Football Preview 2022

THE MISS-LOU’S ORIGINAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW A PUBLICATION OF THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 1 9/8/22 1:10 PM

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 3 INDEX FEATURES • JUNIOR REBELS 9 • PLAYING FOR JORDAN 15 • BACK TO HIS ROOTS 24 • MR. DEPENDABLE 30 • KEEP RUNNING UP THAT HILL 36 • RAMS HUNGRY FOR TITLE 38 • WILDCATS HAVE TO COMPETE, COMPETE, COMPETE 40 • 2022 MASTER SCHEDULES 45 SEASON PREVIEWS • ACCS 7 • CATHEDRAL 13 • DELTA CHARTER 18 • FERRIDAY 22 • NATCHEZ 28 • VIDALIA 34 EDITORIAL DESIGN ADVERTISINGFOOTBALLPUBLISHERPREVIEW REGIONAL EDITOR Copyright 2022 © The Natchez Democrat Kevin Warren Stacy Graning Lisa De’NoraSandersStewartKaelinDayeJamarWhiteHunter Cloud Patrick Jones Samuel Cooley Justin Akey 36 is produced and published by Natchez Newspapers Inc., 503 N. Canal St., Natchez, MS 39120. The magazine is published once a year. For additional information on this issue or other publications or for copies, call 601-442-9101. To inquire about story content, email editor@natchezdemocrat.com, or to inquire about advertising, email advertising@natchezdemocrat.com 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 3 9/8/22 1:10 PM

“I think the biggest thing is if a player wants to brand themselves we give them a chance to do so,” McNair said. “We make sure they under stand it. We just want to stay in compliance with the NCAA. Kids have to understand it and how not to get in trouble.” HUNTER CLOUD NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

COVID had an impact on the team in previous years. He said last season they weren’t able to bond as well but this year they have a chance to get to know each other as a team. Jones is already thinking ahead to the first game of the season and Saturdays at Spinks-Casem Stadium. “You got the band playing and the crowd cheering. The sidelines are hype. It’s a great at mosphere. I miss it in the off-season,” Jones said. “It is a part of you and I’m just ready to get back into it. I watch films and games when I’m bored. It is hard to stay away from it. Alcorn State is a good school. We are a big family. We have some thing here every day and I love to see new people build bonds and relationships.” A redshirt-junior, he has at least one more season left in the tank. Alcorn State’s drive for a conference championship starts on Sept. 24 when they play the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff at home. Last season, they had a tough battle in a 29-28 win.

NIL WithDealstheopening of NIL Deals for college ath letes to earn money for their likeness, it has trans formed the college football landscape across the board. McNair said while it could help players it hasn’t changed the way they recruit.

ORMAN — After missing the 2020 season due to COVID, Alcorn State went 6-5 in their 2021 season with a 5-3 conference record. They look to bounce back from a disappointing season when they kickoff against Stephen F. Aus tin on Sept. 3, 2022. Alcorn State players Kee Wayne Jones and Juan Anthony Jr. said they had a bad taste in their mouths last season. Their goal for this season is to win a conference championship like they did in 2018 and 2019 and reach the Celebration Bowl, played between the MEAC and the SWAC. “It’s my last year and we are ready to go out with a bang and reach the SWAC Champion ship,” Anthony said. “We have grown great over the offseason. Our strength coach is one of the best we have had. We had a little more edge. This whole team has a chip on our shoulder and a bad taste in our mouth. We didn’t win a championship last year and that is our goal every year. We have highHeexpectations.”saidthebiggest game on the calendar is the next one as they have to take one week at a time. If Alcorn State looks three games down the schedule they could be 0-3. Anthony is a senior and is getting closer to his final season. A Woodville native, he has family and friends who come up to watch him play for theHeBraves.saidit feels good to be close to home and have the support from Wilkinson County High School. At the end of the season his plan is to get his masters and get a job with the USDA. He grew up in the country and wanted a job where he could work outside in the country. At the end of his time at Alcorn, he said he is going to miss it. “I’m going to miss my teammates. It’s been good to have good energy around the whole building,” Anthony said. “Alcorn State means a lot to me. It gave me an education and a place to call home. I want to be the first team all confer ence this year. If we can win the championship, it is the biggest goal I have as a senior.” Head Coach Fred McNair said the off-season seems to get shorter every year as he enters his fourth year as a head coach at Alcorn State. His coaching career started in 1986 as the Wide Re ceivers coach for the Braves.

4 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 YOURYOURISIS There includingtrainedourOurTinaThomas

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Alcorn State is still addressing their needs and positions. For example, when kicker Christopher Thompson entered the transfer portal they did not have to worry because they still had sophomore Noah Kiani and Alaskan punter Carson Reed.

Deion Roberson returns as the defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach, Toren zo Quinn was hired as the defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach, Jonathan Bradley is the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach and Matt Brown was promoted to nickels coach.“The kids are excited about what we are do ing,” McNair said. “I’m proud of what we have done this off-season and we are working really hard for the upcoming season.”

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BRAVES HUNGRY FOR SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP

Jones said he is looking forward to playing this season because he and the team have something to prove. They want to get back to the winning tradition. While he has won a SWAC Champion ship before, he would love to play in the celebra tion bow. He said they are working towards the goal.Fall camp started August 5, and he said his goal is to get better every single day. McNair said they are going to have to be flawless in fall camp and make sure their expectations are high.

There is excitement for the upcoming football season. Natchez’s Rolling River Reloaded held an alumni foundation function to get local fans excited for the upcoming season. Alcorn’s new Athletic Director Raynoid Dedeaux has pushed hard to get season tickets sold out. “They just have to show up for the games and we have to make sure as a program we keep them coming,” McNair said. “We are looking forward to a full stadium. We hope COVID will stay away. I expect a good turnout this year. We ex pect to bounce back…I’m excited.” Looking for a leader McNair said he spoke with his coaches this past week about leadership roles and some guys who are capable of taking it on. Quarterback Aar on Allen, who transferred from Louisiana Tech, has been a good leader so far. McNair said he wants to have guys be leaders on both sides of the“I’veball. spoken to several guys about that role. We need someone to be vocal and understand what we have to do to win,” he said. “You can see those leaders emerge right around now. When we had the spring camp you could see peaks of it then. During the summer you start to see some guys blossom out. Hopefully, by fall camp we will solidify who those leaders are.”

He said right now is when the football team is busy getting in shape for fall camp. Barry Gant. Jr, the strength and conditioning coach, has worked well with the team. They also made some changes in the off-season to the coaching staff.

The Braves are helping their student athletes with resources and compliance to make sure they are in good standing in relation to the NIL deals.

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YOUR PROTECTIONYOUR PROTECTION IS OUR PRIORITY PRIORITY There Is Merit In our schools. Our Sports Medicine sta is proud to o er certi ed athletic trainers for our local high schools and Alcorn State University. Our therapy sta is trained and ready to assist patients with many conditions and injuries including orthopedic, neurological and sports injuries.

Tina Thomas Fred Worthy Head Athletic Trainer & ATC/L, Kayla Gilmore ATC/L, pictured:

Jasmine Anderson ATC/L Daniel McCallum, M.D. Merit Health Medical Group Orthopedics Michelle Kaiser, PT Director of Outpatient Therapy Services 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 5 9/8/22 1:10 PM

“You know your program is in good shape when you go 9-3 and win district and get to the semifinals and some people think that it’s a down year.” King

David

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ACCS

COLEMAN CARTER CONOR TERRELLAPLINTENNER ADAMS COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL AC 46-21 BROOKHAVEN ACADEMY OAK FOREST 35-6 AC AC 54-18 CLINTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY AC 35 -15 ST. ALOYSIUS PARKLANE 21-20 AC AC 42-0 SILLIMAN INSTITUTE AC 19-18 TRI-COUNTY AC 45-17 PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN AC 43-36 RIVERFIELD ACADEMY AC 41-7 RIVERFIELD ACADEMY (PLAYOFFS) KIRK ACADEMY 16-7 (PLAYOFFS) 2021ACCSRESULTSREBELS LOOK TO SURPRISE THE COMPETITION IN 2022 PLAYERS TO WATCH BY PATRICK JONES | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE AUG. 19 AC AT BROOKHAVEN ACADEMY AUG. 26 AC VS OAK FOREST ACADEMY SEPT. 2 AC AT CLINTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY SEPT. 9 AC VS CENTREVILLE ACADEMY SEPT. 16 AC AT ST. ALOYSIUS SEPT. 23 AC VS PARKLANE ACADEMY SEPT. 30 AC AT SILLIMAN INSTITUTE OCT. 7 AC VS TRI-COUNTY OCT. 14 AC AT PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN OCT. 21 AC VS RIVERFIELD 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 7 9/8/22 1:10 PM

ACCS went 9-3 overall and 4-0 in MAIS District 3-4A. After receiving a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A Play offs, the Rebels took care of Riverfield Academy 41-6 in the quarterfinals before being upset at home by No. 11 seed Kirk Academy 16-7 in the semifinals. “You know your program is in good shape when you go 9-3 and win district and get to the semifinals and some people think that it’s a down year,” ACCS head coach Da vid King said. “We would’ve like to finish the semifinals with fewer turnovers. It was a disappointing end to a good season. Last year is behind us. This team has new leaders. We lost a lot of good players. But we’ve got a group of good seniors who are close knit. They’re excited about the potential for an other good season at AC.” King said the highlight of the season was beating eventual state champion Tri-County to win the district championship. That was the Rebels’ eighth district championship in the last 10 “Beatingyears.the No. 1 team in the state, Tri-County. Riverfield and Tri-County were No. 1 and 2 in the state, and we won both on the road. We don’t really (dwell) on the past). But that was the highlight of the sea son,” King said. ACCS lost seven seniors from last year’s team and King added that they were all good players.“Welost seven defensive starters and six offensive starters,” King noted. As for what his expectations and goals are for the 2022 season, King didn’t specify a certain number of wins, winning another

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 7 ACCS PREVIEW NATCHEZ

— The Adams County Chris tian School Rebels have put the end of the 2021 season behind them and in the MAIS Class 4A semifinals behind them and are looking forward to another successful season in 2022.

