in rushing yardage (858), touchdowns (10) and tackles (80).
TUPELO (8-0, 4-0) AT MURRAH (0-8, 0-4)
Tupelo, the Daily Journal's No. 1 Large School, is alone in first place in Division 2-6A. QB Jeremiah Harrell is having a breakout season for the Golden Wave, completing 65% of his passes for 1,729 yards, 21 TDs and just 1 INT. Defensively, Tupelo is allowing 150.1 yards per game.
WATER VALLEY (3-4, 1-1) AT BOONEVILLE (4-4, 1-1)
These teams are part of a three-way tie for second place in Division 1-3A. Booneville QB Noah Gillon has completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,617 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs. LB Trenton Rocker paces the defense with 66 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 sacks.
OTHER GAMES
Alcorn Central (1-7) at Middleton (Tenn.) (0-8)
Calhoun Academy (4-5, 2-3) at Manchester Academy (7-2, 3-2)
Deer Creek (7-2) at Hebron Christian (0-9)
Oak Hill Academy (3-6, 2-1) at Marshall Academy (6-3, 2-1)
Starkville Academy (6-4, 2-2) at Washington Academy (2-7, 0-4)
Idle: Amory, Calhoun City
Brad Locke
