- Oxford is hosting 3 straight playoff games for the first time in school history.
- This will be a school record 9th Home Game this season for Oxford.
- Oxford and Lafayette (playing the 4A North Half game vs. Cleveland) are playing Football at the same time after Thanksgiving for the first time ever.
- Oxford and Callaway have a combined 2 appearances in the State Championship game entering tonight.
- Oxford is going for its second State Championship Appearance in school history (2003).
- Oxford is hosting its first North Half game since 2003 when it defeated Noxubee County 14-13 10 years ago yesterday.
- Oxford is in the North Half game for the fourth time in school history (1989, 2003, 2005, 2013), hosting for the third time. (Records can be found here: http://misshsfootball.com/Teams/Oxford_Standings.htm)
- Oxford has defeated 4 defending State Champions over the last two years (Charleston, Lafayette - 2012 / Jackson Prep, Starkville - 2013) - including one that has gone on to win their Championship (Jackson Prep).
- With a win, the Class of 2014 Seniors will have earned its 30th win - the most for a group of seniors over a normal course of a 3-year span since the Class of 2008 Seniors were on the field. (The School Record is 33 by the Class of 2006 Seniors)
- Oxford is attempting to start 14-0 for the first time in school history - and to win their 14th game for the first time in school history.
- Oxford currently has a 15-game home winning streak - having last lost a home game in 2011 against Clarksdale.
- Oxford defeated Callaway 26-0 in their last meeting in 2003. That was also the last year Callaway was a 1-seed. (They are the 1-seed from Region 2-5A this year)
- Oxford committed 4 (or more) Turnovers for the first time this season last week (3 Lost Fumbles and 1 Interception)
- With Jack Abraham at QB, Oxford is 9-for-9 on 4th Down Attempts this season.
- Abraham has thrown for 300+ Yards and 4+ TD passes for the 4th time this season - and the second week in a row.
- Abraham broke the school record for Passing TD's and Passing Yards in a single season on the same throw last week when Abraham threw to DK Metcalf. Abraham currently has (to my count) 3,008 Yards and 35 TDs on the season.
- Kenzie Phillips needs 212 Rushing Yards to break Mont Dean's rushing record of 1,690 Yards in a single season. He also needs 5 Touchdowns to break Mont Dean's single season Rushing Touchdown total of 23.
- Ethan Holmes needs one reception to become the fourth receiver this season for Oxford to have 40 receptions.
- Zach Cousar needs a TD reception to become the fifth receiver this season for Oxford to have 5 TD receptions - however he has not caught one since the Crosstown Classic.
- EIGHT different receivers have multiple TD receptions on the year for Oxford. (EIGHT)
- Oxford has entered the opponent's Red Zone 72 times this season - coming away with 49 Touchdowns (68%) and 10 Field Goals.
- The leading receiver for Oxford in yardage (Joey Walden) just has 589 receiving yards on the year.
- Oxford is 4-0 in their last four games when they face a team who has an active win streak in the double digits (Charleston - 14 in 2011, Lafayette - 34 in 2012, Jackson Prep - 13 this season, Starkville - 12 this season). Callaway is - obviously - currently on a 14 game winning streak. (Last loss was to West Point - but way back in 2007)
- Callaway High School was built in 1966, and was named after Robert M. Callaway, a native of.....Oxford. (Didn't see that coming now did you?)
- On this date in 1729, the Natchez Indians Massacre killed a total of 229 French - 138 Frenchmen, 35 French Women, and 56 children - at Fort Rosalie - or present day Natchez, Mississippi.
- On this date in 1902, The Pittsburgh Stars defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 11-0 at the Pittsburgh Coliseum to win the first ever championship associated with a national pprofessional Football league.
- On this date in 1961, a Chimp named Enos was launched into space during a project called Project Mercury. The spacecraft orbited the Earth twice before splashing down off the coast of Puerto Rico.
- On this date in 1972, Atari releases Pong, the first commercially successful video game ever made.
- Today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
- Today - if you hadn't been involved or have been under a rock - is Black Friday. Black Friday is the day where the biggest sales of the year happens in the biggest stores and occurs on the day after Thanksgiving which always occurs on a Thursday. This upcoming Monday is called Cyber Monday where most of the Internet sales are made. It occurs on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
- Today is the birthdays of TV Actor, Game Show Host, and Voice Actor Howie Mandel (58), Actor Andrew McCarthy (51), current NBA Free Agent Shannon Brown (28), and MLB's All-Time Saves Record Holder Mariano Rivera (44)
Here are some facts for you to keep up with this Friday. They can range from sports to things you could care less about. Here we go:
So, here I am in 2011. Oxford's Football Season is about to come to a close with a defeat to Clarksdale, a game Oxford had to win to reach the playoffs. Oxford lost to Clarksdale 20-17. Oxford finished the season 5-6, it's first losing season since going 4-6 in 2000.
