Oak Forest Academy’s Yellowjackets are favored to repeat asDistrict 4-AA football champions. In The DAILY LEADER’s CoachesPoll, Oak Forest was picked No. 1 by a slim margin over CentrevilleAcademy.

Oak Forest, 10-3 last season, received 5 first place votes and atotal of 35 points. Centreville, (6-5) last year, obtained 2 firstplace votes and 33 points.

Brookhaven Academy’s Cougars wound up third in the poll with 26points. They were 5-6 last season.

Columbia Academy was picked to finish fourth with 20 points.Silliman Institute and Bowling Green tied for fifth place with 13points. District newcomer Trinity Episcopal of Natchez was pickedto finish seventh and received 8 points.

Trinity, 13-1 last season, was runner-up to Heidelberg Academyin the Class 1A state playoffs. Coach David King’s Saints were hithard by graduation.

Oak Forest, coached by Jason Brabham, has six starters returningplus 21 lettermen.

Centreville, coached by Bill Hurst, has 11 starters returning,led by running back/free safety Blake Devall.

Brookhaven Academy, under the direction of head coach Ray Ishee,has seven starters returning. Most of Ishee’s skill players areseniors while the majority of the linemen are underclassmen.

Silliman was hit hard by graduation and the Wildcats have a newhead coach in Brian Spillman. The Wildcats were 7-3 last year.

Columbia, coached by Brad Duncan, went 7-5 last season as theCougars advanced to the state playoffs. They finished runners-up toOak Forest is the district race. Five starters return from thatteam.

Bowling Green, coached by Andy Creel, has 10 starters returningfrom a 5-5 squad.

The Trinity Saints have five returning starters as they move upthe ladder to AA.