Friday Night Blitz: Week 9

Another week down and another week closer to the ultimate goal for every team in the state, Jackson. Each team has aspirations of making it to the Big House in Jackson where they have the opportunity to play for the gold trophy but as each week goes by, those opportunities get slimmer and slimmer for many teams. This week, region games are heating up around the state and the stakes are getting higher with less non-conference games from here on out. It should be a great week of high school football in Mississippi and we've got you covered here on BulldogBlitz.com. Let's take a look at my picks from last week and where I am on the season picking my top five games each week.

Last Week's Record: 2-3

Season Record 27-13

Now, my game of the week and four more games to watch.

Game of the Week: Tupelo at South Panola: Them blankets just keep on rolling and have found themselves, all of a sudden, 7-0 in the biggest classification in the state. Now the Wave are at a crossroads. Tupelo rolls into Batesville to take on the mighty South Panola Tigers who are undefeated in Misssissippi so far this year. Lots of people are taking the Tigers for granted forgetting that they still own the Magnolia state. The mighty Tigers are 100-4 against Mississippi high schools since 2004. During that time, they've won seven State Championships. They're also riding an 18-game winning streak against Mississippi teams dating back to the start of last season and they're defending their trophy this year.

Needless to say, Tupelo has a lot riding against them but they have a huge chip on their shoulder and seem to be playing fun football. I just think South Panola is still the team to beat until they in fact do get beat. The Tigers will continue to roll this week.

South Panola

Madison Central at Starkville: Bobby Hall knows how to win. The legendary coach has been all around the state and one common theme everywhere he has gone is that he has won. This year he's picking up steam in the ever-fluid 6A. The Jags are starting to feel it after a 2-2 start as they've won three-straight to get to 5-2 with just a couple of games remaining. Starkville is picking up steam on their side as well. The Yellow Jackets took a while to adjust from moving to 6A after winning it all in class five last season. With the same record overall and in the division, the winner of this game looks to seal up the division. Can Starkville compete for a 6A championship just a year removed from winning one classification down? I think they can compete, but MC wins this one on Friday. Madison Central

Meridian at Brandon: Staying with the 6A theme, we go to previously number one and undefeated Brandon. The Bulldogs took their first loss of the season last week when Petal knocked them off to send the division into frenzy. Meridian is looking to shake it up even more with a solid offense that has the ability to put points on the board. I was wrong on my pick of the Bulldogs last week, but I've picked them to win more often than I have to lose. I'm staying with that. Brandon gets back on track this week. Brandon

Hazlehurst at Wilkinson County: In class 3A, it's Louisville and then everyone else. This week the biggest matchup in the class is Hazlehurst and Wilkinson County. Hazlehurst is currently undefeated in 3A play with their only loss coming to 2A Bassfield. Wilkinson County has only lost two games and played Louisville well for three quarters before falling. This game will determine who is the number two team in the state but I think Hazlehurst already holds that description. Hazlehurst

Ridgeland at Callaway: Big-time rivalry games are heating up and this is one of them in Ridgeland and Callaway. Callaway is still searching for respect despite their undefeated record in 5A and has aspirations of making a trip down the road to Veterans Memorial stadium at the end of November. A loaded defense and special playmakers offensively is going to be too much for Ridgeland to overcome. Callaway

Future Bulldog Player of the Week: Aeris Williams, Running Back West Point : There might not be a player in the state that has to tote the mail as often as Williams does on a weekly basis. Williams was in a bit of a shootout last week as his team poured on nearly 70 points in a 69-41 win over Center Hill. The Rivals 3* running back carried it 26 times for 252 yards and four touchdowns to push him over the 1,000-yard mark on the year. He's rushed 192 times for 1,191 yards this year and 16 touchdowns averaging 6.2 yards-per-carry.

Now let's take a look at this week's top 25 for the state of Mississippi.

Top 25:

1. Oak Grove (7-0) 6A

2. South Panola (7-1) 6A

3. Oxford (7-0) 5A

4. Petal (6-1) 6A

5. Louisville (8-0) 3A

6. Tupelo (7-0) 6A

7. Brandon (6-1) 6A

8. Callaway (8-0) 5A

9. Bassfield (7-1) 2A

10. Madison Central (5-2) 6A

11. Pascagoula (6-1) 5A

12. Starkville (5-2) 6A

13. Wayne County (5-2) 5A

14. Picayune (4-2) 5A

15. Hazlehurst (7-1) 4A

16. Meridian (5-2) 6A

17. Gulfport (5-1) 6A

18. Laurel (7-0) 5A

19. Pearl (7-1) 5A

20. Olive Branch (5-3) 6A

21. Ripley (8-0) 4A

22. Grenada (6-1) 6A

23. St. Stansislaus (7-0) 4A

24. Jackson Academy (6-2) MAIS-AAA

25. Charleston (6-1) 3A