After that defeat, several Oxford assistant coaches have determined they should start up a new offseason program - a program where it was a requirement to come to work out X number of times just to get a jersey on and make the team and another few more times to get the name on the back of their home jersey. In 2011, only about 20-25 players met the previous requirement to get their name on the back of their jerseys. While that requirement really hasn't changed, the new requirement to work out X number of times did. 2012 came around and about 50 or so managed to get their name on the back of their jersey. The result? A 11-2 record and a 2nd Round Appearance. The 9th Grade crew that was coming up went 6-0 in their games before a majority of them got bumped up to Varsity - they were blowing everyone out by 30-50 points every game including Lafayette. A 6-win improvement and defensively stepped up from a year ago. The offseason began during the Powerlifting season usually in the winter. What happened? Oxford Boys won their first ever Powerlifting State Title - a team that mostly contained returning football players. In the summer, a good portion of those players and those that weren't on the powerlifting team punched their ticket to the National 7-on-7 Tournament in Hoover, AL. Oxford fought through the loser's bracket and finally got beat when there was 4 teams left, making them 4th Place finishers. Oxford had to win a Regional Tournament to reach the National Tournament. Now here we are in 2013. Oxford had a total of NINETY-FOUR (94) players complete their workout requirement to get their name on the back of the jersey and all 100+ completed their workout requirement to make the team. That number includes 9th Graders. Varsity had 70 of the 76 complete their requirement to get their name on their jersey. What has that resulted in? Currently a 13-0 record - matching the best start in school history set by the 2005 squad. Oxford has scored 30 points in every game, something that has never been done before, and have won every game by double-digits - including over AAA MAIS Champion for this year in Jackson Prep, previous 5A Champion Starkville, beating Lafayette for the second year in a row, and finally defeating West Point after so many tries. The difference between 5-6 and 13-0? Well, let's take a look at those "Iron Chargers" pictures..... 2013 started off at night - midnight to be exact - and lasted until 1:20 AM for the first practice, slept for 4 hours, woke up and had our team pictures. Then the wait to play Jackson Prep, a game with a lot of hype. Ended out with Oxford on top and an offense worth noticing - not knowing not all of the offense was shown. Then came the Kenzie Phillips coming out party, ripping off a 62-yard run to jump start the second half against Starkville. In a game Starkville thought they were going to win, they made up a trophy - that trophy is sitting in the OHS coaches office. For the record, it broke 2 minutes after we got our hands on it. Then beating Lafayette at Lafayette was something to just sit back and watch the OHS defense just eat up the Lafayette offense for the second year in a row. Then the statement game against West Point - despite not having DK Metcalf who broke his foot, Oxford finally got over the hump and made a statement Oxford isn't joking around this year. After that game, Oxford proceeded to win every game after that by 3 possessions or more, not allowing any game to become a factor when the fourth quarter came around. While Oxford's play has certainly taken notice by everyone, there are other things this season that has made me excited about this year. For one, the OHS Band. In past years, the band just wanted to do their own thing - thinking that the fans are there for the band which was never ever the case. On three occasions, the Band embarrassed the football team where the band would play something that you would not hear at any other game during a big situation. The other came in 2011, where in overtime Oxford scored a Touchdown and immediately the Band played the fight song during the extra point. There was one problem - the extra point had to be made to tie the game and send it to another overtime. When the extra point got blocked, the band got an ear-full after the game for prematurely playing the fight song. It's worth noting that the OHS Band cannot perform infront of people if there is not a football game. Also the OHS Band runs the concession stands - no football game = no money made from concessions. If Oxford performs well, they make the playoffs. The amount of money OHS Band makes from concessions is based on the success of the football program. The better the team does -> the more people that come -> the more that come to the Concession Stand -> the more money they make. This year, completely different. Oxford did get new band director Mel Morse to help the cause. In return, Morse wanted to help make games more enjoyable for the fans and the team. How? When the opposing offense has the ball, the band just plays a real loud noise - making it harder to hear and possibly making them jump into a False Start penalty. They also get the fans going into defensive chants - something also not done in the past. They play "Zombie Nation" during kickoffs to help get the fans going. The band director even got a Game Ball from the OHS Football Team one night - something that even shocked the director. Morse knows it is not automatic the Oxford makes the playoffs or gets another home game. The way they have supported Oxford this year is one of the main reasons the Band is getting 3 more home games worth of concession money - which will help them pay for instruments and their big band trip they take in the spring. For me that has seen how much money can be made just on a baseball tournament day on concessions, they are raking it in every game. In the past, Band parents have complained about how much money the football team gets (which can't be further from the truth). Football's only sources of money come from Ad's you see in the stadium or for a game-basis, the "Discount Cards" the football team sells, and a set amount of money from the Booster Club - normally enough to get maybe jersey's and/or several new cleats. They don't get a dime from admissions or concessions - in fact the Football team does not make a single penny from any game they play in, anybody that says different is lying to