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ACCS will begin its season on Friday, Aug. 19 on the road at Brookhaven Academy at 7 p.m. The Rebels’ home open er is set for Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. against Oak Forest Academy.

district title or even being a legitimate state championship contender.Instead, he said, “We al ways want to play hard and represent ACCS well and get better as the season goes no. Not get stale. Continue to get better. We’ve got some really good seniors and some good kids. We’re not as talented as we’ve been. But we’ve got some hard-working players. We’re picked to finish third in district this year. We we’re picked to finish third (behind Tri-County and Riverfield) lastKingyear.”said that the Rebels’ entire senior class is going to be the key players this year if they are to make another deep postseason run and be in con tention for the district cham pionship.“They’re hungry. They didn’t like how last year end ed. If they stay together, like I know they can, stay focused and keep positive, we can sur prise some people and win a few games,” King said. However, the schedule ACCS faces in 2022 will in deed be “brutal” as coach King put it. And not just in district play. “We have (Class 6A) Park lane and (Class 5A) Oak For est. Tri-County and Riverfield are both ranked in the top five. Bottom line is right now we’ve got an uphill battle this season,” King said. “We kind of like the situation we’re in this year with the underdog role. Tri-County and River field and Clinton Christian are all going to be outstanding.”

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AC has an expectation to win because they have not had a losing season since their 2012 season. David King became the head coach of AC’s high school team in 2013 after his 14 year career at Trinity Epsicopal Day School. His program’s success starts with the CLOUD

Sean Kerry Cothern, Brandy Sullivan and Preston Anderson have a goal of winning a championship this year and every season they are with the varsity team. Freeman said it’s good the kids don’t lack confidence. “It’s good they think our program will always win. They don’t accept los ing,” Freeman said. “ It is good to have a program where they have the belief. As coaches, we expect to win and they should too.”

Adrian Walker celebrates a touchdown in a junior varsity game against Riverfield in 2021. ACCS won its third straight JV District Championship that year.

AC has won three straight JV district championships and is gearing up for a run at another title. They went undefeat ed last year after being put into a new district; typically the district changes every two Ninth-gradersyears.

JUNIOR REBELS WHERE A CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDATION IS BUILT BY HUNTER

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NATCHEZ — Adams County Chris tian School’s Junior High Head Coach Matthew Freeman watched the future of Rebel football work under neath the sweltering July sun. The sev enth- through ninth-graders comprise the JV team, which is building on a leg acy of success.

development of younger players. Freeman, who played for King at Trinity, said everything he teach es is based on what he learned from King. Junior Varsity is a way for players to get their feet wet and develop a base layer of football knowledge before going to high school. He said if the players can learn the basics now it will help them be ahead when they get to the high school level. AC’s scheme and program is continuous from junior varsity to varsity. The cul tural expectations are the same too.This spring, King listed out his expectations for the varsity team, how players should dress, how they should carry them selves, how they should take care of their bodies. Freeman did the same in the last week of July. “From day one it is about the culture and we learn the rules,” Sullivan said. “Coaches have told us throughout the years what they expect and it has just carried on. I have learned a lot about re spect in my time here.” Respect for teammates, respect for coaches and respect for op ponents are big in AC’s culture. King and his assistant coaches expect their players to remain humble, to watch out for each other and to follow directions. The Rebel culture is taught by the upperclassmen, Anderson said. Tristan Burns and Adrian Walker were all ninth-graders last year who led the seventhand eighth-graders. Connor Aplin and Samuel Merriett would have taught Burns and Walker the same values and were juniors last year. Colin Cauthen was a senior last year and like ly would have taught Aplin and Merriett.“JVis about leadership and about encouragement. It is just like a family, a brotherhood,” Anderson said. “We build from here because we start off young. We build the relationship togeth er and we get stronger. We know we have to work for success. Nothing here comes easy.” Last season, Burns, Peterson and Coleman Carter played sig nificant minutes on the varsity football team as freshmen. Car ter did not play with the JV team but Peterson and Burns played a crucial role in their success. Freeman said it is important to get any ninth-grader they can to play up because it helps the varsity and JV teams. Freshmen from the JV team typically play on special teams with kickoffs and punt returns to give the up perclassmen breaks. He said when the freshmen practice and play with both the JV and varsity they gain confi dence.“They get more motivated and then they pick up more on the details. They see how the varsity guys play,” Freeman said. “They learn techniques from their old er teammates. JV’s speed of the game is slower than varsity so varsity experience helps with their athletic ability and decision making.”Sullivan says their goal over the next four seasons is to be division leaders, make the play offs and win multiple rings. The football season begins this fall on Thursday nights but their journey starts with summer prac tices. Cothern said players and coaches push them to get better each and every day. “We plan to play by each oth er through high school,” Coth ern said. “We always try to win the championship and we like to push each other. We have learned how to pick each other up and even at times the other team. We like to work as hard as we can each day and get better.”

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“Obviously the results weren’t what we wanted. We played hard and played some close games,” Chuck Darbonne

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 13 CATHEDRAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW N

— The Cathedral High School Green Wave will look for a bounce-back season in 2022 after a disappointing season in 2021 that result ed in just four victories, a few tough close losses, and a surprising playoff berth. Last year Cathedral’s varsity football team got off to a rough start with a loss to eventual MAIS Class 6A state champion Madison-Ridgeland Academy followed by a shutout loss to Madison St. Joe. That was followed by three straight wins, including a 21-20 comeback win over another 6A team in Parklane Academy. However, one-point setbacks to archrival St. Aloysius High School and District 3-5A opponent Central Hinds Academy hurt the Green Wave as they ended up with a 4-7 overall record and a 1-3 record in district play. They somehow got the No. 12 seed in the Class 5A Playoffs and lost in the first round at No. 5 seed Bayou Academy 34-6.

NOAH TANNERKADENRUSSBATIESTEWIMBERLY CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL MADISON-RIDGELAND ACADEMY 56-7 CATHEDRAL ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC 12-0 CATHEDRAL CATHEDRAL 47-14 PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL 21-20 PARKLANE ACADEMY CATHEDRAL 41-14 PISGAH ST. ALOYSIUS 28-27 CATHEDRAL COPIAH ACADEMY 44-16 CATHEDRAL CENTRAL HINDS 35-34 CATHEDRAL 35-14 SILLIMAN INSTITUTE OAK FOREST ACADEMY 39-7 CATHEDRAL BAYOU ACADEMY 34-6 CATHEDRAL (PLAYOFFS) 2021 RESULTSCATHEDRAL LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK STRONGER IN 2022 PLAYERS TO WATCH BY PATRICK JONES | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE AUG. 19 CATHEDRAL AT MADISON-RIDGELAND ACADEMY AUG. 26 CATHEDRAL VS MADISON ST. JOE SEPT. 2. CATHEDRAL VS PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN SEPT. 9 CATHEDRAL AT PARKLANE ACADEMY SEPT. 16 CATHEDRAL AT PISGAH SEPT. 23 CATHEDRAL VS ST. ALOYSIUS SEPT. 30 CATHEDRAL VS COPIAH ACADEMY OCT. 7 CATHEDRAL VS CENTRAL HINDS ACADEMY OCT. 14 CATHEDRAL VS SILLIMAN INSTITUTE OCT. 21 CATHEDRAL AT OAK FOREST ACADEMY 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 13 9/8/22 1:10 PM

“Obviously the results weren’t what we wanted. We played hard and played some close games,” Green Wave head coach Chuck Darbonne said. “As a group coming off a 10-1 season (in 2020), we didn’t have as many players returning and we went up in classification. Early on, we were trying to get our footing. We just had some mis takes. Throughout the season, we got bet ter as a Darbonnegroup.”said the 2021 season was one of those years where Cathedral just couldn’t make the big plays in crucial times during the games — especially at the end of the first half and the end of the game. That was evident in a 28-27 loss to St. Aloysius and a 35-34 loss to Central Hinds.Asfor what was the highlight of the sea son, Darbonne didn’t hesitate in saying the win over “BeatingParklane.a6Aschool, coming from be

ATCHEZ

“We play them and Riverfield Academy. They start at 5:30 p.m.,” Darbonne said. “I don’t know what time we play them, but I know we play both of them.” Then on Thursday, Aug. 11, Cathedral will travel to Flora for the Tri-County Academy Jamboree. As of Monday, July 25, Darbonne said he doesn’t know who the Green Wave or at what time, but he added he does know they will be playing against two teams.

Cathedral has a tough schedule once again in 2022 as they travel to Madison to take on the Class 6A state champion MRA Patriots

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in the season-opener on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. That is followed by the Green Wave’s home opener against Madison St. Joe on Fri day, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. The Green Wave’s annual Military Ap preciation Game will take place on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. when they play host to Park Place Christian Academy. Then it’s back-toback road games for Cathedral as it travels to McComb to take on Parklane Academy on Friday, Sept. 9, followed by a trip to northern Rankin County to take on MHSAA Class 2A Pisgah High School on Friday, Sept. 16.

14 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 hind and winning in the last two minutes was a big momentum for us. Something our kids could look at, beating a bigger school,” Dar bonneCathedralsaid. only loses four seniors from last year’s team in Christian Wright, Paxton Junkin, Harper Jones, and Tyler Gregg. How ever, three of them made up over 80 percent of the team’s receiving yards. And having to replace that amount of production in the passing game could be a key factor in how good this year’s offense will be. “For the passing game, that was three big losses,” Darbonne said. “We have to find a way to replace the production at receiver. With a third-year starting quarterback, we should be able to rely on him more in the passing game.” That third-year starting quarterback is se nior Noah Russ, who has thrown for over 3,500 yards and over 40 touchdowns over the last two years. One of his targets he’ll be throwing the ball to will be fellow senior Kaden Batieste, who is actually moving from running back to wide receiver after being the Green Wave’s leading rusher last year. This will be Batiste’s fourth year as a starter as he is also starting at cornerback. Three oth er playmakers played part-time last year and who Darbonne said will be making the next step as consistent starters — seniors Mason Moore and Jacob Smith as well as junior Tris McCoy. McCoy and Smith also play at de fensive back. As far as other key players returning are senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Tanner Wimberly, who will be in his third year as a starter; senior linebacker Jordan Henry, who was the Green Wave’s leading tackler last year; senior linebacker Jake Hair ston, who led the team in sacks with eight; senior offensive linemen Bryce McGlothin and Jack Lewis, who each are in their sec ond year starting on the O-line; senior kicker Bryson Hughes, who Darbonne said has re ally improved going back to the end of last season; junior linebacker Jack Whittington, who will be a second-year starter at the po sition and was second on the team in tackles last year; junior cornerback Justin Hawkins, who Darbonne said, will also play a big role at receiver as well; and junior center Hayden Cotton, who will be a second-year starter at thatOtherposition.players who played part-time in 2021 who Darbonne expects big things from as consistent starters in 2022 are senior of fensive lineman Wyatt Fair, senior defensive lineman Teddrick Hargrave, and junior of fensive lineman Bennett Gilly. As for what his expectations are for the 2022 season, Darbonne said, “The good part about last year was the experience of playing with new kids. Only losing four seniors, we have a lot of guys who started or played a lot. That experience should help as we get ready for the season. We have 14 seniors. Through their leadership, we expect to uphold the high quality of standards of football at Cathedral. We have really stepped up in leadership roles. They have improved in the weight room and in their practice habits where we’ve really gotten better as a team because of the upcom ingAndseniors.”while the offense is going to be dif ferent, so, too, will the defense as the Green Wave will rely more on speed and less on size and “Defensively,strength.we’ve gone with quicker players. We replaced size with more speed. We’re going to play a more aggressive de fense. For us to be a good defense, we have to tackle better. We were up and down last year. We had some good games and had some good quarters and we were one or two plays away on both sides of the ball that we weren’t able to recover from,” Darbonne said. “I would say to the offense is receivers being able to step up and replace the ones who graduated.”

