magnolia state finals

There will be a couple of interesting next-generation side-stories next week when the Mississippi public-school association has its football state championships in Jackson.

On Friday night, Oak Grove will play the mighty "University" of South Panola in the 6A finals. OG's best all-around player is Steve McNair Jr., although they've got several other speedy skill players that are in his class as an athlete. Steve Jr. is Big Steve's love child from when he was still at Alcorn State. USP, you may recall, had its 89-game winning streak snapped in last year's state championship game, and they actually lost another game during the regular season this year, to MUS out of Memphis, which caused some of their fans to call for the coach's ouster (I am NOT kidding).

Saturday afternoon, St. Stanislaus will take the field in the 4A finals against Lafayette (whose fans will heatedly remind you that it's pronounced la-FAY-et). St. Stan is led by one Dylan Favre, the nephew of you-know-who. This kid and his team are a passing machine. He's the first QB in Mississippi history to pass for over 10,000 yards in his career, and he also holds the state career record with more than 140 TD passes. Going into tonight's state semifinal win, he'd thrown for more than 4,700 yards and 56 TDs this year alone, plus he's rushed for almost 1,100 yards and another 15 TDs. Only reason he's not being more heavily recruited is because he's only about 5-11 and 185 pounds.

 

I like the Mississippi public school system.
They crown one champ in each classification 1A thru 6A.
Just one.
Other states have 5A, Division 1 ... 5A Division 2, etc.
Even the Mississippi Private School Assn. crowns all sorts of levels and divisions in each class.
Some of the private school scenarios require just one or two playoff wins to earn a "state title"
Big props to Mississippi public school athletics.

The alma mater of Blitz topped South Panola last season to stop the streak.
Oak Grove eliminated defending champ Meridian a few weeks ago in 6A playoff action and should give Panola a run Friday night.
Aberdeen should win 3A and West Point should win 4A.
I might venture to guess on the other ones later on.
Favre certainly deserves a skolly from some big school, likely Southern or Ole Miss.

 

It's the MAIS now (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools -- I know, I know. I'm still getting used to it too), and it's only the biggest classification that's split up like that.
Class A and Class AA, you still have to win four playoff games. And since there's schools from three states in the association, some of the travel involved makes that no small feat. With schools in Arkansas and as far west as Shreveport, you can easily have teams traveling six or seven hours for a game. Add in some of the small enrollments and tiny towns these schools are drawing from, and I have a lot of respect for any MAIS Class A program that can sustain success for more than four or five years.
That said, Class AAA is a joke. I think there's maybe 20 or 25 teams total, and they're split into two divisions. It's ridiculous. You win two playoff games and you're state champions. It's basically a system designed to get a big money game between Jackson Academy and Jackson Prep every year.

 

Agreed. It used to be 1A-4A and it should remain that way. Interesting (I think) aside: When I was in high school, we went from 4A to 3A to 2A in two years.

 

Or just have Class AAA as one division. There's not nearly enough teams to warrant two divisions. Never has been.
The MHSAA does a lot of silly things, but Blitz is right. They got the playoff system right -- unless we're talking about 5A/6A baseball, which is a topic for a different season.

An aside to your aside, one of our local public schools (Vicksburg High) went from Class 4A to 6A this year.
They were the largest 4A under the old alignment. When the MHSAA went from five classifications to six this year, they kept the old rules (top 32 in enrollment go into the top classification). So Vicksburg, which had a slight increase in enrollment, became one of the smaller 6A schools.

 

The basketball playoffs are pretty bad, too. You can lose two games in the playoffs, at the right time, and still win the state championships. Naked money grab.

 

Big Steve's old school, Mount Olive, also somehow found its way into the 1A final despite a 9-5 record. They started 0-4 or 1-4, if I remember right. Hell of a run they're on right now.

 

Yeah, Blitz, but you live in Texas, my native state, and I live in yours, Mississippi, and there are 24 mil folk in Texas, and about 3 mil in Mississippi.

So you can justify the two champs per class on that level.

 

How many of the Panolas are qualifiers this year?

 

Just the same one that's always a qualifier. And it ain't the one from the north half of the county.

 

The population intangible certainly opens the door for more championship games and playoff scenarios.
I just don't like to see championships, from any sport or age level, watered down.
Yes, you make a good point.

 

Money grab in the MHSAA? Perish the thought.