you. The Ad's they sell in the PRESEASON is their only revenue they make. It's finally heartwarming to see that the Band is a lot more involved in the football season with the football team than in any of the years past. They have been to nearly every game this season - only not coming to the Center Hill game (and there are games where they can't be there because of band competitions that Saturday) Even during pep rallies, the students wanted the Band to play. That's how much better it has been for the band - and it is simply because they support the football team more than ever before - it helps that the football team is winning all the time. For two - the increase in the number for followers and likes on Facebook have increased like never before. I have gained nearly 300 followers since the start of the season - the biggest boost out of the three years I've had a Twitter Account (that's including my outburst on the other account I did in early September). The likes have gone up by 200 - most came during the start of the season. Seeing how I am basically the only source to CONSISTENTLY give scoring updates in ALL sports, that's why the majority of the 1,100 people on Twitter follows me. Many others that have tried in the past just falter off and do not stay committed. I do this every year even before I had a Twitter account. I have been able to do Track, Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball consistently. I wish I could do every sport but I get the scores when I can. This is why I continue to keep doing what I do. There is nothing like High School Sports. Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger, AP = Associated Press, NR = Not Ranked The CL's last poll was November 5th until the end of the State Championships when they will release a final poll, ditto for MPB on November 13. Maxpreps updates their computer rankings every week on Sunday Night. Note* - I will use the team's seed instead of any poll as a "rank" during the course of the playoffs. Who's Playing?: Oxford (13-0 [1-seed from Region 1-5A], #4 AP, #3 MP, #2 MPB, #5 CL, #1 in 5A - All Polls) vs. Callaway (14-0 [1-seed from Region 2-5A], #12 MPB, #9 MP, #10 AP & CL, #2 in 5A - AP) What?: North Half Title Game of the MHSAA 5A Playoffs Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field @ OHS When?: Friday, November 29th @ 7:00 PM How can you keep yourself updated? (All of the following are the known outlets as of release time): 95.5 FM WOXD Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, @NationsSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) to be shown on tape delay at least Monday. The Lowdown: It doesn't matter how you look at it. Callaway found a way to be 14-0, their best record in school history. They found it by winning at the last second (Germantown), by forfeit (Canton), or flat out stomping opponents (Pearl, Clarksdale). The fact of the matter is that they are undefeated and have certainly earned their way to this game against Oxford regardless of what their record is supposed to be. The only record that matters is that they are 2-0 in the playoffs - the same as Oxford. Callaway was touted preseason, they have four D-1 players committed to Ole Miss. Anybody who has that much talent is bound to be very good and Callaway certainly has the ability to be that and have been playing like it lately. It has been noted extensively in Jackson that a Jackson Public School (that includes Jim Hill, Forest Hill, Wingfield, Provine, Lanier, Murrah, and Callaway) has not had one team reach the State Championship game since 1999. Callaway has not made it since 1984 - their only other appearance in a State Championship game. There's one other problem: Oxford has just as much talent if not more and they have shown it all season long - Oxford is also unbeaten. Oxford's way of being unbeaten has been simple: Scoring plenty of points and having a stout defense. Oxford has scored at least 30 points in every game (I sound like a broken record) and have won every game by double-digits. Two players have committed to D-1 schools, a bunch more underclassman will soon see offers on the table the way they are playing. Oxford has been playing as well as anybody - especially on offense where in their last 7 games they have scored at least 39 points in each game. Let's keep this in mind: Oxford scored more than 39 points just THREE TIMES in the LAST TWO YEARS. That's how on fire this offense has been - despite any weather conditions. Callaway certainly has the talent to keep up. The coaching? I don't know. JPS schools haven't been known for their coaching - Provine sure didn't when they came to Oxford back in 2004 having given up just 7 points all year with all that talent on offense and defense and then lost to Oxford. Their undefeated season came to a screeching halt. Callaway has a good defense, but when scouting their schedule - I see 38 given up to a bad Murrah team, and 33 to Saltillo - a team Oxford just gave up 7 on the road. As far as offense goes, they have put up 20 against a bad Jim Hill team, 14 to Canton who didn't make the playoffs, and 12 to Germantown where they had to win at the last second. They have put up 52 on Pearl, 56 on Saltillo, and 51 on Clarksdale. While Oxford has put up less numbers than those, it's worth noting Oxford puts in the second-string units on offense earlier than most coaches and other teams. Against Clarksdale, Oxford had a running clock by the fourth quarter. Callaway's offense uses misdirection - like others Oxford has faced - four different players have either or are nearing 100 carries on the season and all have at least 750 rushing yards on the year. They are about an 80% run / 20% pass team - and Oxford has stuffed any run game they have come across this season. If Callaway has to throw the ball, that is trouble. Oxford has answered the bell all year long. Against Jackson Prep coming off an undefeated season, when they got behind in Starkville, when Lafayette got a short field early, when Center Hill kept up with Oxford for a half, when the offense didn't do much against New Hope and Saltillo for a half, when Vicksburg got on top early, when Pearl made it somewhat of a game on a Special Teams mistake, Oxford has responded when they have needed to and put games away without it needing to come down to the last minute. Can Oxford do it again? My gut says it won't faze these kids regardless of situation.