Then it’s back home to D’Evereaux Stadi um for a home game and an opportunity for revenge as the Green Wave hosts St. Aloysius on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. After that they finish the season with four straight District 3-5A games. First, the Green Wave travels to Gallman to take on Copiah Academy on Fri day, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. After that Cathedral has back-to-back home games, both with 7 p.m. kickoffs — Central Hinds Academy for homecoming and another chance at redemption from last season on Friday, Oct. 7, followed by Sil liman Institute for the Pink Wave Game as well as Senior Night on Friday, Oct. 14. In the regular-season finale, the Green Wave travel to Amite, La. to take on defending dis trict champion Oak Forest Academy on Fri day, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. “I always like our chances of competing against anyone,” Darbonne said. “Copiah went to the state title game and lost to Her itage Academy. Oak Forest also lost to Her itage (in the semifinals). Central Hinds won eight games. Our kids will be ready each week no matter who we have on the sched ule.Before starting the season for real on Aug. 19, the Green Wave will have some scrim mage games and a jamboree to help get them ready. On Thursday, Aug. 4, they will travel to Brookhaven Academy for a scrimmage.

NATCHEZ — Cathedral finished its summer workouts in mid-July prior to starting fall camp. A No. 9 jersey hangs in the locker room and a bible the team read before every game last year lies under it undisturbed. Its owner is gone. It’s been about six months since Green Wave students, fans, coaches and teachers found out the tragic news. Sophomore Jordan Herrington was killed in a wreck near Lake St. John on LouisianaTeammates569.Jack Winnington, Justin Hawkins and Tris McCoy are helping each other through the grieving pro cess. His absence is noticed not only in the locker room but also the football field. Head Coach Chuck Darbonne said this spring they had been there helping the kids manage and cope with the loss.

Jordan Herrington played defensive end for the Green Wave. He was killed in a wreck on January 14, 2022 near Lake St. John. A minor was charged in the wreck which killed him but no further information has been released to a juvenile being involved in the case.

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Winnington said the whole team helps each other grieve and comfort. They go out to his grave and cross on Louisiana 569.“I feel like sometimes I will walk out here and he will still be there,” Win nington said.

One of the things Darbonne and as sistant coach Kurt Russ praised Her rington for was his attitude. Hawkins has drawn inspiration to improve him

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PLAYING JORDANFOR

McCoy has found inspiration in Her rington’s life. “It motivates me to accomplish more with my life,” McCoy said. “I want to go to the NFL. I want to go to LSU and study Sports Management… The pain is still there, I just have to deal with it.” Football season is right around the cor ner and the Green Wave are locked in on a goal to play for Herrington this season.

From left, teammates Jack Winnington, Tris McCoy and Justin Hawkins hold up the numbers Nine and one for their teammate Jordan Herrington who was killed in a wreck January 14, 2022. He wore the number 9 jersey and wanted the Green Wave to be state champions and worked hard.Justin

16 GRIDIRON 2022 self this off season. “Jordan was the one who got us going and always gave 100 percent. He was never late and always the first one in the gym,” Haw kins said. “He gave everyone motivation. I have worked really hard and gotten stronger and faster over this off season. It was a big loss but we have to work hard every time and give our best.” Winnington said he first knew Herrington in little league when they played baseball together. Herrington had gone to Natchez High School until transferring to Cathedral his freshman year. Hawkins is his cousin and has known him the longest. Around his neck, he wears a necklace of him and Jordan. He had the necklace made two weeks after the acci dent and got it in February. It doesn’t come off, not even for showers as rust has formed on the back of it. Football helps him heal. “We grew up together and went to church together. I wasn’t ever really close with him until he came to Cathedral,” Hawkins said. “Football gets things off your mind.”

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Hawkins had this necklace made of him and his cousin about two weeks after the wreck. They were not really close until Jordan attended Cathedral his freshman year. He said their bond grew. Hawkins said he does not take the necklace off and it has become rusted on the back from showers.

Winnington said all he had dreamed of was winning a state championship. The work begins in the off-season weight lifting, spring came, summer workouts and fall camp. Cathedral’s path to a state cham pionship and honoring Jordan Herrington is already underway but it enters a new chapter on August 19, 2022 when they play on the road at Madison-Ridgeland Acade my.“We will bring his jersey out with us on the sidelines and have his bible to read be fore games,” Winnington said. “I want to get the state championship trophy this year and put it in his locker.”

“Mostly we like to run the football but we’re going to try and throw it a bit more this year. We have a lot of skill players.” Wheeler

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Blake

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here are a lot of changes coming for Delta Charter football. Following a LHSAA proposal, Delta Charter has moved districts and will now be playing in District 4-1A instead of their usual District 2-1A. Even for a team that ended their last season with a 6-5 record, nothing is guaranteed with such a large shift in schedule. Despite the differences be tween seasons, Blake Wheeler, head coach of the Delta Charter Storm, seems more excited than worried. “Delhi Charter is going to be a big game for us in our district, them and Delhi both. We’re in a brand new dis trict so I guess I’m looking forward to all our district games,” Wheeler said. “We’d love to be able to win our district to prepare us to get put in the playoffs. It would really help us get a deep seed.” To get to that spot, the Storm will have to face schools that many in Concordia Parish will recognize such as Block, Sic ily Island, and Tensas. Defeating teams like these is sure to be difficult. But it won’t be impossible. Boasting a strong rushing attack, Delta Charter has 13 returning starters out of a 40 strong roster, many of whom are on the offensive line. Wheeler has to re place senior Payten Roberts who was a leader on both sides of the football last season, Chase McGraw, Jestin Garrison and Jared Barron The main starter to keep an eye out for is Juvari Singleton, the returning quarterback who led the team in rushing yards last year. “We’re expecting a lot out of him this year,” Wheeler said. “Mostly we like to run the football but we’re going to try and throw it a bit more this year. We have a lot of skill players.”

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JUVARI SINGLETON DAVIS COOPER AIDAN FERGUSON DELTA CHARTER DELTA CHARTER 28-14 D’ARRBONNE WOODS DELTA CHARTER 42-0 DELHI HIGH SCHOOL DELTA CHARTER 30-16 RIVER OAKS OAK GROVE 42-8 DELTA CHARTER DELTA CHARTER 30-16 SICILY ISLAND DELTA CHARTER 24-6 TENSAS PARISH OUACHITA CHRISTIAN 56-8 DELTA CHARTER DELTA CHARTER 74-20 BEEKMAN CHARTER CEDAR CREEK 57-0 DELTA CHARTER ST. FREDERICK 43-0 DELTA CHARTER BASILE 26-14 DELTA CHARTER SEPT. 2 DELTA CHARTER AT PLAIN DEALING SEPT. 9 DELTA CHARTER VS RIVER OAKS SEPT. 16 DELTA CHARTER AT GLENBROOK SEPT. 23 BYE SEPT. 30 DELTA CHARTER VS LAKEVIEW OCT. 7 DELTA CHARTER VS TENSAS HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 14 DELTA CHARTER VS SICILY ISLAND OCT. 21 DELTA CHARTER VS DEHLI HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 28 DELTA CHARTER VS DELHI CHARTER NOV. 4 DELTA CHARTER AT BLOCK 2021 STORMRESULTSOF EXCITEMENT MEETS CHANGES PLAYERS TO WATCH BY SAMUEL COOLEY | SPECIAL TO THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 18 9/8/22 1:11 PM

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While players will prove to be a big part of Delta Charter’s game plan this year, the coaches will also be expected to step up. With a new district comes new expectations and the coaches will need to be steady and consistent as they guide the team past these new challenges. Once again, Coach Wheeler is unworried. “Our coaches always work hard,” Wheeler said. “They really have a rapport with our kids. They care about the kids, that’s one of the big things I admire about them.” Of course, there are some chal lenges that can’t be prepared for. Even now, two years after it ap peared, Covid-19 can devastate sea sons. Quarantines and forced forfeits are on the front of many coaches’ minds.“Ireally hope we don’t have to deal with it this year but it’s kind of one of those things you take as it comes and you try to prepare the best you can,” Wheeler said. “If it does hit your team you just have to fight through it and people can step up.”

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“We need to focus on doing the right thing. Being a team the community can be proud of. It’s one of those things where it is a growing process.”

Cleothis Cummings Jr.

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Leaders are everything in a football team. A leader can turn a team from up set about a poor half to fired up and ready to win. Some leaders inspire their team through example while others give incred ible half time speeches to back up their coaches. This year will determine what kind these four seniors will be.

