WEEK 2 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW CAPSULES

(EXPANDED VERSION)

All kickoffs at 7:30 p.m. unless noted otherwise.

Itawamba AHS (0-1)

at Amory (1-0)

* Rankings: Neither team is ranked.

* This week: Amory, fresh off a 10-0 shutout of area rival Nettleton last Thursday, will take on an Itawamba AHS team that had a rough-going in its season opener Friday: a 27-7 loss to Hernando at home. Tonight’s contest will also be one of head coaches in their first seasons with their respective teams: Ashley Kuhn at Itawamba AHS and Trent Hammond at Amory. Since they played on different nights, both teams’ coaches got to watch the other team play in person. “Not a lot,” Kuhn said when asked if he watched film of last year’s meetings. “We got two new coaches. They got a new coach doing some different things. I don’t know how much it (last year’s games) translates year to year. We’re bringing totally different staffs into the game. We’re now in the position with our guys being young, while they are the ones who are older and more experienced.”

* Recent history: The Indians defeated Amory twice last season in Fulton: 49-7 in the regular season and 25-0 in the first round of the playoffs. In 2008, IAHS won 35-14. The Panthers got the best of the Indians in 2007 with a 24-14 home win and in 2006 with a 35-6 victory in Fulton.

SCOUTING REPORT

* Itawamba AHS: Even though Itawamba AHS lost six offensive starters and its head coach and offensive coordinator from last season, Hammond said he and his staff still looked at game film from last year’s contests. “They have a lot of skill guys,” he said. “They spread the ball out. They got the quarterback (Ole Miss commitment Maikhail Miller) and some good athletes. They share the ball around.” ... Without a true feature back heading into the season, Kuhn said Miller, his team’s quarterback, will probably have to run a lot more this season – and Miller says he's good to go this week after taking a hard hit in last week's game. Last year, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound QB averaged 4.27 yards per rushing attempt. Against Hernando last week, he had 11 attempts – some when scrambling after the pocket broke down – for a team-high 56 yards (5.09 ypc). ... On defense, Hammond says the Indians “just fly to the football. Once you get a lot of kids playing that are able to run and do some things, that presents you some problems (on offense).” ... OG Preston Cross (concussion) and Tyler Atkins (kneck) will miss their second consecutive game.

* Amory: Against Nettleton, Hammond said his team’s offense wasn’t as crisped as they would have liked, but then again, the offense didn’t do anything to beat itself. ... Hammond said his team is balanced on offense. ... In his second season at QB, Forest Williams has had to learn a new offense. “He’s done well. There’s been a change in the offensive system, and he’s been trying to get a grasp on something new. It’s taken a little while, but I really like him.” Kuhn said Williams is a good passer, putting the ball in places only his receivers can catch. ... Punter Jake Shelly proved he is effective in pinning the opponent deep in its own territory when he punted six times for an average of 36.50 yards, with five inside the 20-yard line and the longest of 50 yards, against Nettleton. He even made a 37-yard field goal. ... Kuhn is impressed with Amory’s ability to swarm to the football on defense. “Their middle linebacker (Channing French) makes a lot of plays, but all of them are really fast on defense.”

Ripley (1-0)

at New Albany (1-0)

* Rankings: Ripley is tied for second with Corinth in the Daily Journal’s Class 3A rankings. New Albany is the Journal’s fourth-ranked large school.

* This week: In a rivalry game, a pair of 1-0 teams will take to the field at New Albany High School’s Kitchens’ Field. This is Grady McCluskey’s first Ripley-New Albany game. “I know it’s a rivalry,” the first-year Ripley coach said. “You want to play as hard as you can. You want to play your guts out. You want to win, no doubt." And he knows if his team doesn't follow through with its assignments against the Bulldogs, then it'll be in for a long night.

* Recent history: New Albany defeated Ripley last season for the first time since 2006. Prior to the Bulldogs’ 33-28 victory last August, the Tigers won 2008’s contest 27-14 and the year before’s 35-14.

SCOUTING REPORT

* Ripley: New Albany head coach Ron Price said the Tigers like to “get physical and run right at you.” He added that the Tigers did get in spread formations a few times. ... Sophomore QB Austin Hamilton has returned after a knee injury and replaced last year’s starter Acie Vance under center. With Hamilton at QB, Ripley can run the option more and not have to worry about the lanky Vance (6-1, 168), also a defensive back, taking a pounding. Meanwhile, Vance can take snaps as a receiver and a running back. When Vance is lined up on the outside, opposing defenses will find it difficult to box up effectively against Ripley. ... Ripley head coach Grady McCluskey said his offense is “a little more than halfway into the playbook.” He added that Hamilton has picked up some concepts and is a little more comfortable with the offense, and the offensive line has blocked pretty well. ... OL/DL Keeton Hamilton won’t play tonight due to a broken wrist. CB John Austin Moore (broken thumb) is expected to play, while DE Isaac Bails (ankle) is a game-time decision.

