The postseason has arrived for local MHSAA 1A-4A programs and Lincoln County will host two 2A playoff games on Friday. MHSAA 5A schools such as Brookhaven High finish up their regular season on Friday. Here is a look at the area games for this week.

 

Thursday, Nov. 7

Brookhaven (8-1) at Natchez High (6-4)

Bulldog Stadium, Natchez

It always feels like the game has a little extra juice when Natchez High and Brookhaven High face off in football.

The Bulldogs are always talented in their skill position groups. They often have big lineman up front and usually can sling the ball around with explosive plays.

The Brookhaven High defense has had some big moments in 2024, they scored two touchdowns last week in a 38-7 win over North Pike.

In fact, in four games, the Panthers have only given up three total touchdowns against region competition. Natchez will make the playoffs as Brookhaven High is first, South Jones is second and Florence is third ahead of Natchez.

The Bulldogs started the season with a 58-50 win over Hancock High and a 52-50 victory against McComb that went to four overtimes. After beating Vicksburg 14-6, Natchez had a two-game losing streak to Oceans Springs and Jefferson County.

NHS then beat Hazlehurst and North Pike before losing to South Jones and Florence. They bounced back to beat Provine last week.

The Panthers are 14-6 against Natchez all time, including a 29-14-win last season.

The Panthers will host a first-round playoff game next week and Peavey and his staff won’t want a letdown as BHS is on a four-game winning streak and showing continued development with a roster that’s got lots of underclassmen starting.

It looks like Brookhaven High will likely host Wayne County in that first-round game, but Peavey won’t have his team thinking about facing a dangerous Natchez team on Thursday in Adams County.

 

Friday, Nov. 8

MHSAA 1A Playoffs

Enterprise (6-4) at Simmons High (9-0)

Simmons Football Field, Hollandale

The task will be difficult, but if you want to be the best in 1A, you have to usually start beating quality opponents from the first round on.

The Enterprise Yellow Jackets battled in close region losses with all three teams that finished ahead of them in the standings (Lumberton, East Marion, Sacred Heart).

The Simmons Blue Devils have a championship tradition, including a period where they won 54 straight games from 2015-2018.

This season, the Blue Devils have given their nine opponents literal heck, only allowing a combined 12 points in those games. Their opponents have all been other schools located in the Mississippi Delta and EAC hopes to show up and let the Eagles know that good football is played in the piney woods of southwest Mississippi.

A win for the senior led Yellow Jackets and coach Trey Woodard would be historical, as Enterprise is 0-5 all-time in the postseason. The winner of this game will play the winner of Stringer (4-6) and Noxapater (6-4) in the second round.

 

MHSAA 2A Playoffs

Loyd Star (8-2) vs. Pelahatchie (3-7)

The Hornet Nest, Hwy. 550

Winners of eight-straight games, Loyd Star wants to keep that streak alive against the visiting Pelahatchie Chiefs in a MHSAA 2A playoff first-round game.

The Hornets are 0-2 all-time against the Chiefs, but it’s been a minute since the two teams played. Pelahatchie won 41-0 in 1991 and 44-14 in 1992 when the schools played together in District 6-2A for two years along with Wesson, Lake, and Hinds County AHS.

Pelahatchie owns wins over Stringer, Richland, and Puckett this season. The win over Puckett was the one that clinched a postseason spot for the Chiefs. Pelahatchie went 2-9 in both 2022 and 2023.

The winner of this game will face the winner of Mize (6-3) and Lake (4-6) in the second round next Friday.

 

Bogue Chitto (5-4) vs. St. Andrew’s Episcopal (5-5)

Troy Smith Field, Hwy. 51

A second-place finish in Region 7-2A means that the Bogue Chitto Bobcats will host a MHSAA 2A first round playoff game on Troy Smith Field Friday.

The Bobcats are 1-3 all-time against St. Andrew’s Episcopal in a series that began in 1999 with a 30-7 win for BC.

St. Andrew’s is under the direction of first year head coach Channing Ward, a standout high school player who went on to play defensive line at Ole Miss. The Saints beat West Lincoln 27-8 to start the season and then lost 44-7 at Enterprise in week two.

SAE beat Pelahatchie 31-15 to take third place in their region. The Saints lost two in a row to close the regular season against Raleigh (65-6) and Richland (50-18).

The winner of this game will face the winner between Heidelberg (9-1) and Clarkdale (3-7) in the second round.

 

MHSAA 3A Playoffs

Wesson (7-2) at Jefferson Davis County (6-4)

Jaguar Stadium, Bassfield

The Wesson Cobras know they’ll face a stiff challenge on the road to open the MHSAA 3A playoffs as they invade Bassfield to take on the powerful Jefferson Davis County Jaguars.

JDC was created when Prentiss High and Bassfield High merged in 2017 and since then, the Jaguars have won three state championships, including the 2021 title.

The Jags finished second in Region 6-3A after losing 35-32 at Magee High (9-0). The other losses this season for Jeff Davis have been to Poplarville (8-2), Columbia High (7-3), and Raleigh (9-1).

JDC and Wesson were in the same region from 2017-2018. The Jaguars won 47-7 when they first played and 55-27 the next year in Wesson. The winner of this game will play the winner between St. Stanislaus (4-6) and Noxubee County (7-2) in the second round of the 3A bracket.

 

MHSAA 4A Playoffs

Lawrence County (3-6) at McComb High (4-4)

C.C. Moore Stadium, McComb

For a second-straight year, Lawrence County and McComb High are meeting in the MHSAA 4A postseason. 

Last season it was in the second round, when the Cougars traveled to McComb and beat a previously unbeaten group of Tigers 28-25.

Anderson has only missed the playoffs once in his seven seasons leading Lawrence County football and his program has won at least one postseason game in three of their previous five playoff appearances.

The winner of this game will play either Pass Christian (5-4) or Northeast Jones (7-2) in the second round.