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CHAVO MATTHEWSHACOBETHOMASBOXLEYELLIS FERRIDAY HIGH SCHOOL ALEXANDRIA SENIOR HIGH 65-8 FERRIDAY BASTROP 16-0 FERRIDAY RAYVILLE 52-50 FERRIDAY MANGHAM 34-0 FERRIDAY SOUTHERN LAB 49-0 FERRIDAY GENERAL TRASS 60-0 FERRIDAY FERRIDAY 32-22 MADISON PARISH DELHI CHARTER 24-20 FERRIDAY FERRIDAY 48-34 VIDALIA SEPT. 2 FERRIDAY VS RICHWOOD SEPT. 9 FERRIDAY VS PEABODY SEPT. 16 FERRIDAY AT BASTROP SEPT. 23 FERRIDAY VS MADISON PARISH SEPT. 30 FERRIDAY AT VIDALIA OCT. 7 FERRIDAY VS GENERAL TRASS OCT. 14 FERRIDAY AT OAK GROVE OCT. 21 FERRIDAY AT MANGHAM OCT. 28 FERRIDAY VS PLAQUMINE NOV. 4 FERRIDAY AT RAYVILLE 2021 RESULTS PLAYERS TO WATCH BY SAMUEL COOLEY | SPECIAL TO THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE TROJANS LOOK TO A FRESH START WITH CUMMING’S RETURN 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 22 9/8/22 1:11 PM

ERRIDAY —After finishing the 20212022 season with a lackluster 2-7 re cord, the Ferriday Trojans hope to re inforce their reputation as a competitive football team brick by brick. But, with a new head coach and outside challeng es constantly circling, rebuilding their strength will be no easy task. One of the biggest challenges new head coach Cleothis Cummings Jr. faces is the young age of his team. 23 of the 38 athletes being freshmen and sophomores, there are less experienced players that can step up and guide their younger teammates com pared to previous years. Fortunately, what Ferriday lacks in quantity, they more than make up for in the quality of their seniors.

Despite Coach Cumming’s determina tion to remain consistent, Ferriday High School’s strength has been unpredictable these past few years. A state champion in 2019, the Trojans are now in their most vulnerable position since 2015, the last time the school held a losing record. If Coach Cummings is worried about this, he doesn’t show it. “With success there is an expectation that the cycle hits and you regress and

“We have had four consistent hard working seniors. Chavo Thomas, Shacobe Boxley, Bobby Sheppard, and Matthew El lis,” Cummings said. “They have been the most consistent since the beginning. Their work ethic is great. It is what you want as a coach to jump off of. With just them it’s a great start of laying a foundation.”

“We are just trying to lay a foundation that has some sta bility. Each one of the kids is a brick. They have a chance to build a house. You put in good things and you get good things out. It’s a motivation that we are building a strong foundation.” This foundation can be seen firsthand on September 2 as the Ferriday Trojans face the Rich wood Rams for the first game of the 2022 regular season. Head Coach Cleothis Cummings Jr. returns for his second stint with the Ferriday Trojans.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 23 drop down,” he said when asked about the current state of Ferri day High School football. “You still have kids who want to be here. This is the best group here since I have been coaching. This is one of the more consistent groups during the summer.” These groups are not limited to the seniors mentioned earli er. Everyone has to step up for a football program to succeed, and the freshmen and sophomores are eager to take on the chal lenge. One of the key players to keep an eye on will be Shacobe Boxkey, Ferriday’s starting quar terback will have the opportunity to show his skills. “We are looking to get big things out of him,” Coach Cum mings said when mentioning the player. “He just has to be pa tient.”Ofcourse, players aren’t the only part of a team. The coach es are who guide the athletes and ensure that their talents are used in the best possible posi tions. Coaches that inspire their team to be better than the day before. For the Trojans, two of the coaches that seem to be hav ing this effect on their athletes are Coach Maurice Smith and Coach Chontaruys Conner. “We are going to be anchored by [them],” Coach Cummings said. “They come in to work. They inspire the younger ones to work. It is what we appreciate in them. We have a young team. We have to build and constantly build.”One of the biggest challeng es for Coach Cummings will be transitioning from the program of the previous Trojan head coach, Stanley Smith, into one of his own. He has some expe rience in this area, being head coach of Ferriday from 20122014, during which he was also inheriting a team with a losing record. Now with almost anoth er decade of experience to draw on, Coach Cummings hopes to be able to overcome the chal lenges the Trojans have faced recently.Oneof the biggest challenges is, of course, Covid-19 and how it has changed the face of foot ball. From conflicting schedules to forcing athletes off the field, Covid-19 is no less a threat to the sport now than it was in 2019. Yet, Coach Cummings re mains“Covidunworried.hasn’t affected us,” Coach Cummings said. “We still have to be smart about every thing we do. You don’t want to think Covid doesn’t exist. It has been pretty normal for the most part.”From overcoming a losing re cord to heading a program tran sition, Coach Cummings and the Trojans will have no shortage of challenges this year. The only question that remains is whether or not they will be able to over come

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“Ourthem.goal is to be competi tive,” Coach Cummings said. “We need to focus on doing the right thing. Being a team the community can be proud of. It’s one of those things where it is a growing process.

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F ERRIDAY — Devante Scott was in The Natchez Democrat’s 2008 football preview as a player on the Ferriday High School football team.

Ferriday’s head coach Cleothis Cum mings Jr. was an assistant coach at the time. 14 years later they are coaching alongside each other. It was an opportunity Scott had waited for in the eight years since he left college. He worked jobs in the oil field and trucking but had always wanted to coach football. “I had always kept a relationship with him since he coached me here. I supported him when I got out and he was the one I talked to a lot,” Scott said. “He was a mentor to me after getting out of high school. He treat ed me like family and I was one of the ones who went to him for advice. Cummings was in a position to put me in a Scottposition.”wasa four-year starter with the Trojans and played football at CoLin before suffering a knee injury his sophomore year. He was committed to Mississippi State prior to the knee injury but was forced to go to the Uni versity of Alabama in Birmingham. After spending a spring there, he moved closer to home and finished his football career playing two seasons TO HIS ROOTS WILL COACH ON THE SIDELINES

BACK

FORMER PLAYER

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Scott is already looking forward to the first Friday night of the season when Ferriday plays Richwood on Sept. 2, 2022. “It is so exciting. I get excited watching the play ers be kids and having fun. It’s fun watching them do that,” Scott said. “We want to show the town we aren’t one hit wonders. We want to show them we can get back on that same path towards a state championship.”

Devante Scott played college football for Co-Lin and was committed to Mississippi State before suffering a knee injury. He went to UAB for a spring camp and then Southeastern Louisiana University for two seasons.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 25 with Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He is second in SELA’s all-time individual receiving yards with 1,064 yards. Returning to Ferriday, he will be a science teach er at Ferriday Junior High School. Some of the kids know him from playing at Ferriday and saw him play. Others have found his highlights on YouTube from his college years. Now, he has a chance to mentor them like Cummings did. “It’s a blessing. I tell them ‘You can do the same thing too.’ I just want to mentor and lead these kids in the right direction,” Scott said. “They need some one to show them care and love. If you come out to football that is what you are going to get. We want to teach you life lessons and that is what we try to install in our Thosekids.”life lessons are about being competitive, being solid and holding your teammate accountable. Ferriday’s motto this year is brick by brick because they are building a strong foundation for the program. Scott is part of their brick by brick as a young coach. He will be the wide receivers and defensive backs coach this season although Cummings is trying to de velop him into an offensive coordinator. Cummings said it will be nice to coach with a for mer player especially as they transition into a new program.“There are a lot of things I see when I look at him. It is like I’m looking at another me. He knows what is to be expected,” Cummings said. “He knows the game and he knows life. The important part about him is he gets the culture already. Life got rough on him. He is here now and thank God for him. He is someone we watched as coaches.” A former player, Scott is aware of the pressure kids experience playing in Ferriday. It is a football crazy town with high expectations. He said they hope to rebound to a strong winning team after a rough 2-7 season last year. Players will need to block out any negativity from the community and stands this season. They will have to show discipline in practice and stay on the same page as a team. Scott said the players need to be de pendable like bricks because the more bricks you have working together the harder it is to break them. “It needs to be the same way with the community too. Once your town is stronger than everything else gets stronger,” he said.

Devante Scott is a new assistant coach for the Ferriday High School Trojans. He was a former player there under head coach Cleothis Cummings Jr. and is excited about the future of the program.

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“I am expecting us to be a competitive team once we get the kinks out the first few weeks.” Sidney Davis

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TRAYLON LANDENKEVONTAEMINORSTEWARTSEWELL NATCHEZ HIGH SCHOOL NATCHEZ 40-6 JEFFERSON COUNTY NATCHEZ 34-20 LAWERENCE COUNTY HAZLEHURST 20-14 NATCHEZ HATTIESBURG 40-36 NATCHEZ WEST JONES 41-0 NATCHEZ LAUREL 52-26 NATCHEZ WAYNE COUNTY 22-14 NATCHEZ NATCHEZ 30-6 SOUTH JONES BROOKHAVEN 49-20 NATCHEZ NATCHEZ 36-34 FLORENCE AUG. 26 NATCHEZ VS WILKINSON COUNTY SEPT. 2 NATCHEZ AT JEFFERSON COUNTY SEPT. 9 NATCHEZ VS LAWERENCE COUNTY SEPT. 16 NATCHEZ VS HAZLEHURST SEPT. 23 NATCHEZ VS HATTIESBURG SEPT. 30 NATCHEZ AT WEST JONES OCT. 7 NATCHEZ VS LAUREL OCT. 14 NATCHEZ AT WAYNE COUNTY OCT. 21 NATCHEZ VS SOUTH JONES OCT. 28 NATCHEZ AT BROOKHAVEN NOV. 4 NATCHEZ AT FLORENCE 2021 RESULTS PLAYERS TO WATCH BY PATRICK JONES | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE NATCHEZ HIGH ENTERS 2022 SEASON WITH PLAYOFF EXPECTATIONS AND A NEW HEAD COACH 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 28 9/8/22 1:11 PM

ATCHEZ — Coming off a disappoint ing season in 2021, the Natchez High School Bulldogs will be looking for better results and a return to the MHSAA Class 5A Playoffs in 2022 and they will be doing so under a new head football coach.

