Tri-County, Prentiss meet for 4-A title

Published 12:00 am Friday, October 3, 2003

[10/3/03]Tri-County lost its first game of the season last week to Glenbrook 19-13. Thankfully it was a non-conference game.

“It was a little eye-opener,” Rebels coach Bo Milton said. “It brought us back down and we know we can’t just expect to win.”

This week’s game may prove to be the biggest of the season as Tri-County (5-1, 1-0 Conference 4-A) faces Prentiss Christian (2-4, 2-0).

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With only four teams in the conference, this game will ultimately determine the champion.

If Prentiss wins, it sweeps the board and takes the title. If Tri-County wins, all it needs to do is defeat Union for the title.

Led by tailback Drew Posey (645 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns) and quarterback John Mark Johnson (468 rushing yards, six touchdowns), look for the Rebels to pound the ball against the defending conference champions.

Port Gibson (1-4) hosts Amite Co. (1-3)

Port Gibson brings its struggling offense back home to face an equally slumping Amite County team.

Port Gibson’s defense has been solid at times, but its offense has managed only 12.8 points per game. The Blue Waves have been shut out twice in five games, and have scored 20 or more points only once.

“We’ve got to make some changes,” Port Gibson coach Bo Wright said. “We’ve got to figure out how to put the ball in the end zone.”

Luckily for the Blue Waves, they haven’t hit the meat of their schedule yet. They’ve only played one region game, a 49-20 loss to first-place Hazlehurst, so there’s still time to turn things around.

“The good thing is we’ve only played one district game. We’ve still got five district games, so if we can put it in the end zone we’ll be OK,” Wright said. “If we can find a way to turn this thing around, we’ll be fine.”

McCall (1-3) at Grambling (0-3)

McCall’s players will get a rare treat this week a chance to play in a college stadium when they travel to face Grambling.

The game will be played in Grambling University’s Robinson Stadium.

McCall has struggled early against several larger schools, but will face a Grambling team that has also fallen on hard times. After several years as a state championship contender, the Tigers are winless this season.

Newellton (1-3) hosts L. Providence (0-4)

Newellton has had a tough time so far this season, playing against bigger teams like Ouachita Christian and Class 2A power Vidalia. This week the Bears will take on another Class 2A foe, Lake Providence. But it’s one the Bears should be able to handle.

Newellton will be without two players this week. Running back Houston James has a cracked ankle and is out for the season, while quarterback Carnell Hill will miss the next two games with a separated shoulder.

Tensas (1-5) hosts Huntington (2-4)

After an 0-5 start, Tensas Academy will try to win its second straight game when it faces archrival Huntington. Tensas beat Amite 27-7 last week despite committing five turnovers, but head coach Chris Jacobs feels his team is finally coming around.

South Delta (4-1) at Bastrop (4-0)

The Bulldogs will travel 150 miles to battle Bastrop in a non-regional game.

Bastrop, ranked No. 3 in Louisiana’s Class 4A, boasts a stacked defense that forced two fumbles resulting in touchdowns in a 14-6 win over Huntington.

SIA (5-1) hosts Deer Creek (4-2)

Sharkey dropped its first game of the season in last week’s 36-14 loss to Tallulah Academy.

The Confederates will continue their tough Conference 5-A stretch against a Deer Creek team that shut out Greenville Christian 56-0 a week ago.

Davidson (2-2) at Sterlington (4-0)

Reeling from the loss of star running back and linebacker Mark Winston to a serious head injury, Davidson lost 56-0 to Red River last week. They’ll have an even bigger challenge tonight against Sterlington, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A.

Davidson linebacker Marcus Walker said the loss of Winston, who suffered an apparent brain aneurysm against LaSalle, affected the team last week.

“I wasn’t scared, but you could feel it. People weren’t as aggressive as they normally would be,” Walker said. “The whole game, that’s where everybody’s mind was.”

Tall. Acad. (5-1) at G’ville Christian (1-4)

One of the best defenses in Academy-A will take on one of the worst offenses. Tallulah has surrendered 37 points this season, while Greenville Christian has scored only 32.

Tailback Cade Marsh leads Tallulah with 585 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Tallulah (0-4) hosts St. Frederick (2-2)

Tallulah is mired in a 17-game losing streak, but seems to be inching closer to ending it every week. After losing 57-0 to archrival McCall in the season-opener, the Trojans have dropped their last three games by a total of 24 points.

C-Hunt (0-6) at Prairie View (0-5)

Chamberlain-Hunt may have its best chance yet at ending a 16-game losing streak tonight against winless Conference 3-AA rival Prairie View. CHA has been outscored 250-18 this season.

C. Hinds (4-2) hosts Riverfield (3-3)

In a key matchup, Central Hinds will put its 3-0 Conference 3-AA record on the line.

A win would all but guarantee a playoff spot for the Cougars and set them up for an Oct. 17 showdown with Simpson.

Raymond (2-3) hosts Raleigh (4-1)

The Rangers opened their regional schedule last week with a 30-6 loss to Magee. If Raymond wins this week, it will be back in the hunt for the playoffs.

Raleigh’s defense has allowed only one team Magee to reach 20 points all season.

Hinds AHS (4-1) hosts St. Andrew’s (4-1)

The region opener for both teams will be a battle of stingy defenses. Hinds AHS is allowing just 8.4 points and 70.6 rushing yards per game, while St. Andrew’s comes in allowing 10.6 points per game.

Hinds AHS has not allowed a point in the second quarter this season.