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Playoffs have intrigue
Just when you think things can't get any more interesting - they do.
Huntington visits Porter's Chapel in an MPSA second round Class A playoff contest.
If Friday night's football game is anything like past Huntington-Porter's Chapel baseball playoff series games, fans do not need to bring seat cushions.
Back in 2001 in a South A State series, Porter's Chapel defeated Huntington 2-1 as one game was decided by three runs and the other two by two runs.
The emotions and excitement during that entire series was electric.
Porter's Chapel is unbeaten this year and their head football coach is Randy Wright, who was the head baseball coach back in 2001.
"Randy gets the most out of his players and Chad (Harkins) does the same at Huntington," said Mitch Ashmore, who has certainly done the same with Huntington baseball teams over the past several years. "I think it's going to be a great game. Playing Porter's Chapel certainly brings back some memories for me when we've faced them in the postseason."
Huntington defeated Newton Friday, while Porter's Chapel blanked Tallulah 10-0 to set up the second round contest.
Ferriday High got into the playoffs by virtue of its win over a good Lake Providence team Friday. Panther freshman quarterback Lamar Carraway is a pint-sized, quick quarterback with a rifle arm, but the Trojans kept him contained most of the night.
The Trojans now travel to top-rated John Curtis, which is favored to win its 23rd state championship.
Ferriday and John Curtis have met three times in the past, with the Patriots winning all three, although the 1981 semifinal contest won by the New Orleans team 42-30 still rates as one of the greatest games to be played in the parish.
"That was as good a game as I have been in," John Curtis head coach J.T. Curtis said Monday.
Curtis and Ferriday actually attempted to schedule a regular season game in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit because Ferriday had an open date, but when Hurricane Rita came in behind it, that game was cancelled.
"We have a long tradition with Ferriday," Curtis said.
Vidalia has a long playoff tradition, as well, but the Vikings have just missed the playoffs the last two seasons.
But Vidalia closed out the season on a positive note against Bolton Friday night and can look forward to next season.
Across the river, Natchez High travels to Petal High School for a first-round playoff game.
Petal is coached by Steve Buckley, who was a member of the 1980 South Natchez Class 5A Big 8 championship team, which was basically the state championship before Mississippi went to a playoff system the following year.
Buckley, who coached at LSU with Curley Hallman, was a tight end on that Colonel team.
How about a little more intrigue? One of Buckley's assistant coaches is Ty Smith, a former quarterback at Adams County Christian School. Ty's brother, Brandon, was a quarterback at Natchez High, while his dad, Bert, coached the secondary at South Natchez when Buckley was a player.
Buckley actually started coaching in 1986 in the preps rank at Petal. After that, Buckley served as an assistant at Southern Miss from 1988 through 1990, went on to LSU from 1991 through 1994, coached the George County Rebels in 1995 and 1996.
Buckley was an assistant coach at LSU with former Ferriday High head football coach Jerry Baldwin.
What does all this mean? Not a thing to the young men playing Friday night. Good luck to all area squads. Hope you are still out there practicing close to turkey time. |
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