Steve Davis, who was an assistant coach at Natchez High under former head coach Lance Reed and was most recently an assis tant coach under B.J. Smithhart at Franklin County High School, takes over after the resignation of Randy Craft last spring. In 2021, the Bulldogs went 5-6 overall and 2-5 in Region 3-5A. They finished in sixth place in one of the toughest regions in the state, missing the playoffs altogeth er. Davis said the offense will be similar to what it was under Craft, but the defense will be completely different. “Offensively, it will be some of the same. Our offensive coordinator, Sidney Davis, will be back. Our focus will be to have more tempo. We want to give the ball to the guys we consider our playmakers and let them operate in space. We’ll have multiple formations.,” Steve Davis said. “Defensively, they ran a 3-4 last year. We’ll run a 4-3. Our focus will be to stop the run. We don’t want anyone to run the football on us. Eleven flying to the football on each and every play. On pass plays, I feel like the guys we have in the secondary, that will play to our strengths.” Last year’s quarterback Kyreek Murray graduated, so the passing game will be led by sophomore quarterback Kaden Walton. One of the key players returning will be senior wide receiver/safety Mike Williams. Another key player returning at the wide receiver position is Demarcco Blanton, who plays safety. Other key players returning for Natchez High are Traylon Minor, who’ll play at running back and will be the ‘dog’, which

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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 29

Davis said is a mix between an outside linebacker and safety; Landen Sewell at center; Camer on Dunbar, who plays left tackle and defensive end; sophomore Jakel Irving, who will be at line backer and A-back; sophomore Dajuan Culbert at cornerback and slot receiver; junior Caron Williams at cornerback and wide receiver; and senior Kevontae Stewart at middle linebacker. “I don’t know exactly how many (seniors) they lost from last year, but it may have been nine or 10. But we have 17 or 18 seniors this year,” Davis said. “They lost a couple of guys on the line and a couple of defensive guys. We were fairly young last year. They got some valuable game experi ence.”“Iam expecting us to be a competitive team once we get the kinks out the first few weeks. I expect us to be a formative team on Friday nights. We are expect ing to fly under the radar. But we are also expecting to make the playoffs,” Davis said.

Davis added that the players and staff have already bought into what he is expecting from them and that he really feels like the Bulldogs can get back to the postseason this year. “The foundation, we have al ready laid from the spring and into the summer. If we can get that going through the first cou ple of practices and we can gel, I don’t see why we can’t (make the playoffs), barring major injuries. I’ve been pleased since the first day. The kids and the staff have welcomed me and have accepted me. If we put in the work, we’ll be pretty good.” As for who he expects the teams to beat in Region 3-5A, Davis said, “Laurel first. Just af ter watching a film about them, they were young last year. West Jones and Brookhaven. Not to knock Wayne County. I don’t know much about them. They have a new coach also. We have to see how the season plays out there.”Another team to watch out for in region play is Hattiesburg High School, which tied for second with Brookhaven High School and Laurel High School at 5-2 behind region champion West Jones High School at 6-1 last year. Wayne County ended up in fifth place in region play with a 4-3 mark and missed the playoffs despite a 6-5 overall re cord.Natchez High’s season begins on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m. when they play host to Wilkinson County High School who is also coached by a new man.

Christian Reynolds is Mr. Dependable and will be hard to replace at the end of the season, head coach Steve Davis said.

ATCHEZ — Senior Christian Reyn olds is at nearly every Bulldog sport ing event throughout the course of the year. He will greet you with a smile and thank you for coming to support the team.Reynolds plays the role of support for Natchez High School athletics. He is a manager for the football team and helps with basketball, baseball and softball. His journey with the football team began last year when former head coach Randy Craft asked him if he would help, he accepted. Now, he is in his second year as manag er with the team and it is his senior year. “Every day I fill up coolers and make sure the guys are good and the coach es don’t have to worry about anything,” Reynolds said. “I enjoy it, it is fun. I hope to do this in college. I enjoy being around everyone and I want to see the operation go as smoothly as possible.” Reynolds is the go to man for Natchez. Players need fresh cold water to stay hy drated, they need film to send to colleges and post on hudl. Coaches need their headsets and to focus on coaching the team. Reynolds allows them to do that.

MR.

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BY HUNTER CLOUD | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

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“He introduced himself on my first day here. I noticed he is well mannered and went to work right away,” Davis said. “Sometimes I have to ask him about things I find myself calling him. He became my go to guy to find things here. He is irre placeable. He takes his job seriously and enjoys it. He will do it like no one else.”

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On game days, he spends his time up in NATCHEZ’SDEPENDABLETEAMLEANSONMANAGER

Head Coach Steve Davis said in the transition between head coaches, Reyn olds has been a big help. He said he asked Craft for some information and he told him to talk to Reynolds.

HUNTER CLOUD | NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

the press box with an I-Pad record ing the game for film sessions and for the players. This year, he will have another camera to work with. The coaching change has not changed his work with the team. A senior, he hopes to come back to help the program while he is in college. Reynolds said he is con sidering going into sports man agement and getting a coaching degree.“Iwould be able to make money and put money into the program,” Reynolds said. One of the more impressive things about Reynolds is how he doesn’t have to be told what to do, Davis said. He has a plan and he executes it. Minutes before the football team went to practice out side a lightning strike caused them to go inside, Reynolds had already pushed a cart with the water cooler out to the field. He had to go back and get it as the team practiced in side.Over the spring, he asked some guys to help him manage the pro gram and organized them to get things done. Davis said he is a hard worker who does not have to beItmicromanaged.hasbeenabig help to Da vis as he transitions into the head coaching role with Natchez High School. While the assistant coach es have stayed the same, he is still getting used to a new school, a new routine and a new schedule. On Natchez’s first day of school, he was dealing with getting sched ule changes done and trying to get practice going as the weather changed their plans last second. Reynolds was taking care of things so he could focus on his head coaching duties. Attention to de tail is a quality which could help Reynolds in his career after high school.“Hetakes care of the little things we normally have to do. He just does it,” Davis said. “His attention to detail is good. The fact he is a willing learner helps. I think wher ever he goes after high school he will work well. Even though he hasn’t played the game he is a stu dent of the game. I could see him going into coaching and being suc cessful.” Reynolds final season with the program as a manager begins this year. Already, Davis said he knows he will be hard to replace. “I’ll miss him when he is gone,” Davis said. “It is like you have to replace a four year quarterback. You ask yourself who is next.” Natchez Manager Christian Reynolds typically comes up with a plan and then carries it out over the course of practice. The day he was interviewed, he filled up a water cooler and took it out to the football field in a cart before lightning delayed practice. Here he is filling up a water bottle so the players have water while lifting weights. CLOUD DEMOCRAT

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| THE NATCHEZ

HUNTER

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Michael Norris

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“When we’re having a workout, when we’re having a team session, they’re there. They want more, actually, they keep asking for more workouts but we have to protect their bodies and protect them from the heat. These kids love football and they love to work.”

IDALIA — Vidalia Vikings are no strangers to challenges. Due to a combi nation of Covid-forced forfeits and mis takes at the worst moments, Vidalia ended last season with a lackluster 2-8 record. Mi chael Norris, who is currently in his third year as head coach, hopes to change this through his team’s determination and resolve. With 40 athletes expected to fill in the ros ter of the team, 18-25 of which are return ing players, the Vidalia Vikings are coming into the 2022 season ready to play. Some of the most promising of these players are the seniors, many of whom have players every year.“Sema’J Hayes, the quarterback, he gives teams some problems. He can throw it and run. Chris Brooks is just flat out fast. All de fensive coordinators we play against know where he’s at on the field,” Head Coach Mi chael Norris said. These coordinators are going to have to look out for more than just speed and strength. For many of these seniors, the 20222023 season is a chance to reclaim playing time lost in previous years due to Covid re lated cancellations and forced forfeits. They aren’t going to waste the time they get.

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“The one thing these kids have always done was show up,” Norris said. “When we’re having a workout, when we’re hav ing a team session, they’re there. They want more, actually, they keep asking for more workouts but we have to protect their bodies and protect them from the heat. These kids love football and they love to work.” A good work ethic will be needed if they hope to overcome last season. A season that, according to Norris, should have ended with a 6-4 record. Fourth quarter mistakes saw Vidalia lose games time and time again last year, something no one on the team wants to repeat. A team needs to work to avoid those mistakes. They need to practice, they need to

SEMA’J HAYES CHRIS BROOKS JALIN MOODY VIDALIA HIGH SCHOOL VIDALIA 44-14 SICILY ISLAND JENA 40-6 VIDALIA GENERAL TRASS 48-0 VIDALIA MANGHAM 42-14 VIDALIA RAYVILLE 26-16 VIDALIA DELHI CHARTER 56-38 VIDALIA VIDALIA 34-20 MADISON PARISH FERRIDAY 48-34 VIDALIA SEPT. 2 VIDALIA AT SICILY ISLAND SEPT. 9 VIDALIA VS CEDAR CREEK SEPT. 16 VIDALIA AT BLOCK SEPT. 23 VIDALIA VS BUCKEYE SEPT. 30 VIDALIA VS FERRIDAY OCT. 7 VIDALIA AT MANGHAM OCT. 14 VIDALIA VS RAYVILLE OCT. 21 VIDALIA AT GENERAL TRASS OCT. 28 VIDALIA VS MADISON PARISH NOV. 4 VIDALIA VS OAK GROVE 2021 RESULTS PLAYERS TO WATCH BY SAMUEL COOLEY | SPECIAL TO THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT 2022 SCHEDULE OUT FOR VENGEANCE, VIKINGS LOOK TO TURN THINGS AROUND 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 34 9/8/22 1:11 PM

“We’re looking forward to Sicily Island because that’s our first game. No game is more important than the next one,” NorrisEvensaid.with these powerful op ponents lying in wait for the Vi kings, on field success is not the team’s only ambition. How the games and the practice and the work affect the players is equally, if not more, important.

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Coach Norris also hopes that this drive to succeed and improve will result in success on the field. Especially since this year prom ises some important games for the team. Particularly one that the parish looks forward to every year, the Vidalia Vikings vs Ferri day“YouTrojans.know, when you talk about Vidalia, Ferriday, that’s one of the games that always come up,” Coach Norris said. “We thought we should have beat them last year but they just made more plays than we did.”

“Our overall goal is to win district and go deep into the play offs,” Norris said “But, if nothing else, if our kids can just develop some confidence to be hard in every game I have no doubt that we’ll win some football games this year.”

Other than Ferriday, Vidalia is looking to square off against sev eral other powerful opponents.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 35 work out, and they need determi nation.Fortunately for Vidalia, there are players on the team that are filled with the drive to succeed, something they make known on and off the field. Players like Luke“LukeKing.won’t start for us,” Coach Norris began, giving ex amples of noteworthy leaders on his team. “But we have kids like that who are just leaders for us in the weight room and in the prac tice room and they work hard. Those kids don’t get the spotlight or the notoriety but those kids work as hard as any of them do.”

Mangham is as towering a team as ever and multiple teams new to the schedule, such as Cedar Creek and Oak Grove, are pre paring to face the Vikings. Out of all the games, it is the first that has Coach Norris’s attention.