Weather: At Kickoff, Clear and 40*F (no chance of precipitation), Winds Calm (thus no Wind Chill to change actual Temp), Temps to drop to the mid-30s by end of the game.
Other Notes: With a win, Oxford will have their best start in school history at 14-0 and their 2nd appearance in a State Championship Football game ever. The last time Oxford and Callaway met was in 2003 - the last time Callaway was a 1-seed in the playoffs - and Oxford won 26-0 as a 4-seed. Oxford proceeded to go to the Championship game that year. You know the drill by now.
1. (Picayune @ Laurel) - What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Picayune Double Digit Win B. Laurel Single Digit Loss or Win (lost by 7) 2. (Lafayette @ Cleveland) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Lafayette (42) B. Cleveland 3. (South Panola @ Tupelo) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. South Panola B. Tupelo (12) 4. (Meridian @ Oak Grove) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Meridian B. Oak Grove (45) 5. (Louisville @ Charleston) - What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Louisville Double Digit Win (won by 35) B. Charleston Single Digit Loss or Win 6. (Callaway @ Oxford) - Which stat will have MORE YARDS? A. Jack Abraham Passing Yards (or tie) (269) B. Callaway Total Rushing Yards (25) 7. (Callaway @ Oxford) - Which stat will have MORE YARDS? A. Oxford Total Rushing Yards (105) B. Callaway Total Passing Yards (or tie) (104) 8. (Callaway @ Oxford) - Which will have the HIGHER TOTAL (no OT)? A. Oxford Winning Margin (16) B. Callaway 2nd Half Points (or tie) (7) 9. (Callaway @ Oxford) - Which will occur FIRST? A. A Passing Touchdown B. Any Other Score (or no score) (Rushing TD was first score) 10. (Callaway @ Oxford) - What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Oxford Double Digit Win (won by 16) B. Callaway Single Digit Loss or Win Here are some facts for you to keep up with this Friday. They can range from sports to things you could care less about. Here we go:
Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger, AP = Associated Press, NR = Not Ranked The CL's last poll was November 5th until the end of the State Championships when they will release a final poll, ditto for MPB on November 13. Maxpreps updates their computer rankings every week on Sunday Night. Note* - I will use the team's seed instead of any poll as a "rank" during the course of the playoffs. Who's Playing?: Oxford (12-0 [1-seed from Region 1-5A], #4 AP & MP, #2 MPB, #5 CL, #1 in 5A - All Polls) vs. Pearl (11-2 [2-seed from Region 2-5A], #16 MPB & MP, #5 in 5A - MP) What?: Second Round of the MHSAA 5A Playoffs Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field @ OHS When?: Friday, November 22nd @ 7:00 PM How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) Monday @ 6 PM. The Lowdown: The warmup game was completed last week as Oxford used a rapid-fire scoring surge to make a rather close game in the first half into a full-blowout 50-7. The Pearl Pirates was able to stop Aeris Williams and stop a surging West Point team in its tracks to win 33-20 - the game was not as close as the final score would indicate. The Pirates will enter into its matchup with Oxford as the 2-seed for the third straight meeting from their region - however this time unlike the other two times, Pearl is the team that will be on I-55 traveling. Pearl defeated Oxford in 2009 that had an injured Guy Cameron Billups playing in that game. In 2010, Oxford returned the favor and the Pirate's defense had no answer at all against Oxford's offense (remember the Top 20 games list I did last year? Yeah, that game). Pearl's defense only forced one third down in that game (which Oxford converted) without a Turnover and without a Punt - and the only times Oxford did not score a Touchdown was because the clock ended the half or the game. Pearl enters this game sporting an 11-2 record whose two losses are to 2-5A Region Champion Callaway and a highly-ranked Brandon team who many considered the 6A favorite entering the year. The Pirate's schedule was not easy, they traveled to then-top ranked Brandon and fought to a 10-2 loss. They went out of state and played a Louisiana team that had gone 8-4 last year (but went 3-7 this year) and beat them. They also had two other 6A opponents and defeated them rather easily. They spanked the teams they were supposed to spank (including beating region opponent Vicksburg 37-7 that Oxford beat last week 50-7) before getting spanked themselves by Callaway in an odd blowout where the Pirates did not play good at all. In both of those loses, they did not score an offensive Touchdown. Pearl would love nothing more than to upset Oxford on their home field, and would get to host Callaway for North Half in a revenge game en route to the 5A Title game assuming Callaway gets by Clarksdale. The Pearl team that showed up against West Point last week HAS to show up in Oxford tomorrow night and then some. Oxford has dominated the latter part of the season blowing-out every opponent they have faced. This will be their first real test since their first five games of the year where every opponent was ranked in some poll either by classification or overall at the time and beating West Point back in September. Oxford has stayed sharp in all phases for the most part and when reality hit them in a game or two, they've answered the bell. They know they must answer the bell in this game. Pearl is a big time rival in all other non-"Big 3" sports. A big key in this game is that weather will reek havoc on this game. It will rain the 24 hours prior to kickoff nearly the entire time. There is a very high chance it will rain during the game as well. Ball security will be big. The question will be this: Which Pearl team will show up to Bobby Holcomb Field? The one that got destroyed by Callaway 2 weeks ago, or the one that dominated West Point last week? Whatever the case, Oxford must be ready for Pearl's A-game.
