Preseason 4A Report

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lot of schools are going to be fighting very hard for that 4A crown. We have a regular season matchup of the state title game. That one is going to be very interesting to see. The South is definitely going to be fighting hard as usual. Let's check it out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><em>Louisville Wildcats</em></strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisville is loaded again this season. They only lost four starting seniors from last season. These young men only know how to win. Louisville is the only school to win multiple state titles in every decade. They simply know how to win football games. Xavier Hunt will be back holding down the quarterback position. They also have [player_tooltip player_id='402110' first='Xzarion' last='Haynes'] back. We expect him to have a very big season. They also Semaj Knowles, Corxavier Coleman, Tayquonn McKinney and [player_tooltip player_id='1127558' first='JaCari' last='Owens'] coming back this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><em>Mendenhall</em></strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mendenhall is going to be back ready to handle business. They have a matchup with their state title opponents from last season. October 20, they will be driving up to Louisville to play the Wildcats. This is going to be a very fun game. Mendenhall is going to be counting on that defense to make some things happen for them. Alonzo Newsome is going to be holding down things in the secondary for them. They have a nice offense that is going to look to be very aggressive this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><em>Houston Hilltoppers</em></strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hilltoppers lost in the semifinals of the playoffs last season. They had a very good run. This year [player_tooltip player_id='161267' first='Jalen' last='Washington'] will be back toting the rock. [player_tooltip player_id='311644' first='Will' last='Echoles'] is an Ole Miss commit that is ready to be going both ways. They also have [player_tooltip player_id='910013' first='Doug' last='Jones'] returning. He is looking to hold things down on defense for them at the linebacker position. They also have [player_tooltip player_id='1217436' first='Jayden' last='Knox'] that looks to make an impact as a sophomore. He is one of my favorite players in the 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Itawamba</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We all know that Itawamba is going to be packed with a lot of talent. [player_tooltip player_id='920462' first='John' last='Wood']s is going to be holding down the quarterback position. He is a guy that will have a breakout season. Look for him to do some big things early. [player_tooltip player_id='344055' first='Michael' last='Wallace'] has transferred from Tupelo. He is going to be a guy that plays offensive line and defensive line. [player_tooltip player_id='277010' first='Isaiah' last='Autry'] is one of the best offensive tackles in the nation. Expect to see him on defense some this year also.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><em>Columbia Wildcats</em></strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Columbia is a team that is going to make a lot of noise this year. They are one of my favorite teams in 4A. [player_tooltip player_id='648931' first='Anson' last='Lewis'] is going to be making a lot of big plays. He is a guy that you do not want getting loose in the open field. He will make you pay for it. They also have Amarrion Fortenberry who will be the man in the secondary. Some say he is arguably the best cornerback in the the state of Mississippi. The Wildcats are going to have a very fun season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->