Chris Brooks, who represented Vida lia in the track state championship, led the team up and down the steep hill. It was about 40 yards up and 40 yards down.Norris took his team through the schedule of the season, telling them what he expected of them each week. It starts with the first week of practice in August and hopefully ends with a trip to the Superdome in New Orleans. He blew his whistle for eight regular RUNNING UP THAT HILL VIKINGS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP CULTURE OF EFFORT

KEEP

VIDALIA

Head Coach Mike Norris watches his players start up the hill to end their summer workouts. CLOUD NATCHEZ

36 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 V IDALIA — Vikings ran up the Mississippi River Levee along the Vidalia Riverfront and slid down a slip n’ slide to celebrate the end of sum mer workouts in July. They had finally made it through the grueling summer and looked to a new season. Head Coach Mike Norris has chal lenged his team to be tough, give ev erything they have as he tries to rebuild Vidalia Viking football. The team’s culture starts with hard work from indi viduals and as a team they have to come together. Vidalia missed two weeks last season due to COVID and the majority of their 2020 season. It was hard for Norris to see his players lose those experiences.

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Levee Run is both a workout to see who will stay tough and is a way to celebrate. “It’s just something to celebrate the hard work they have done this summer. It’s a fun way for us to return to school,” NorrisBeforesaid.they run up the levee he re minded them the importance of the structure to Vidalia. “If it was not for this levee Vidalia would not be here. Think about that as you run up it,” he said.

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BY HUNTER CLOUD | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Chris and Courtlyn Brooks both had the drive to push up the hill over and over. They both play with a lot of intensity in football and“Allbasketball.wantto have talent but not all that have talent work hard,” Chris said. “If you want it you are going to go get it,” Courtlyn said. “If you want it you will get it done. Our whole school looks down on us. No one respects the Vidalia Vikings anymore. We want to show we are better.”

Some of the lineman for Vidalia had some trouble getting up and down the hill in a sprint but they pushed on. Skill guys led the pack as everyone finished the workout. Norris told the team the guys who were there and finished were the ones he could count on in the fourth quarter of a close game. Vidalia has room to grow. He said some of the kids he has to kick out of the locker room or they are already there wait ing on him to open up the weight room. Those are qualities he wants to spread to theVidaliateam.

senior James Brixey said he has seen the team improve in their conditioning from last year. He had improved physically in the past year. “The hills are a challenge for a lot of us but it showed which guys had heart,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t finish it.” Ayden Thompson powered his way up the levee but as the workout drew closer to the end he was winded. Taking a knee he paused to catch his breath. Brixey was right there to help encourage him. He told him how to keep his airways open and gave him water. Brixey placed his hand on Thompson’s back in the final runs supporting him up the hill. “It felt like I wasn’t doing it for myself. I was doing it for everyone,” Thompson said. Brixey’s support had helped him get up the hill with the rest of the team. Anoth er player on the team named Matt pushed through the pain. He had taken a break at one point and laid on his back but with encouragement from teammates and some prodding from Nor ris he got up. Senior quarterback Sema’J Hayes came to his aid and ran with him to get him through the workout.

“He needed someone to push him. If no one had his back he wouldn’t have made it,” Hayes said. “I picked him up and told him he was doing well. It’s important we push each other. We have to rebuild our rep utation because no one respects our name.”

After running up the levee, players were treated to a slip and slide. They could dive head first after a shower of water from a water house. Brenden McMillian recog nized the day was more than a celebration of their hard work but a milestone in the team’s“Thegrowth.thingswe do here will carry over to the field,” McMillian said. “Those guys we helped will know it on the field. No Viking left behind.”

more than care

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Norris said there were still a few guys miss ing but the ones who were hungry to com pete were there.

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season games and five playoff games. “This hill is about not quitting,” Norris said. He paced up and down. They had done a better job of showing up to practices this year and were in a much better shape physically than previous years.

38 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 WOODVILLE — Wilkinson County Christian Academy came so close to a state title game appearance in 8-man football but fell short by two games. They lost 44-38 to DeSoto in West Helena, Arkansas in the semi-finals of MAIS 8-Man football. WCCA finished the 2021 season at 9-3 and 3-1 in MAIS 1A District 3 play. Their only loss in district play came against Riverdale Academy. Quarter back Andrew Sessions won The Natchez Democrat All-Metro Player of the Year and head coach Randy Holloway won The Natchez Democrat All-Metro Coach of the Year. The Rams will have to replace gradu ates Sessions and Roderick Slim Bailey this upcoming football season but they have a few guys they can depend on. Ja cob Sessions, Jack Orgeron and Nathan Mudd are the next leaders for the rams. Jacob will be a sophomore and will re place his brother at quarterback. Orgeron is a veteran lineman and is related to Ed Orgeron. Mudd was a defensive stand out and a strong target out of the tight end spot in the Ram’s passing game. The Rams are ready to reload this season, Holloway said. “We lost a couple of studs from last year but the kids are working hard. We are going to run our system and do what we do best,” Holloway said. “You don’t replace those seniors but you coach up their replacements. Jacob Sessions has done a fine job stepping in at quarter back. He will be a good one and he is a sophomore.”Lastseason, Jacob was the Ram’s freshman quarterback and got a lot of snaps in when games got out of hand. He RAMS HUNGRY FOR TITLE, LOOK TO NEW OFFENSIVE WEAPONS BY HUNTER CLOUD | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT WILKINSON COUNTY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 38 9/8/22 1:11 PM

The Rams are hungry to get to a state ti tle game and avenge the last two seasons of only reaching the semi-finals and finish ing third in the state. On August 19, they will begin the journey by taking the season game by game. “We have to stay injury free and contin ue to get better each week,” Holloway said. “From now until November, there is a lot of room for improvement. The kids have put in the work and they will be motivated to doWCCAthat.” should continue to win this year and may be able to bridge the gap to a state championship in MAIS 8-man football.

has learned the system and they will pack age the offense around him, Holloway said.

Mudd is a senior who was a solid tackler for the Rams. Holloway said Mudd reminds him of Ted Hendricks who played outside linebacker in the NFL for 15 seasons at six foot seven inches. “We call him the Mad Stork,” he said. “He will lead the defense for sure and play some tight end and wide receiver too.” WCCA will have options in the passing game with Cole Partidge, Hunter Jentson and Brayden Ready. The Rams will de pend on Ryan Fisher to carry the rock in the rushing attack. He will also play a role at linebacker and is a senior the Rams can depend on. “He will be one of the fastest players on the field and he is really skilled. He has next level potential,” Holloway said. “This summer, he did a good job conditioning and working on his strength by pulling sleds. He is doing the extra things great playersSharingdo.”the rushing duties with Fisher will be Napelon Howard. WCCA’s stron gest point of attack will be the offensive line. Holloway said the boys up front aver age 270 pounds and are anchored by guard Gary Veals, he has been a four year starter, Beau DeVillie and center David Smith. “David will anchor the line and he has taken on a leadership role,” Holloway said. He is a little bit of leading by example and being a vocal leader. They have experience on the line and it will be our strong point.” With two weeks left to go in the pre-sea son, Holloway said the team is ahead of where he wanted them to be. They have progressed this summer and bought into the workout regime. He said the team could be described as hungry.

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OODVILLE — Wilkinson County High School had a rough year last year. They missed two games because of COVID, went 1-8 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Head Coach Jeffery Gibson resigned from the football program in the spring and works in the school district in a new capacity. Chris Brown stepped to the plate and was named the head coach of a school his father Kenneth Brown coached at for 40 years. Brown said he is familiar with the school having played at Franklin County High School and coaching for three sea sons with the Wildcats. He was the of fensive line coach last season. His father led the team to sustained playoff runs and he hopes to do the same. “My goal is to continue to make the playoffs and win games in the playoffs,” Brown said. “I’m excited to continue to be a part of this great program. A lot of people have shrugged us off. I’m excited to bring the morale up and bring the juice back.”Under a new coach the Wildcats will keep a similar offensive and defensive scheme as they had last season. Wilkin son County will want to play shutdown defense this season. On offense, they will look to attack defenses with a balance of run and pass. They have wide receivers who can get into space and running backs who can keep the defense honest and the chains moving forward. Brown said he did not want to change the schemes too much so the kids are familiar and can continue to grow.There was a two way battle for quar terback with no clear winner as of July

WILDCATS HAVE TO COMPETE, COMPETE, COMPETE TO BRING ‘JUICE BACK,’ BY HUNTER CLOUD | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT WILKINSON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 40 9/8/22 1:11 PM

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 41

The Wildcat’s defensive leaders are Gregory Woodard and Justin Smith. They have played a lot of minutes and anchor the team in the linebacker spot. Wilkinson County is a young team with six seniors. La’Damion Williams, Gregory Woodard, Justin Smith, John Smith, Josh ua Veal and Tomaja Richardson will be the veteran players with Williams the biggest leader of the group. He has started all four years of high school football. Underclassman JaQuel Dukes has taken on a leadership role in addition to the se niors. With a young squad it can be a chal lenge, he said. Players have to adjust to a different environment and hold each other accountable. Accountability is important thisTheyear.Wildcats played against Simpson Academy this spring and have improved steadily since then. Brown said he hopes they can continue the growth going into fall camp and the season. The coaches will have to keep players motivated.

13. JaNorris Anthony and Dwayne Faults are neck and neck for the starting job. A quarterback battle is a good thing to have, Brown said. “It is wonderful. It brings out the compe tition in them,” Brown said. “It brings out the competition in everyone. Hopefully, it lets everyone know that no one is safe and no one has a secure spot on the team.”

“I have told the kids since the spring. We are going to stay positive and con trol what we can control. We are go ing to control our narrative,” Brown said. “We will push forward this season. Against Natchez, I want to see us com pete for four quarters. That is my speech from here until then. We have to compete and compete.”

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Wilkinson County’s first game of the year is against Natchez High School. It will be a tough test. Last season, the two teams were scheduled to play but COVID canceled the game. He said this year they aren’t as wor ried about COVID.