Weather: At Kickoff: Rain, 80% Chance throughout the game. 55*F, Winds from the North at 4-12 MPH (winds increasing throughout the night - going towards the Practice Field). The rain may become lighter as the game goes on, but not expected to clear. Temps to drop near 50*F by the end of the game.
Other Notes: The winner of this game will either host Callaway or travel to Clarksdale for the 5A North Half Championship. Jack Abraham needs 3 TD passes to break Guy Cameron Billups single season record of 33 TD passes. Introducing the playoff pick'em game - where I will jot down several "picks" and then by using the comment box below (with a "username") make your picks. I will continue to do this until Oxford is eliminated or until the State Championships have been played. Picks can contain anywhere from stats to straight up picks from any playoff game.
1. (Pearl @ Oxford) - What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Oxford Wins by 15+ Points (18) B. Any Other Result 2. (Clarksdale @ Callaway) - What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Callaway Double Digit Win (44) B. Clarksdale Single Digit Loss or Win 3. (Picayune @ Wayne County) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Picayune B. Wayne County 4. (Noxubee County @ Lafayette) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Noxubee County B. Lafayette 5. (Pearl @ Oxford) - Which stat will have MORE YARDS? A. Jack Abraham Total Passing Yards (or Tie) (305) B. Pearl Total Offensive Yards (232) 6. (Tupelo @ Madison Central) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Tupelo B. Madison Central 7. (Pearl @ Oxford) - How many POINTS will Cody Mills score? A. 7 or less (3) B. 8 or more 8. (Pearl @ Oxford) - Will Jack Abraham (OHS) (31) BREAK Guy Cameron Billups (33) Single-Season TD Passes Record tonight? A. Yes, he will break it (3 Touchdowns or more) (4) B. No, he will NOT break it (2 Touchdowns or less) 9. (Forrest County AHS @ St. Stanislaus) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Forrest County AHS B. St. Stanislaus 10. (Oak Grove @ Petal) - Who will WIN this matchup? A. Oak Grove B. Petal Here are some facts for you to keep up with this Friday. They can range from sports to things you could care less about. Here we go:
Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger, AP = Associated Press, NR = Not Ranked The CL's last poll was November 5th until the end of the State Championships when they will release a final poll, ditto for MPB on November 13. Maxpreps updates their computer rankings every week on Sunday Night. Note* - I will use the team's seed instead of any poll as a "rank" during the course of the playoffs. Who's Playing?: Oxford (11-0 [1-seed from Region 1-5A], #4 AP & MP, #2 MPB, #5 CL, #1 in 5A - All Polls) vs. Vicksburg (6-5 [4-seed from Region 2-5A], NR) What?: First Round of the MHSAA 5A Playoffs Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field @ OHS When?: Friday, November 15th @ 7:00 PM How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) Monday @ 6 PM. The Lowdown: Playoff time. Oxford is looking solid going into the playoffs. Vicksburg comes in losing 4 of their last 5 with their lone win coming last week needed to get to this point against 1-win Neshoba Central - whose one win came against winless Lanier. The feeling is just there that Vicksburg is about to travel 215 miles just to get punched in the mouth and then be sent 215 miles home and hang up their jerseys for the year. The Gators have struggled against the other three teams from 2-5A that made the playoffs (2-seed Pearl by 30, 3-seed Ridgeland by 30, and Callaway by 19). If they are struggling against those teams, it'll be interesting to see how Oxford will do. If it has been much like any of the last six games Oxford has played, 2-5A may not have anything much to offer. Vicksburg does not have accurate stats on Maxpreps, and any stats that have been put up stopped when they stopped winning. If there was an indicator, it means they run the ball a lot (normally between 2-3 backs that tote the ball). They do throw it, but not as often as Oxford's last two opponents. Oxford's run defense has been pretty top notch this season, even when the quarterback is able to run the football it hasn't been for much. Vicksburg's QB is the Head Coach's son. On top of that - much like many other teams Oxford has faced this season - they don't have the defense to stop Oxford who has scored at least 30 points in every single game this season. The Gators also only have 42 players listed on the roster - so if the hurry-up pace gets to them, there is no depth behind them. Another big issue for Vicksburg. Tack on the fact they have not heard much about Oxford beyond being in the rankings most of the season or even have seen any film entering last Friday - so preparing for the Charger offense will be difficult. So Oxford should dispatch them easily, they have the depth, the match-ups on both sides on the ball, and usually solid on special teams. Just take care of business and wait to see who comes out of Pearl for the next round after the Pirates and West Point beat each other up.
