Prep RedZone MHSAA Playoff Preview & Predictions: 3A North

<!-- wp:image {"id":497884,"width":836,"height":470,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/11/Team-B-1-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-497884" width="836" height="470"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Up above is a play off picture for this year's Class 3A, North Playoff bracket. There are few teams in the North this year that have a chance at sweeping the board and punch their tickets to state. I wanted to give week by week predictions on who I believe has the best chance to do so. Also, this series will give insight to potential match-ups and behind the scenes stories. over the next month, I will give my predictions, and let you know who to look out for as the playoff's top performers for this post season. Enjoy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Loaded, Loaded Quadrant #1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kossuth, Aberdeen, and Humphrey's County are all looking like contenders moving into the first week of post-season action. Kossuth, at (8-2), is the team that I give the best chance to make it out of the quadrant and advance to the 3rd round of this years playoff. They have amassed a few impressive wins this year, after coming off of their 1-2 start to the year. The Aggies have found their way, rattling off 8 straight wins since Week 3. This along with how their playoff lives ended last season, gives them plenty of momentum to make a run. I give Kossuth the edge over both Aberdeen and Humphrey's County, nevertheless only a slight edge. Aberdeen and Humphrey's County are both decent teams sitting at respectable 7-3 records. These programs are set to face off against each other in this week's first round of games. This is a contest that will be closely contested and be a dog fight. I say this because these programs have similarites other than just their records on the season, which is why I could not just gloss over that match-up. In the end, this game will be won by who can control the line of scrimmage. Whoever earns the W, gets a ticket to a hungry Kossuth team. A Kossuth team that has a bitter taste in their mouth's following last years season ending loss to North-State Champion Amory. We shall see, this quadrant has the makings of some interesting potential contests!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prospects to Watch in this Quadrant</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kossuth:</strong> #4 <strong>Jack Johnson 2023</strong> QB | #53 <strong>Trace Wegmann</strong> 2023 DL | #2 <strong>Evan Patton</strong> 2023 OLB | #1 <strong>Ethan Tucker</strong> 2023 LB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aberdeen:</strong> #11 <strong>Jayden Walker</strong> 2023 LB | #3 <strong>Chris Holliday</strong> 2023 RB/DB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Humphrey's County</strong>: #1 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346265' first='Lazarious' last='Penn']</strong> 2024 RB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Noxubee's Quad to Lose, Noxubee's Quad to Take!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second Quadrant is a group of four teams that are matched up evenly in regards to records, but there is a discrepancy in the talent level and fortitude for sure! Noxubee County should handle this Quadrant and the first two rounds pretty handily. Earlier in the year, Noxubee was able to secure a 40-6 victory over Amanda Elzy. This game I see the score being even more lop-sided than the first. Now on to the winner of the Booneville &amp; Independence game. Booneville is a team that snuck into the playoffs by winning a single district game against a 2-8 Alcorn Central team. With that being said, Independence should handle them fairly easily in the first round. Independence is a respectable ball club this year, but I just don't see them being able to handle the physicality and athleticism that Noxubee County plays with. Noxubee County's schedule was a bit strenuous this year. They faced off against programs like: Louisville, Amory, West Point to get to their 6-4 record that stands now. This schedule has better prepared them for big games against quality opponents. Games have to be played regardless though, so we shall see! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Independence:</strong> #3 <strong>Keion Mays</strong> 2023 RB | #50 <strong>Antwone Davis </strong>2023 DT </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Noxubee County:</strong> #4 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='108999' first='Anthony' last='Little']</strong> 2023 WR | #67 <strong>Bryson Kelly</strong> 2023 OT | #6 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='123210' first='Dequadrion' last='Welch'] </strong>2024 WR | #1 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='648939' first='Kamario' last='Taylor'] </strong>2025 QB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Amory vs Everybody!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't want to say that 3A North is wrapped in a ribbon and sealed up by any means, but I would give Amory the edge over anyone else. Especially the group of teams that are on their side of the graphic the I presented up above. The only two teams out of the other 7 that could be a potential threat are North Panola and Nettleton. North Panola and Nettleton both have explosive offenses with respectful defenses, so this is not slight to them. The Panthers of Amory are just that good. Amory is a team/program that I have had my eyes on since this past summer. They have a bevy of talented prospects on both the offensive/defensive side of the football and even a specialist or two to add in the mix. Amory is a team that is just flat out better than their opponents, simply put. In my estimation they have about 8-12 guys that will go on and play some form of organized football beyond high school. Now.... I don't like to get ahead of myself until games are played or in progress, but what are previews &amp; predictions for? Amory will win in the first two rounds of playoff action, and they will win them by handily dominating their opponents. Similarly to what they've done all year long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Amory:</strong> #9 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='108968' first='Charleston' last='French']</strong> 2023 RB | #2 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='281322' first='Cameron' last='Haynes']</strong> 2023 ATH | #78 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='281786' first='Hayden' last='Dozier']</strong> 2023 OL | #76 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='349437' first='Kobe' last='Williams']</strong> 2024 OL | #5 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='286476' first='Elijah' last='Spratt']</strong> 2024 ATH | #8 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='312401' first='Nathaniel' last='Walker']</strong> 2024 LB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nettleton:</strong> #3 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284025' first='Braylen' last='Williams']</strong> 2026 QB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Panola: </strong>#2 <strong>QD Walls</strong> 2023 ATH | #4 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='273255' first='JJ' last='Harrell']</strong> 2024 WR | #3 <strong>MJ Newson</strong> 2023 WR | #6 <strong>Travious Hayes </strong>2023 FS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->