* New Albany: QB Tyler Basil and WR Taylor Goode certainly have a lot of chemistry. The two hooked up for 7 receptions for 199 yards and two scores vs. Booneville last week: a 34-yard TD and 69-yard score. “I knew where he was going to be,” Basil said about throwing to Goode last Friday. “He just trusts me, and we just trust each other. We have that chemistry.” ... RB/DB Kareem Brown will play in tonight’s game. He sat out the entire second half of last Friday’s game after cramping up in the final minute of the first half. “He was like a lot of the other kids who were cramping up. He was out there on every play offensively and defensively in the first half. We kept him out to keep him safe. He just needed some fluid in him.” ... Price said his defense did a great job despite being put in difficult situation after difficult situation when the Bulldogs turned the ball over three times in the second half. “They kept doing a good job getting off the field,” Price said, “and then we kept putting them back on the field.” Look for Ripley, a running team, try to eat the clock by running the football and getting first downs, so that New Albany’s quick-scoring spread offense is limited in its possessions.

West Point (1-0)

at Mainland (0-0)

* Rankings: West Point is the Daily Journal’s top-ranked large school. Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.) is tied for eighth with Plantation in the Associated Press’ Florida Class 6A rankings.

* This week: As part of the Gridiron Challenge Foundation Games this weekend, Mississippi’s defending Class 5A state champion takes on a powerful Florida team at 7 tonight. There will be several NCAA Division I prospects playing in this game. The game can be viewed live at westpoint.k12.ms.us.

* Recent history: The two teams have never played one another.

SCOUTING REPORT

* West Point: Even though it is going up against a tough, athletic defense, West Point will continue taking to the ground. “Anybody that follows West Point knows that when they walk into the stadium, we’re going to run the ball,” said Green wave head coach Chris Chambless. “We run the football, and throw the football when we have to. Teams try to gear up and stop it (West Point’s running game). That’s what we do. That’s what we’re geared for: We run the football until you force us to throw it.” ... The Wave ran for 253 yards vs. Shannon last week. ... RB LaKenderic Thomas served a one-game suspension last week. ... West Point held Shannon to 7 total yards and 2 first downs in the first half.

* Mainland: Chambless said the Buccaneers are 50-50 running and passing the ball. “They’re not a team that sits back and throws it all the time or runs it all the time. They have a pretty balanced attack.” ... Mainland’s QB Shelton Willis, who is quite effective throwing and running the ball, is a transfer student who had started two Florida state championship games at Warner Christian (South Daytona, Fla.). ... Chambless said the Buccaneers have some great receivers, including Cortez Davis (also a DB), a Clemson commitment who has “hands like glue.” ... RB Marlin Lane is also a Clemson commitment. Chambless said that the Buccaneers have a couple other big backs who can spell Lane. ... Chambless added that Mainland’s offensive line has tremendous size.

Wheeler (0-1)

at Tupelo Christian Prep (0-1)

* Rankings: Neither team is ranked.

* This week: This battle of the Eagles should be more of an even matchup than both team’s season openers last week. Wheeler, with just 21 bodies, got drubbed by talented running back Shaquille Perry and his Walnut Wildcats, 45-22. Tupelo Christian Prep, with 28 players, got blasted by another MHSAA Class 2A club, Mantachie, 48-7. “They’re a very comparable team,” TCPS head coach Aubrey Boren said of tonight’s opponent. “We’re both teams struggling to get enough bodies out. ... We’re both having to play iron-man football.”

SCOUTING REPORT

* Wheeler: If the Wheeler Eagles are to win tonight, they need to, simply put: block and tackle better. The Eagles allowed four rushing touchdowns of 40-plus yards and an 80-yard kickoff return in last week’s game. Wheeler didn’t score until the second half. ... Head coach John David Horn says his team doesn’t throw the ball often. “We just look to run the ball,” he says. Look for RB Calebb Shinault to get most of the carries. ... Horn says his team needs to put pressure on TCPS QB Will Cockrell. “We gotta put pressure on him,” said the first-year Wheeler coach. “If he has all day, he’ll kill us. He’ll pick you apart if he has all day long back there. The big thing is to try to mix things up to mess up their rhythm as much as we can.” ... Horn said a lot of his players had problems with cramping up last week. On the injury front, offensive guard/defensive lineman Cody Nichols is hampered by his MCL.

* TCPS: Boren said his team needs to improve its conditioning so that they can withstand the heat better for four quarters. ... TCPS had 8 players make their varsity debuts last week. ... A big concern for TCPS is the center-quarterback exchange. Poor snaps grounded the Eagles’ offense against Mantachie. “We operate under the (shot-) gun 99 percent of the time,” Boren said. “That is an essential piece of our offense. We have to shore that up. We have to have a backup in place in case of injury.” ... After tonight’s game, there could be some changes on TCPS’ offensive line. The Eagles surrendered seven sacks to Mantachie, and the Mustangs were frequently in the Eagles’ backfield. “We gotta find the right combination,” Boren said. “Sometimes it’s chemistry among the guys there. They need to work together well and be a cohesive unit. Our job (as coaches) is to put the best out there each week.” ... Boren also said his team needs to tackle better and run to the ball better on defense. DB Andrew Soper did have 13 tackles vs. Mantachie.