Weather: At Kickoff - 53*F, Partly Cloudy (10-20% Chance of Rain, with chances increasing throughout the night), Wind Chill: 51*F, Winds from the SE-SSE at 3-7 MPH (Winds going towards the Pole Vault Pit in the stadium), Temps to drop below 50*F by the end of the game, Wind Chills into the upper 40s.
Other Notes: If Oxford wins, they will either HOST Pearl or TRAVEL to West Point for the 2nd Round. This is based on the number of home games a team plays - whoever has played the fewest has the host spot for the 2nd Round (if a tie - it goes to highest seed). Introducing the playoff pick'em game - where I will jot down several "picks" and then by using the comment box below (with a "username") make your picks. I will continue to do this until Oxford is eliminated or until the State Championships have been played. Picks can contain anywhere from stats to straight up picks from any playoff game.
1 - (Vicksburg @ Oxford) Which stat will OCCUR the MOST? A. Jack Abraham Pass Completions (18) B. Vicksburg Pass Attempts (19) 2 - (West Point @ Pearl) Who will WIN this matchup? A. West Point (20) B. Pearl (33) 3 - (Vicksburg @ Oxford) What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Oxford Wins by 30+ Points (Won by 43) B. Any Other Result (0) 4 - (Vicksburg @ Oxford) Will Oxford hold Vicksburg on a 4TH DOWN ATTEMPT? A. Yes - Oxford will stop Vicksburg on at least one 4th Down (Made Stop in 2nd Half) B. No - Oxford does not stop Vicksburg on at least one 4th Down (or no attempt) 5 - (Ridgeland @ Clarksdale) Who will WIN this matchup? A. Ridgeland (21) B. Clarksdale (38) 6 - (Vicksburg @ Oxford) Who will have MORE POINTS during the game? A. Kenzie Phillips - Total Points (6) B. Vicksburg Total Points (7) 7 - (West Point @ Pearl & Vicksburg @ Oxford) Who will have MORE YARDS during their games? A. Jack Abraham Passing Yards (Oxford) (348) B. Aeris Williams Rushing Yards (West Point) (150) 8 - (Saltillo @ Callaway & Vicksburg @ Oxford) Who will have MORE YARDS during their games? A. Diamante Pounds (Saltillo) (125) B. Kenzie Phillips (Oxford) (76) 9 - (Greenwood @ Lafayette) Who will WIN this matchup? A. Greenwood B. Lafayette 10 - (Water Valley @ Louisville) What will be the GAME RESULT? A. Louisville Wins by 35+ Points B. Any Other Result (Louisville won by 29) I'll try to have some fun and post my own picks as well to see how you do against me. I will post the results and records of all entries on Monday after this Friday. Here are some facts for you to keep up with this Friday. They can range from sports to things you could care less about. Here we go:
Key: MP = Maxpreps, MPB = Mississippi Public Broadcasting Poll, CL = Clarion-Ledger, AP = Associated Press, NR = Not Ranked Note* - For the sake of priority ranking, AP - which was polled by the media - will be used for ranking purposes. Maxpreps uses computer rankings. If the Clarion-Ledger or AP ranks one team - who uses just a top 10 - but the other is not ranked in the MPB poll - who uses a top 25 - the AP/CL will be used. MPB poll will be used if teams are ranked outside the AP/CL top 10 Who's Playing?: Oxford (10-0 [6-0], #3 AP, #2 MPB (as of 10/30), #4 MP, #5 CL, #1 in 5A - All Polls) vs. Lake Cormorant (6-4 [3-3], NR) What?: Seventh Region Game / Last Regular Season Game / Senior Night Where?: Bobby Holcomb Field @ OHS When?: Friday, November 8th @ 7:00 PM How can you keep yourself updated?: 95.5 FM Radio, Bullseye955.com, @OxChargerSports Twitter Account, Channel 97 (Metrocast) Monday @ 6 PM. The Lowdown: Amazing, it is the last game of the regular season already. Didn't seem that long ago we were counting down to face Jackson Prep to lead off the season. Oxford has clinched the 1-5A title and the 1-seed going into the playoffs next week. Like last year, this game means nothing to Oxford in terms of movement in the regional standings. However, unlike last year, their opponent has something to play for. Oxford also needs to straighten up the 22 penalties it generated last week - FAR too many to commit and be successful consistently. Oxford has publicly said they are using this week to get into top form going into the playoffs next week - meaning the starters will start and play as long as they need to, likely until at least the second half. Lake Cormorant is fighting for the last playoff spot as a 4-seed after their setback to Clarksdale last week. The Gators need Saltillo to