Football is right around the corner here in Mississippi.
It is just one month away as our four high schools will begin their seasons Aug. 17, while Coahoma Community College’s season opens Aug. 30.
I have covered sports on an in-depth basis in three different states — first Arkansas, then Louisiana and Mississippi since 2011. The football seasons started two weeks later in Arkansas and Louisiana.
Personally, I prefer the early start.
Yes, the early start makes my job more difficult with getting preview stories finished and we’re thrown right into the football season. However, the early start is better for the schools.
Teams have all summer to prepare for the season, so it is hard for me to believe an extra two weeks will make much of a difference. I know there are heat issues, but I trust our coaches to make sure the players are properly hydrated and to take them out of practice and games if a problem occurs.
The reason I prefer the early start is you never know what could happen as the season progresses. If there is a problem with games having to be cancelled throughout the state for some unexpected emergency, there is more time to make things up.
The early start also provides teams with more of an opportunity to have bye weeks and make the necessary adjustments during the season. It also is a chance for teams to rest and heal from injuries.
In my experience, some coaches believe the bye week is bad for the team and breaks up momentum. They have the option of playing an extra game.
Either way, the early start provides more choices for every school.
Since we are starting earlier than other states, I would like to provide a brief analysis of what it will take for all five of our schools to succeed.
Clarksdale High School and Lee Academy have the most promise, as they were our two playoff schools in 2017.
The Wildcats underachieved greatly in 2017 with a first-round home playoff loss to Corinth. I believe coach Henry Johnson would agree they did not play up to their abilities.
The good thing is they have stability at the quarterback position with Cameron Matthews returning as the starter. The problem is the Wildcats play many tough teams at the beginning of the year. That really seemed to hurt their confidence last season. However, Johnson will be more prepared to handle those issues in 2018 since he saw how his team responded last year.
The Colts were blown out in the first round of the playoffs and it was a victory for them to even be a postseason team last year. They had a thin roster in 2017 and lost some key seniors including quarterback Jacob Branch.
I still believe Lee has a chance to make the playoffs once again. Second-year coach Rick Johnston maximized his talent in his first season at the helm and helped the Colts, in my opinion, overachieve. That was the reason the Press Register named him coach of the year for the area.
If Johnston does just as good of a job of coaching, things will be fine.
Coahoma Early College High School coach Jeremiah Brassell has just one win in his two seasons at the helm, but he had some very young teams. No matter what the circumstances were, it seemed Brassell’s players never quit. They showed an extreme loyalty to him.
Now, they have upper classmen leading the way. If the Tigers can have some stability, particularly at the quarterback position, which a few athletes played last year, they have an opportunity to compete for a playoff position.
Coahoma County High School was a mess last season naming a head coach two weeks prior to the opener. In fact, the Red Panthers have had seven coaches since 2011.
Mario Lane was hired from Ruleville in the offseason to lead the Red Panthers. He has been running a summer program and appears to be bringing much-needed stability to the football program. Hopefully, that preparation will show on the field.
As of now, it is very hard to predict how the Red Panthers will fare.
CCC coach Steven Miller is headed into his third season and the program took some baby steps in 2017 with two wins, including a blowout homecoming victory against Mississippi Delta Community College.
The problem is the Tigers have not won consistently in a long time.
Miller is doing a good job, but he is going to have to win the trust of recruits, which I think he can do if given the time to turn things around.
You never know what will happen when teams take the field.
I have outlined what I believe the key issues are, but I encourage everyone to come out and support the local schools and see for yourselves how our teams fare.
The kids and coaches are working hard and deserve our support.
