4A State Semifinal Preview

The road to a 2021 State Championship in Hattiesburg runs thru Columbia and Caledonia on the night after Thanksgiving. Let's take a look at the matchups the the standouts participating in them. <strong>Senatobia (11-2) @ Caledonia (11-1)</strong> In a bit of a surprise Senatobia traveled to Fulton and smoked IAHS 45-6 last week. If the Warriors want to advance to next week's state title matchup they will need another strong road showing at Caledonia. SR RB Jordan Osborn is the leader on the offensive side and is a force with the football in his hand. Caledonia is having a season to remember as they come off a 27-7 win against defending state champs Louisville. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/darrius-triplett/">[player_tooltip player_id="104550" first="Darrius" last="Triplett"]</a> has long been considered a sleeper at ATH in the class of 2022 with athletic intangibles that make him intriguing at a skill position on offense or possibly as a defensive back at the next level. Keep an eye on Triplett on Friday night. <strong>Poplarville (11-2) @ Columbia (12-1)</strong> In what will be one of the biggest defenses battles of the week, many eyes will be on the action in Columbia. Two of the most heavily recruited defensive line prospects in the state for 2022 will be on the field. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/jaheim-oatis/">[player_tooltip player_id="104418" first="Jaheim" last="Oatis"]</a> is a true load in the center of the defensive front for Columbia. The Alabama commit has been one of the top players all year long statewide in 4A. On the flip side, Poplarville product <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/khalid-moore/">[player_tooltip player_id="104448" first="Khalid" last="Moore"]</a> is a Mississippi State commit and has emerged as one of the top rush ends in the state for the current class. Continued growth both physically and athletically has been impressive for Moore and leads to believe his true talents are just now being realized. The Hornets of Poplarville, and their nearly 4,000 rushing yards, will be a true test up front for Oatis and company. Maurice Travis is the get it done guy on the offensive end for Poplarville. The first battle of the year was won by Columbia a few weeks back but will the tide turn this week?