Week 9: FNUTL’s Top Ten Games of the Week
We have a fight for division leads in 9 of the top ten games this week. Let’s see what’s on the plate!
Week of October 23rd
1 West Jones at Brookhaven – Our Perfectly Powerful Peanut Game of the Week. After a barn-burner last year (34-26 win by West Jones), Brookhaven has a chance for revenge at home this year. Watch for a high scoring 5A Region 3 game.
2 Oak Grove (7-1) at Brandon (7-2) – A possible final? The Brandon Bulldogs, No. 6 in the state, takes No. 4 in the state in Brandon. Oak Grove is 4-0 in 6A Region 3, and Brandon is 3-1. The difference maker may be Brandon’s defense; in the region, Brandon is holding opponents to 10 points a game.
3 Olive Branch (5-3) at Columbus (6-2) – Olive Branch is only a handful of years from their championship and still are dangerous. Columbus is 4-0 and tied in 6A Region 1 with South Panola. Can they continue the pace against Olive Branch? Stay tuned.
4 Warren Central (7-1) at Clinton (6-2) – Warren Central has maintained a high level for the season and are ranked 12th in the state by MaxPreps. They take on the always-tough Clinton Arrows, equally 4-0 in 6A Region 2. This is as even a match there is. Watch for turnovers to possibly determine the winner.
5 St. Martin (8-1) at Ocean Springs (7-1) – The Greyhounds and the Yellowjackets have been circling each other since the start of the season, waiting for this match. Wait no longer. Ocean Springs is 4-0 in 6A region 4 and St. Martin is 3-1. The Greyhounds have been fueled by a defense that gives up a stingy 7 points a game in the region, while St. Martin has been averaging nearly 40 points a game. Why wins? We’ll see.
6 Gulfport (6-2) at D’Iberville (5-4) – Not one, but two great games in 6A region 4. The Admirals are also 4-0 and D’Iberville is 3-1. Both teams are on winning streaks and the winner will battle the Ocean Springs-St. Martin winner for the division lead.
7 Kemper County (6-2) at Forest (7-1) – In 3A region 5 Kemper County and Forest both have perfect 3-0 records. Kemper has been brutal in the region, scoring 44 points a game while yielding only 10. Forest averages 34 points a game while yielding 23, but Forest gets this one at home. Watch for the scoreboard to light up at Forest
8 Pascagoula (6-2) at Pearl River Central (7-1) – In 228 territory Pacagoula and Pearl River are two more fine teams in an area teeming with great play. Once again, two teams tied for a lead (4-0) in 5A region 4, with both teams with four game win streaks. No favorites, but the game will be played in Pearl River.
9 Laurel (5-3) at South Jones (7-2) – The Golden Tornadoes have bounced back from the opening season loss to Hattiesburg and are 4-0 in 5A Region 3. South Jones is 3-1, within shouting distance of Laurel and Wayne County. South Jones is averaging 30 points a game while Laurel is averaging a whopping 50 points a game in the region. South Jones will have it’s work cut out for it, with Laurel only giving up 7 points a game in the region.
10 Calhoun City (6-3) at Eupora (7-2) – The Calhoun City Wildcats stands 3-0 in 2A Region 4 and have a three game win streak. Eupora is 2-1 in the region after suffering a loss last week against Winona. The key will be if Eupora can keep Calhoun City off the field, as the Wildcats are averaging 44 points a game to Winona’s 15 a game.