One of the challenges Franklin County faced last year and the previ ous season was a lack of depth. The Bulldogs have a junior class of 20 to 25 kids strong who played a signif icant number of snaps as freshmen andHesophomores.saidthey had played more snaps than they could probably physically do. What he has seen in his coaching careers are young er players thrown into situations against older stronger kids spend more time trying to survive than ex ecuting what they are coached. His hope for this upcoming sea son is they have grown and gotten better over the offseason. They should be getting over the hump and have a good year, he said. “They have seen a lot of snaps and we will grow with them,” Smithhart said. “You want to see them capitalizing on what they have learned. We are hoping the game has slowed down and they can do what they are coached to do. We feel like we are starting to grow up.”

| THE NATCHEZ

Junior Wide Receiver and Cor nerback Re’Shon Baker stepped up as a leader this spring and the summer. He has done really well in practices and the weight room and leads by example. Smithhart said the entire junior class runs well together but Baker stood out. He has yet to miss a practice this summer and the Bulldogs get out and work four days a week. “He hasn’t missed a day and they respect him because he is a good athlete,” Smithhart said. “He shows up and does what he is supposed to do. People take notice of that. I know we do.” At quarterback, Junior Va’Quez Rancifer has stepped up to replace Ja’Marlin Green. He has exhibited a great deal of confidence and has experience last year. Backup quar terback Zorian O’Quinn will push him to be a better quarterback. Together, they give Franklin County a good option and puts them in the best quarterback situ ation since Smithhart got there, he said. Players never know when their number will be called on Friday night, but he has confidence in them.

FRANKLIN

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BULLDOGS

42 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 M

Rancifer took a significant num ber of snaps last year and is more confident at the position. He is better with his arm but can run it. “He just needs to work on being the guy. Quarterback is one of the toughest positions in sports,” Smith hart said. “He has to grow into the role. They have to see what is need ed of them. The really good ones have a knack to lead and be selfless.

He is growing into those roles.” On special teams, they do not have a set kicker just yet. They do have a few options to pick from but as of July 11 Keyundre Felton was the likely choice for kickoffs and Baker for punts. It is one of the posi tion groups that will be molded little by little before the season. Franklin County has three seniors this year. Jay Malone, Larry Per nell and Tyrese O’Neal. They play different positions but can do any thing that is asked of them. Pernell is a defensive lineman, O’Neal is a middle linebacker and Malone is an offensive“O’Neallineman.hasplayed the most snaps of anyone on defense,” Smith hart said. “He isn’t a big kid but he is super aggressive and is very phys ical. He is the leader on that side of theAtball.”the end of the season, the se niors and the team hope to host a playoff game. Their goal is to not only host a game by finishing top two in district but also win their playoff game. Additionally, the Bulldogs want to get better each week as a lot of different things can happen throughout the season. Franklin County will keep the same defensive scheme using an odd front with some slight tweaks.

EADVILLE — Franklin County High School will look to bounce back from a 3-7 re cord last season when they kickoff the season at West Lincoln August 26. The Bulldogs are led by head coach BJ Smithhart who returns for his fourth season. The Bulldogs lifted weights, con ditioned and grew in the spring and summer camp. Smithhart said the summer feels like the first regular summer since schools started bat ling COVID in January of 2020. Last year, they had one game canceled due to COVID but made it through the year. The weariness about COVID is subtle there but they don’t fear it any more, he said. “I think we just try to handle things as they come at you,” Smith hart said. “We are just happy for the kids. It has been tough on our older kids. They have had games canceled and seasons shortened. You are glad to see it be a little more normal and we hope they can experience what they have worked hard for.”

Offensive Coordinator Steve Davis left the team to take the head coach ing position at Natchez High School thisBradspring.Calcote is the offensive co ordinator this season so there will be someDavischanges.rana spread offense and Smithhart said the team this year will likely attack teams with a bal ance of spread and power. “We will play to our strengths. I think Brad does a good job of showing how we can attack a team,” Smithhart said. “ We may look dif ferent week to week. We feel like we have a bunch of guys who can run for us and a bunch of guys who can catch the football. We will be pretty spread out and balanced.” Last season, O’Neal had the most carries for the team as a running back and Smithhart hopes some of the other players can take a bit of the workload off his shoulders. Until the season arrives, Smith hart doesn’t have a full idea what his players will do in the game. Some kids play better than they practice and others practice better than they play. He does know they have a bunch of guys who can do some good things this year. He gets a chance to see players in game-like situations in a jamboree against West Marion on August 19. Over the summer, they are trying to get players into the right spot. Frank lin County has had healthy competi tion and appears to have good depth. Smithhart divides the season into three categories. Pre-season which starts with their non-district game against West Lincoln, regular sea son which starts with district play and ends at the end of the season and the postseason, which is the playoffs. The first district game of the year is Tylertown, which hap pens to be one of the best teams in South Mississippi. They came two games away from playing for a state title last year.

BY

“As a coach I circle Tylertown as an important game,” he said. “They were close to playing for a state championship last year. It will be a great test and a game where you want to play. All the pressure is on them. It is the game I’m looking at. The kids will tell you they like to play the close teams like North Pike, Wesson and West Lincoln.” LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK WITH EXPERIENCE HUNTER CLOUD DEMOCRAT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

JEFFERSON COUNTY TIGERS LOOKING FOR BETTER

NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT JEFFERSON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL CENTREVILLE ACADEMY 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 43 9/8/22 1:11 PM

C

offensive and defensive line along with Ethan Garig and Cliff Long.

Jefferson County opens its season on Fri day, Aug. 26 when it hosts Amite County High School at 7:30 p.m. RESULTS PATRICK JONES | THE

IN 2022 BY

BY STAFF REPORTS | THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT F

“My players and my coaches have what it takes to be one of those formidable opponents. At the same time, we’re going to remain hum ble. We’re not going to assume that we’re going to be good. We still have to put in the work.”

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 43

EYE OF THE TIGERS ON IMPROVING RESULTS

Centreville opens its season against the New Orleans Home School Saints on Aug. 12. Dis trict play for the Tigers opens up on September 2 against Sylva Bay Academy and their final dis trict game will be against Amite School Center on October 28.

ENTREVILLE — Centreville Academy Head Coach Bill Hurst is entering his 47th season with the Tigers and holds a 14-win advantage over Ricky Black in most wins by a Mississippi high school coach. He will likely ex tend this lead when Centreville Academy takes the field this season with nine seniors. The Tigers finished 9-4 last season and lost to Canton Academy in the second round of the MAIS 3A Playoffs. They hope to improve from that mark this season but will have to do so with out Caleb Kinabrew or Ben McGregor who led their offense last year. However, they will depend on seniors Peyton Jones, Tyler Wooley and Rustin Hall to lead the program. Senior Alex Kirkland will anchor the

AYETTE — Jefferson County Tigers head football coach Roderick Holmes looks for his second season at the helm to be better than his first season turned out. Jefferson County went 3-7 overall and 2-2 in MHSAA Region 7-3A, good enough for third place in region play. However, the Tigers were knocked out of the Class 3A South State Play offs in the first round at Region 6 No. 2 seed Magee High School losing 47-6. Holmes said his inaugural season as Jeffer son County head coach was one with a lot of ups and downs as well as one with a lot of ad versity.“We had a young and inexperienced team. But we set a few of our goals that were set at the beginning of the season,” Holmes said. “With the hard work that we put in, we’re making a lot of improvements on our weaknesses. I’ve got high expectations for them this year.” With 15 seniors on the 2022 team, the Tigers look to not only surpass Tylertown High School and Franklin County High School in Region 7-3A, they also look forward to perhaps mak ing a deep playoff run. “We’re going to go as far as we can. We’re going to maximize how far we can go with those seniors. We can’t take a first-round exit out of the playoffs again this year. With the experience we gained from last year, we don’t have the excuse of being young,” Holmes said. Among the key returning players are junior quarterback Jabari Watson, senior linebacker/ strong safety Eylan Collins, and junior running back J.J. Claiborne, a transfer from Adams County Christian School. “His maturity, he has more of a sense of urgency. Our offensive unit goes as our quar terback goes. He has to be more aggressive as a quarterback. He can’t be passive anymore,” Holmes said about Watson. “Collins, he’s more of a vocal leader on the defense. He knows al most every responsibility on every position on defense. That will be a big plus for us. Clai borne is returning to us from ACCS. This is a big plus for our ground attack. We didn’t have one of those bruising back last year. I also have nine returning players who made All-District last year. That’ll be a big plus this year. Holmes added that this year’s Jefferson County team has what it takes to overthrow both the Tylertown Chiefs and the Franklin County Bulldogs, who finished 1-2 in Region 7-3A. He noted that both of those teams had a lot of experienced players on their teams.

| THE

BY

44 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 2022 FERRIDAY — Nurse Practitioner and mom Shanda Sharp Jackson has been on the sidelines of her kids games their entire sport life. She has been on the field for Delta Charter’s games for the past 10 years but not as a trainer.Herpassion for photography and love for her kids have given her some thing to do on Friday nights and during other games throughout the year. She said she started taking pictures of her kids but it quickly expanded to all the players on Delta Charter’s sports teams. Brett Powell showed her a few sports photography tricks and she figured out she needed to invest in a quality lens. Currently, she shoots with a Canon EOS and uses an Image Stabilizing Lens. She has learned a few things over the“Photographersyears. automatically know which fields have good lights. It is hard to capture pictures in motion if you don’t have good light,” Jackson said. “You try to get good shots but it re quires you to move well. I have to deal with the weather but my favorite shots are in the rain. I like how the lighting hits the Sportsrain.”photography can come with its challenges. Autofocus selecting the wrong thing to focus on, weather, light ing and motion can complicate photo graphs. There is also the challenge of being on the sideline of a quick and violent sport. “I have been hit before but it didn’t hurt me at all. I have also been cussed by players. I had to learn how to sepa rate my emotions from the game ear ly on,” Jackson said. “It can be hard though. You care about the kids and me being a nurse I want to run out there to help if they get hurt.”

Jody Upton began her photography career in 1991 with her own business. She would take pictures of weddings, seniors, families and engagements and had her own studio. About 13 years ago, she began teaching at Cathedral.

While action shots of players is her favorite thing to photograph, she handles individual pictures and team pictures for athletes, takes photos at prom and has a photobooth for dances. Theater productions and field days are other activities she photographs. These photographs are then pub lished to her Facebook page. She crops photos to bring subjects closer but does not edit the lighting or anything else.

