Best Mississippi Match Ups: Week 1

<p>Football is officially back in Mississippi this week and we cannot wait! While some of the MAIS teams have kicked things off a bit earlier, public school ball begins this Friday under the lights. This week features some of the best Week 1 matchups in recent memory. Take a look at the games of the week and where our eyes will be this Friday!</p>   <h2>Lafayette vs Tupelo</h2>   <p>5A contender Lafayette takes on 6A contender Tupelo in a game that was a defensive slug out last year, ending with the Golden Wave winning 5-3. Lafayette has lost some of their key defenders from last season, but has reloaded with a lot of fresh young talent that looks to pave the way for the future of the team. Tupelo returns a lot of veterans on both sides of the ball, most importantly on the offensive line. Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='108897' first='Zay' last='Alexander'] and [player_tooltip player_id='344055' first='Michael' last='Wallace'] among others make up a unit that can ground and pound the ball against any team in the state this season. Lafayette has their own dominant running game though, with senior returning running back <strong>Jayden Reed</strong> rushing for over 1400 yards and 12 scores last season. This game will be won in the trenches. Expecting another low scoring affair with two stout defenses and rushing attacks.</p>   <h2>Oxford vs Brandon</h2>   <p>Losing to Oxford at the beginning of the season last year, Brandon rebounded in a big way by finishing just 7 points shy of a state championship victory in 6A over Madison Central. Similarly, Oxford handled business in the regular season and ran into Madison Central in the playoffs as well. This game this Friday could be a potential playoff game come November depending on how the bracket falls. Oxford reloads with plenty of talent returning on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Linebacker and Arkansas commit [player_tooltip player_id='106769' first='Alex' last='Sanford'] and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='106318' first='Malaki' last='Pegues'] lead the unit in a big way and hold down the trenches. This offseason, former Heritage Academy and Utah commit [player_tooltip player_id='106161' first='Mack' last='Howard'] made the move over to Oxford, giving them next level quarterback play on an already good offense. Brandon returns many of their starters that got them to the state title game, including running backs [player_tooltip player_id='108964' first='Jarvis' last='Durr'] and [player_tooltip player_id='273259' first='Nate' last='Blount IV'] who combined for one of the state's top duos. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='273250' first='Landon' last='Varnes'] and WR [player_tooltip player_id='107036' first='Lester' last='Miller'] have quite the chemistry as well. These two teams will be playing deep into November this season, so there isn't a much better way for the season to start off for either of them. With the amount of firepower both these two teams have, expect this game to come down to who has the ball last. A whole lot of eyes will be on this one this Friday night.</p>   <h2>George County vs Gulfport</h2>   <p>Opening up the season, we have a great 5A vs 6A matchup here in George County vs Gulfport. George County lost this game 12-0 last season, but will have some home field advantage this year and a lot of returning playmakers. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='350918' first='Deuce' last='Knight'] is geared up with a year of starting under his belt and ready to make a name for himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the state. A Gulfport defense featuring lots of high caliber interior players is the perfect test to open the season. Gulfport brings back senior quarterback <strong>Jacob Palazzo</strong> who had one of the best TD:INT ratios last season, as well as the majority of his wide receivers from last year. Looking to replace production at the running back position, Gulfport could decide to turn things over to the passing game in this one on Friday. Expecting a good amount of points and a real fight between two of 5As and 6As playoff contenders.</p>   <h2>Madison Ridgeland Academy vs Oakland (TN)</h2>   <p>Starting the season 2-0, MRA has looked like the premier power in the MAIS this season. Quarterback and Southern Miss commit [player_tooltip player_id='344088' first='John' last='White'] and his offense have been playing at an incredibly high level, scoring 48 and 50 points in their first two games. This week, MRA travels up to Murfreesboro (TN) to take on Tennessee 6A state champion Oakland High School. The two schools played each other last season resulting in an Oakland win 31-13. MRA will look to bounce back this year against an Oakland team that lost a lot of talent at RB and WR, but returns plenty of young talent in the secondary. It is tough to play on the road, but even more difficult to play on the road in an unfamiliar territory. Expecting a big crowd at this one with the potential for MRA to pull off an upset against one of Tennessee's best teams.</p>   <h2>Mendenhall vs Columbia</h2>   <p>4A title champion Columbia kicks things off this season with a Mendenhall team that has shown a lot of growth over the last 3 seasons. While Columbia lost a lot of key playmakers on defense to graduation, including Alabama signee <strong>Jaheim Oatis</strong>, Columbia reloads well with young talent surrounding linebacker <strong>DJ Cloyd</strong>. On the offensive side of the ball, we will see a lot of new starters for Columbia and younger players roles growing from last season. Mendenhall has been building for this season for years, with many of their young players from the past two seasons having plenty of experience and age to them now. Returning the majority of their skill position players, Mendenhall's only real hurdle will be how they intend to replace QB [player_tooltip player_id='119867' first='DK' last='Jenkins'], who transferred to St. Martin earlier this year. While Columbia will enter with a lot of momentum and hype for good reason, do not discount Mendenhall pulling off the upset this week.</p>   <h2>Poplarville vs Picayune</h2>   <p>Two of the best teams in 4A square off against each other to open the season this year. Picayune was crowned the 4A state champion last season, but Poplarville was an extremely talented team that finished just a game away in the semifinals. A young team last year, Picayune returns a ton of talent that propelled them to their championship run last year including running backs [player_tooltip player_id='108971' first='Dante' last='Dowdell'] (Oregon commit) and [player_tooltip player_id='344053' first='Chris' last='Davis']. Poplarville has plenty of talent as well, returning many members of a talented offensive line as well as running back Maurice Travis who rushed for over 1330 yards last season. On the defensive side of the ball, Picayune returns many members of the front 7, while Poplarville will have to find a new premier defensive star after LB <strong>Khalid Moore</strong> graduated and signed with Mississippi State. Picayune took this win 21-13 last season, so watch for another close game this season. A whole lot of college talent and 2 of state title contenders for 4A will be on the field.</p>   <h2>West Point vs Louisville</h2>   <p>Two of the perineal powerhouses in 4A and 5A face off this week in a game that could set the tone for the playoff picture for each classification this season. Last season, West Point was on a near perfect run until running into eventual state champion Picayune in the second round of the playoffs. Similarly, Louisville had a great season, but ended their playoff run early as well. Both programs are looking to rebound in a big way this year and will look to get back on top early. West Point returns many key defenders and still boasts one of the state's most difficult rushing offenses to stop. Louisville rebuilt last season after their state championship run in 2020 and brings back a heavily regarded defense featuring the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='340743' first='Gabriel' last='Moore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='340862' first='Christavious' last='Savior']. Looking for this game to come down to the wire in a low scoring affair. </p>   <h2></h2>

Football is officially back in Mississippi this week and we cannot wait! While some of the MAIS teams have kicked things off a bit earlier, public school ball begins this Friday under the lights. This week features some of the best Week 1 matchups in recent memory. Take a look at the games of the week and where our eyes will be this Friday!