Porters Chapel first to hit football field|[08/01/07]

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Porters Chapel’s football team took the field this morning, the first of the four Warren County schools to do so.

The Mississippi Private School Association will have its first game a week before the start of public school season. The Eagles are scheduled to host Claiborne on Aug. 24.

It also marks a return to Academy-A for Porters Chapel after a one-year stint in double-A.

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&#8220I think the timing was right,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220We’re dressing out about 20 to 22 players; last year we had more than 30.”

Wright will have a nest of new Eagles to look at. Record-setting passer Hayden Hales, standout running backs Cody Ferguson and Moose Carney, and wide receivers Cole Smith, who holds the single season and all-time receiving records for the county, and Michael Busby all graduated.

Matt Cranfield will start under center and Matt Hall is slotted on both the offensive and defensive lines, Wright said. The rest of the positions are up for grabs.

&#8220We lost 10 starters on offense and nine on defense,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220The biggest thing we’ll be doing the first two weeks will be to come up with a depth chart and see who will play where.”

At the two largest schools in Warren County, the buzz around the start of the season is reaching a fever pitch.

It will be nine days like none other seen here with the much-anticipated Red Carpet Bowl and then a second-week meeting between Warren Central and Vicksburg.

The Gators dropped from Class 5A to 4A, which meant their end-of-the-year slugfest needed to be moved up since the final games of the season usually are reserved for region opponents.

Before the two heated rivals battle, though, they’ll get a taste of the state’s best with South Panola and Clarksdale. Warren Central gets the four-time defending state champion Tigers on Aug. 30, while Vicksburg will play Clarksdale on Aug. 31.

&#8220We are looking forward to getting the season started,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. &#8220There is a lot of excitement around here and in the community. We’re just looking to get things started.”

The Vikings will hit the field for the first time on Monday. Brewer said a busy summer has the Vikings conditioned well. Some, he said, have exceeded summer expectations and others met expectations.

&#8220We’ve still got a ways to go,” Brewer said. &#8220But the coaches will get in there and try to find the best 22 players to put on the field.”

Across the county, Stanton Price returns for his third year as the Gators’ starting quarterback. He threw for 1,520 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Dangerous offensive weapons Delmon Robinson, John Qualls and Les Lemons will put pressure on defenses.

St. Aloysius, coming off a playoff season a year ago, is scheduled to begin practice again on Monday. The Flashes finished last season with only two region losses and battled Mercy Cross in the state playoffs.

The Flashes will play 10 region opponents this year after being shifted into the largest Class 1A region with 11 teams. Madison St. Joe will be the only non-region opponent. The Flashes also will play archrival Cathedral at home.

Junior quarterback Chris Lewis returns after throwing for nearly 1,000 yards last year. The Flashes will have to replace the bruising running of Alex Halinski, who ran for 1,423 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Season openers