WORKPHOTOGRAPHERSTHESIDELINES HUNTER CLOUD NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT

Other favorites of hers are photos of Dee Fleming, who graduated in 2016 from Cathedral, and Will Wallace, who plays football at Tulane University.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE GREEN WAVE

One of her favorite photographs is of Delta Charter head coach Blake Wheeler. He was captured in a moment of observing as he looked out over the field and rain was falling down. She captured him soaking wet with his back to the camera. Other favorite shots of hers are any where the football team is gathered as one with their helmets up in the air. In the game, she has to think ahead to capture action shots. Positioning is important to capture scoring plays and she has to move to capture photos of players outside of the quarterback and wide receivers. Her goal for each game is to get photos of everyone, especially the positions you don’t see many action shots of. “If I don’t get the picture I know they or their parents would never have the photo of the sport they love,” Jackson said. “It means more to me than taking pictures of my own kids. It is why I do it. There have been many games where I didn’t have a kid playing in it and I went to capture it.” These photos are published to Face book, or if they are special, they are sent to the parent. Her SD card is given to the school where they pull imag es for the school yearbook. She takes pictures from basketball, cheerleading, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis or football.Hercomputer once had software to edit the photographs she took. When the software stopped being free, she decided to not buy any editing soft ware. It takes a lot of time to edit pho tos, she said. With a job Monday through Friday, she opts to post a bunch of unedited photos simply for the quantity. She said most photographers who have the right lens typically don’t need to edit the photos anyway. Her son Clay Robertson is still playing football while the rest of her kids have graduated from high school. There are some challenges to being a mom and a photographer, she said. “I’ve been taking pictures before when one of my sons went down. I had to give someone my camera and take him to the ER,” Jackson said. “He had a concussion. Being a nurse, I knew how dangerous football could be. I tried talking them out of it but it didn’t work. They love football… I’ve had to help other kids too before. They turn and look at me.” In her years of photography, she has never charged anyone for her images. It has never been about the money. She loves capturing those moments and being there. Jackson said she is excit ed for the first kickoff about as much as the kids are. She has fresh SD cards ready to go.

“I like to hear them say ‘oh that is a good shot,” Upton said. “I love see ing the one image of each game that is “The Shot.” That is what I look for ward to. When I get that perfect shot I’m satisfied.” Her favorite picture is an image of JaDarius Ealey diving into the end zone. He is parallel with the goal line and frozen in the middle of the air.

“I’m so ready. I look forward to this time of year every year,” Upton said. “I look forward to those Friday nights and when I can watch my Green Wave play.”

At the same time, she started taking photos of sporting events. On Friday nights you can find her walking the sidelines with her Canon EOS 5V Mark 4 and a big Sigma 70-300mm lens with 2.8 aperture.

Ealey went on to play football in 2012 starting as a Freshman at Belhaven.

During soccer season she will be bundled up in a jacket only to shed it to take shots at basketball games. Base ball, softball, cheer, dance and even school activities she is there to capture the“Imoment.always loved photography. I used to only do portraits but I started going to Cathedral games and taking pho tos,” Upton said. “Now I try to make as many games as I can. This is my home. I have watched all of these kids play ing and I had them as a teacher. I have watched them grow up like they were my own kids.” She has seen them grow in their ath letic ability and also how they mature as people. To her, it is rewarding to work with those kids and see how they progress over the years.

“What you see is what you get,” she said.Over the years she has learned to get out of the way when a ball or play is coming. She has grown closer to the kids and enjoys how they react to see ing their picture.

One photo of Wallace is still her screen saver on her Sometimes,computer.thereare certain players where she is able to get really good shots. Usually, it is a lot easier to pho tograph players as they run with the ball or are in the process of catching it. At times, it can be hard to get those de fensive shots. Football season is right around the corner and she will be ready to take more photos.

2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 44 9/8/22 1:11 PM

COPIAH

AUG. 19 @ MADISON-RIDGELAND ACADEMY AUG. 26 VS MADISON ST. JOE SEPT. 2. VS PARK PLACE SEPT. 9 @ SEPT. 16 @ PISGAH SEPT. 23 VS SEPT. 30 VS ACADEMY OCT. 7 VS HINDS

OCT. 14 VS OCT. 21 @ OAK FOREST AUG. 26 VS WILKINSON COUNTY SEPT. 2 @ JEFFERSON COUNTY SEPT. 9 VS LAWERENCE COUNTY SEPT. 16 VS HAZLEHURST SEPT. 23 VS HATTIESBURG SEPT. 30 @ WEST JONES OCT. 7 VS LAUREL OCT. 14 @ WAYNE COUNTY OCT. 21 VS SOUTH JONES OCT. 28 @ BROOKHAVEN NOV. 4 @

ACADEMY

SILLIMAN INSTITUTE

ACADEMY

CENTRAL

FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022 45 2022AUG.FRANKLINSCHEDULESCOUNTY26

FLORENCE 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 45 9/8/22 1:11 PM

CHRISTIAN

PARKLANE ACADEMY

ST. ALOYSIUS

@ WEST LINCOLN SEPT. 2 VS WESSON SEPT. 9 VS NORTH PIKE SEPT. 16 VS RICHLAND SEPT. 24 VS AMITE COUNTY SEPT. 30 VS TYLERTOWN OCT. 7 @ JEFFERSON COUNTY OCT. 14 VS PORT GIBSON OCT. 21 @ WILKINSON COUNTY OCT. 28 @ BOGUE CHITTO JEFFERSON COUNTY AUG. 26 VS AMITE COUNTY SEPT. 2 VS NATCHEZ SEPT. 9 @ CRYSTAL SPRINGS SEPT. 16 VS EAST MARION SEPT. 23 VS HAZLEHURST SEPT. 30 @ PORT GIBSON OCT. 7 VS FRANKLIN COUNTY OCT. 14 BYE OCT. 21 VS TYLERTOWN OCT. 28 VS WILKINSON COUNTY CATHEDRALBLOCK NATCHEZ SEPT. 2 @ BUCKEYE SEPT. 9 @ GRANT SEPT. 16 VS VIDALIA SEPT. 23 VS LAKESIDE SEPT. 30 @ BOLTON OCT. 7 @ SICILY ISLAND OCT. 14 @ DELHI HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 21 VS DELHI CHARTER OCT. 28 VS TENSAS HIGH NOV. 4 VS DELTA CHARTER ACCS AUG. 19 @ BROOKHAVEN ACADEMY AUG. 26 VS OAK FOREST ACADEMY SEPT. 2 @ CLINTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY SEPT. 9 VS CENTREVILLE ACADEMY SEPT. 16 @ ST. ALOYSIUS SEPT. 23 VS PARKLANE ACADEMY SEPT. 30 @ SILLIMAN INSTITUTE OCT. 7 VS TRI-COUNTY OCT. 14 @ PARK PLACE CHRISTIAN OCT. 21 VS RIVERFIELD

AUG. 12 VS NEW ORLEANS HOME SCHOOL

CENTREVILLE ACADEMY DELTA CHARTER

AUG. 19 @ CLAIBORNE ACADEMY

AUG. 26 VS WCCA SEPT. 2 VS REBUL ACADEMY SEPT. 9 @ UNION ACADEMY SEPT. 16 @ RIVERDALE ACADEMY SEPT. 23 VS BEN’S FORD CHRISTIAN SEPT. 30 @ NORTHEAST BAPTIST OCT. 7 VS BRIARFIELD ACADEMY OCT. 14 @ FRANKLIN ACADEMY OCT. 21 VS SHARKEY-ISSAQUENA ACADEMY FERRIDAY SEPT. 2 VS RICHWOOD SEPT. 9 VS PEABODY SEPT. 16 @ BASTROP SEPT. 23 VS MADISON PARISH SEPT. 30 @ VIDALIA OCT. 7 VS GENERAL TRASS OCT. 14 @ OAK GROVE OCT. 21 @ MANGHAM OCT. 28 VS PLAQUMINE NOV. 4 @ RAYVILLE 2022 SCHEDULES 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 46 9/8/22 1:11 PM

AUG. 19 @ BOWLING GREEN AUG. 26 VS ST. ALOYSIUS SEPT. 2 VS SYLVA BAY ACADEMY SEPT. 9 @ ACCS SEPT. 16 VS SILLIMAN INSTITUTE SEPT. 23 @ CENTRAL HINDS SEPT. 30 VS COLUMBIA ACADEMY OCT. 7 BYE OCT. 14 @ BROOKHAVEN ACADEMY OCT. 21 VS AMITE SCHOOL CENTER SEPT. 2 @ PLAIN DEALING SEPT. 9 VS RIVER OAKS SEPT. 16 @ GLENBROOK SEPT. 23 BYE SEPT. 30 VS LAKEVIEW OCT. 7 VS TENSAS HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 14 VS SICILY ISLAND OCT. 21 VS DEHLI HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 28 VS DELHI CHARTER NOV. 4 @ BLOCK SICILY ISLAND TENSAS ACADEMY SEPT. 2 VS VIDALIA SEPT. 9 VS LASALLE SEPT. 16 @ OBERLIN SEPT. 23 @ RIVER OAKS SEPT. 30 @ ST. FREDERICK OCT. 7 VS BLOCK OCT. 14 @ DELTA CHARTER OCT. 21 VS TENSAS HIGH SCHOOL OCT. 28 VS DELHI HIGH SCHOOL NOV. 4 @ DELHI CHARTER

WCHSWCCA AUG. 19 @ PRENTISS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL AUG. 26 @ TENSAS ACADEMY SEPT. 2 VS BEN’S FORD CHRISTIAN SEPT. 9 VS CHRISTIAN COLLEGIATE ACADEMY SEPT. 16 @ NEWTON ACADEMY SEPT. 23 VS PORTERS CHAPEL SEPT. 30 @ REBUL ACADEMY OCT. 7 VS FRANKLIN ACADEMY OCT. 14 VS RIVERDALE OCT. 21 @ DISCOVERY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL VIDALIA SEPT. 2 @ SICILY ISLAND SEPT. 9 VS CEDAR CREEK SEPT. 16 @ BLOCK SEPT. 23 VS BUCKEYE SEPT. 30 VS FERRIDAY OCT. 7 @ MANGHAM OCT. 14 VS RAYVILLE OCT. 21 @ GENERAL TRASS OCT. 28 VS MADISON PARISH NOV. 4 VS OAK GROVE AUG. 26 @ NATCHEZ HIGH SCHOOL SEPT. 2 @ NORTHEASTERN SEPT. 9 VS WESSON SEPT. 16 VS CRYSTAL SPRINGS SEPT. 23 VS CATHOLIC OF POINT COUPE SEPT. 30 @ RIDGELAND OCT. 7 @ PORT GIBSON OCT. 14 @ TYLERTOWN OCT. 21 VS FRANKLIN COUNTY OCT. 28 VS JEFFERSON COUNTY 2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 47 9/8/22 1:11 PM

2022 GRIDIRON _.indd 48 9/8/22 1:11 PM