Here’s your weekly look at what’s on tap this week in our area for high school football action.

 

Loyd Star at Wesson

H.L. “Hook” Stone Stadium, Co-Lin

Hornet fans will make the quick trip north up Highway 51 to see their team take on the Wesson Cobras on Friday in a rivalry that’s got plenty of history.

Loyd Star won seven-straight games in the series from 1995-2001, including a playoff matchup in the third round of the 2001 postseason. Since then though, it’s been all Wesson, as the 3A Cobras have won eight in a row against the 2A Hornets and 15 of the last 17 in the series.

Last season at LS, Wesson showed a balanced offense in pulling away with a 48-15 win. That was the only regular-season loss of the year for coach Adam Smith and his Hornets. This is a different Loyd Star team though, one that is much younger and inexperienced, one that’s still looking for its first win after losing 29-28 last week at Enterprise.

Wesson and head coach Jeremy Loy cruised to a 31-8 win last week at Bogue Chitto to open the 2025 season. Wesson senior quarterback Cole Gibson went 8-of-14 passing for 190 yards and four touchdowns. Senior wideout Deshawn Smith brought home OPOW honors after hauling in three of those scores and KeMari Brown snagged the other Wesson passing touchdown.

Who would carry the load at running back was a big question coming into the season and on Friday, senior CJ Jackson had a career game with the ball in his hands. Jackson rushed 12 times for 184 yards and one score, averaging 15.3 yards per carry. Senior linebacker Cotton Westbrook led the WAC defense with 11 stops in the win.

 

Enterprise vs. St. Andrew’s

Harry Cole Field, Highway 583

The vibes are still high at Enterprise after the Yellow Jackets began the 2024 season with a thrilling 29-28 win over Loyd Star in the annual Sting Bowl.

Enterprise senior quarterback Landon McNickles put his team up late with a go-ahead touchdown and then helped preserve the win with an interception on the final Hornet possession. McNickles finished with 115 yards passing and one touchdown through the air to go along with two rushing touchdowns and 141 yards gained with his legs.

Look for St. Andrew’s, a team that showed a lot of fight last week against West Lincoln in a win, to try and limit McNickles on the ground this week.

Last year in Ridgeland, Enterprise and coach Trey Woodard went to St. Andrew’s and beat the Saints 46-20.

Brookhaven Aca. vs. Oak Forest Aca.

R.M. “Red” Stuart Field, Brookhaven

First-year Brookhaven Academy head coach Ryan Ross and his team celebrated the first victory in his time with the program last week with a road win at Centreville Academy.

The Cougars from BA were dominant in all three phases of the game. They got defensive touchdowns from Jon Mark Beasley and Walt Smith and the first passing score of the year, a touchdown pass from Braden Revere to Carson Mowdy in a 41-7 win. BA also got rushing scores from Cooper Carr and Trace Garrett on the ground as Garrett went for a 95-yard scoring run.

The matchup this week with Oak Forest is the first district game of the season for BA. OFA pounded East Rankin Academy 55-7 in its first game of the season, Then, the Yellow Jackets from Amite, Louisiana got pounded 50-0 last week by Madison-Ridgeland Academy. OFA has won two in a row in their series with BA, including a 49-14 victory last season.

 

Lawrence County vs. Jefferson Davis County

Cougar Field, Monticello

The potential is still there for Lawrence County to still have a very good football season in 2024, despite losing last week at home to Brookhaven High School. The Cougars have a mix of size and power but had a tough time finding first downs late in their game last week against BHS.

Jefferson Davis County, a perennial 3A title contender, lost 17-16 last week in its opener to an always powerful Poplarville program. The Jaguars from Bassfield are 3-0 all-time against Lawrence County since the schools started playing in 2019, including a 27-24 win by JDC last season.

LC coach Jesse Anderson knew his team would be short on experience this season in the offensive backfield, but it looks like the Cougars have already found another future star in sophomore running back Jessie Collins, who led them on the ground last week against BHS.

 

Brookhaven High at Franklin County

Louie Mullins Memorial Stadium, Meadville

Last week Brookhaven High brought a large contingent of fans east down Highway 84 to see the Panthers play in Monticello at Lawrence County High School. This week, many of those same fans will head in the opposite direction to follow Ole Brook to Meadville, where BHS will take on the Franklin County Bulldogs.

What those fans saw was a Panther offense that had some success throwing the ball in an eventual 28-12 win. Sophomore quarterback Jaden Allen went 10-of-16 through the air with one touchdown. Junior receiver TJ Smith was the leader for BHS catching the ball, as he hauled in six passes for 119 yards and that one score that put BHS ahead 7-0.

Allen rushed for one touchdown and junior running back Caiden Quarles ended up with two rushing scores along with 105 yards gained on the ground. DJ Washington led the BHS defense with 12 total tackles. Dreamus Harron Jr. chipped in eight tackles as did Rameriaze Edwards. Jamaal Brown and William Buie had seven stops each for the Panthers.  

Franklin County lost on the road in week one by a 23-18 final score to North Pike. The 5A Panthers will be favored over the 3A Bulldogs from FC, but the matchup last year was a close one, with BHS winning 21-14 at home.

 

Bogue Chitto at Salem

Wildcat Field, Tylertown

First year Bogue Chitto head coach BJ Smithhart and his Bobcats are hunting their first win of the season at Salem Attendance Center against a program that’s also hungry for a victory.

The Salem Wildcats have lost 41 consecutive games on the field after dropping their home opener 41-12 last week to McLaurin. A win against Salem last year was the only win of the season for McLaurin in 2023.

The last win on the field for Salem was a 26-19 triumph over Sacred Heart on Sept. 6, 2019.

 

West Lincoln at Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart Athletic Complex, Hattiesburg

There was some pushing and shoving late in the matchup between West Lincoln and St. Andrew’s Episcopal last week that had the referees calling the game a little early. To call it a fight would be a disservice to anyone who’s ever been in a fight, as you’d know if you’ve seen video of the incident. SAE won the game 27-8.

West Lincoln head coach Johnny Ball and his Bears will face another parochial school this week and Sacred Heart of Hattiesburg is more apt to let their play do the talking for them as the Crusaders have been very good of late. Sacred Heart whipped up on their Catholic brethren from Biloxi, St. Patrick, 41-14 last week to open the season.

Sacred Heart went 10-2 last season after struggling to a 2-8 record the season before. The Crusaders only began playing football in 2010 and play in the same MHSAA 1A region as Enterprise.