lose to have any chance at the playoffs - if Saltillo wins against New Hope, they are in - regardless of this game's outcome. If Saltillo loses and Lake Cormorant defeats Oxford, the Gators are in. If Lake Cormorant loses, and Saltillo loses by at least 12 to New Hope AND Lake Cormorant loses by 11 or less to Oxford OR Clarksdale loses AND West Point wins (on Thursday - tonight), the Gators are in that way in a tiebreaker which I mentioned last week in another blog post. Lake Cormorant likes to sling it around the field - in fact, they have thrown for more passing yards than Oxford this year. The Gators have also attempted more passes (318) than Oxford has (289). Running the ball is not their strong suit (averages just 4.8 yards a carry as a team) - and it may have likely what has cost Lake Cormorant a playoff spot when they lost to West Point this year. The Gators had a 21-0 lead at halftime only to not score in the second half and lose 24-21 - likely because of their inability to consistently run the ball. This is a daunting task for the Gators to beat Oxford - who has an offense that has hardly been stopped at all this year, and a defense that has been consistent in stopping teams, getting out to big leads, and consistently having the second-string team on the field by the fourth quarter. I expect the Gators to come out firing, but I'm afraid it just won't be enough and whatever chances they have at the playoffs will be slammed shut when 10 PM rolls around Friday.
Weather: At Kickoff, 49*F, Mostly Cloudy (no chance of rain), winds from the SSE up to 6 MPH. Clouds expected to cover the sky later on (with still no chance for rain) and the temperatures expected to drop to the mid-40s by the end of the game.
Other Notes: Oxford can go undefeated in the regular season for just the second time in school history with a win. Lake Cormorant has never defeated Oxford in football (Oxford is 4-0 all-time). Oxford will host either Ridgeland (if they lose), Vicksburg (if they win and Ridgeland beats Germantown), or Germantown (if they lose and Vicksburg loses) in the first round of the playoffs next week. Before I get started, it is worth noting what the MHSAA tiebreakers are. So here is the list of tiebreakers in order:
Step 1 is head-to-head - How the tied teams did against each other straight up. Step 2 is how the tied teams did (via straight W/L per team) against the highest seeded teams in the region. Step 3 is point difference ONLY among the tied teams (Max Point Difference of 12 points per game). Step 4 is point difference among the highest seeded teams - meaning however the tied teams did against the 1-seed. If tied there, then how the tied teams did against the 2-seed. If tied there, the 3-seed, etc... Step 5 is fewest points allowed in all division games (no maximum points). Step 6 is a coin flip. Okay, with that out of the way, here we go... Here is what the playoff picture will look like for 1-5A and 2-5A. I'll start with 1-5A. Currently we have Oxford locked in at the 1-seed with a 6-0 record. Clarksdale and West Point tied for second at 4-2, Saltillo and Lake Cormorant tied for 4th at 3-3, New Hope and Lewisburg tied for sixth at 2-4, Center Hill is at the bottom at 0-6. Lewisburg is out due to having lost to every team they could tie with for the 4-seed. Even if they were to force a 4-way tie with New Hope, Saltillo, and Lake Cormorant at 3-4, they are 0-3 head-to-head against those 3 and would lose the tiebreaker right there. New Hope is out - barely - because of the fourth MHSAA tiebreaker. New Hope has to win by 12 over Saltillo to have a chance at the fourth tiebreaker (first two tiebreakers - head-to-head, all teams are 1-1, and W/L vs other teams in region 1-5A - which was all the same, don't work). Earlier this year, Saltillo beat Lake Cormorant by more than 12 (in tiebreakers, the highest point difference in a game is 12), and Lake Cormorant beat New Hope by more than 12. New Hope must beat Saltillo by 12 to force the point difference tiebreaker to be a tie (all three being at 0 for a point difference). The fourth tiebreaker is point difference among highest seeded teams. The first team is Oxford - should Lake Cormorant lose to Oxford by just 11 points or less, then Lake Cormorant wins the tiebreaker as Saltillo and New Hope has lost to Oxford by at least 12. If Lake Cormorant loses to Oxford by at least 12, then that part is a tie and we now go to whoever is the 2-seed. If West Point is 2-seed, then we have Lake Cormorant coming out of there because they only lost to West Point by 3 and Saltillo and New Hope lost by more than 3. If Clarksdale is 2-seed, then Saltillo comes out of there because they lost to Clarksdale by only 7 and Lake Cormorant and New Hope lost by more than 7. New Hope is eliminated in all three situations. Clarksdale and West Point each have clinched playoff births. So, with all that in mind here are the ways the seeds can go: Clarksdale and West Point cannot drop lower than the 3-seed. Both have beaten Saltillo and Lake Cormorant thus cannot drop to a 4-seed even if both Clarksdale and West Point gets into a 3 or 4-way tie, they hold head-to-head tiebreakers. If Clarksdale wins, they are the 2-seed, regardless of the West Point outcome (they hold head-to-head tiebreaker). If Clarksdale loses and West Point wins, West Point is 2-seed and Clarksdale is 3-seed. If Saltillo wins, they are the 4-seed, regardless of the Lake Cormorant outcome (they hold head-to-head tiebreaker). If Lake Cormorant wins and Saltillo loses, Lake Cormorant is the 4-seed. This is where is gets tricky. If Saltillo and Lake Cormorant were to both lose AND Saltillo loses by 12 or more to New Hope (forcing previously mentioned 3-way tie for the 4-seed) AND Lake Cormorant loses by 11 or less to Oxford. Lake Cormorant is the 4-seed because where the 1-seed is Oxford in the 3-way tiebreaker with New Hope after the point difference tiebreaker - the Gators hold the tiebreaker as they have performed the best against the Chargers. Saltillo and New Hope have each lost by at least 12 points to Oxford. If Saltillo and Lake Cormorant were to both lose AND Saltillo loses by 12 or more to New Hope AND Lake Cormorant loses by 12 or more to Oxford AND Clarksdale loses AND West Point wins: Lake Cormorant is the 4-seed due to the previously mentioned tiebreaker where Lake Cormorant only lost by 3 to West Point - who would have earned the 2-seed in this case - and the others lost by more than 3. If Saltillo and Lake Cormorant were to both lose AND Saltillo loses by 12 or more to New Hope AND Lake Cormorant loses by 12 or more to Oxford AND Clarksdale wins: Saltillo is the 4-seed because they only lost by 7 to Clarksdale - who would have earned the 2-seed in this case - while the others lost by more than 7. If Lake Cormorant loses AND Saltillo loses BUT only by 11 or less to New Hope, Saltillo earns the 4-seed by the point-difference between tied teams tiebreaker in the 3-way tie with New Hope. Now for 2-5A. Pearl and Callaway are tied for 1st at 6-0, Ridgeland is 4-2 in third, Germantown is at 3-3 in fourth, Vicksburg & Canton is at 2-4 tied for 5th, Neshoba Central (1-5) and Lanier (0-6) are awful and out of contention. **Note: Canton had to forfeit their win to Callaway as they used in ineligible player that did not sit out his entire 4-quarter suspension. Top 2 seeds are simple. Pearl and Callaway have clinched those two seeds and they play each other next week. Winner is the 1-seed, loser is the 2-seed. The trickier part is deciding the other 2. Canton has Lanier, Germantown has Ridgeland, and Vicksburg has Neshoba Central next week. Canton is eliminated from playoff contention, they will have lost the 3-way tiebreaker with Vicksburg and the only team they need to tie with has the head-to-head tiebreaker on Canton. If Germantown beat Ridgeland, Germantown is the 3-seed and Ridgeland is the 4-seed (via tiebreaker) - regardless of the Canton and Vicksburg outcomes. If Germantown loses AND Canton wins AND Vicksburg Wins, we have a 3-way tie for the 4-seed. This would go to point difference. Vicksburg is +3, Canton is at 0, Germantown is -3. Vicksburg is the 4-seed in this situation. Ridgeland is the 3-seed outright. If Germantown loses And Canton loses AND Vicksburg Wins, Vicksburg is the 4-seed via head-to-head over Germantown. Canton is eliminated. If Germantown loses AND Canton Wins OR loses AND Vicksburg loses, Germantown is the 4-seed. They hold the head to head tiebreaker on Canton if they tie with Germantown. I hope this sets things right in the playoff picture. Here are some facts for you to keep up with this Friday. They can range from sports to things you could care less about. Here we go:
|
*Note: All Spam WILL be deleted.
Archives
October 2016
AuthorBen Mikell |