Aug. 25—FRIDAY'S FEATURED GAMES

(All stats and records from 2022 season; games kick off at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

GAME OF THE WEEK

Oxford (5-5) at Lafayette (7-5)

The Buzz

—The Crosstown Classic is one of the state's biggest rivalries. The series dates to 1972, with Lafayette leading 26-24-2. Oxford has won five of the last six meetings, including a 43-19 win last season.

Names to Know

—Anthony Hart has returned to lead Lafayette as head coach. He guided the Commodores to back-to-back state championships in 2010 and '11 and was 6-1 versus the Chargers.

—Martrell Wilbourn is a senior linebacker for Lafayette who can defend both the run and the pass.

—Malik Bell is a senior nose tackle for Oxford who, at 280 pounds, is hard to move.

Stat Leaders

—Oxford: WR Dane Harmon 27 catches, 404 yards, 4 TDs. ... TE Jack Harper 23 catches, 251 yards, 6 TDs. ... CB Ken Herron 39 tackles, 2 INTs.

—Lafayette: WR Makyi Reed-Jones 62 catches, 827 yards, 8 TDs. ... WR Dee Gipson 34 catches, 545 yards, 5 TDs. ... LB Martrell Wilbourn 57 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 INTs.

Game Keys

—Two fairly green quarterbacks will be on the field: Oxford sophomore Mitchell Grandjean and Lafayette junior Nick Thompson. Poise and ball security will be paramount for both.

—Reed-Jones and Gipson form one of the area's best pass-catching tandems, which will put a lot of pressure on Herron and his secondary mates.

OTHER FEATURED GAMES

Baldwyn (10-2) at Kossuth (10-3)

The Buzz

—Kossuth has won six of the last seven meetings, including a 20-6 victory last season. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

Stat Leaders

—Baldwyn: WR Hastin Nelson 49 catches, 737 yards, 7 TDs. ... DL Decorian Warren 68 tackles, 21 TFL, 5 sacks. ... CB/RB Drelin Watson 28 carries, 341 yards, 6 TDs; 15 tackles, 3 INTs.

—Kossuth: RB Brady Kelly 120 carries, 756 yards, 11 TDs. ... WR/DB Reid Coward 28 catches, 386 yards, 5 TDs; 4 INTs. ... RB/LB Bryant Pittman 465 yards, 3 TDs; 98 tackles.

Hamilton (12-1) at Biggersville (12-1)

The Buzz

—Hamilton reached the quarterfinals of the 1A playoffs last season, while Biggersville reached the North final. These teams have met 23 times but not since 2016, when they were still region foes. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Stat Leaders

—Hamilton: RB Trent Jones 62 carries, 578 yards, 3 TDs. ... WR/DB Jacourey Miller 26 catches, 476 yards, 5 TDs; 35 tackles. ... LB Jordan Stanick, 54 tackles, 5 TFL.

—Biggersville: QB Drew Rowsey 66 of 105, 1,351 yards, 24 TDs, 4 INTs. ... RB/DB Jathan Hatch 112 carries, 1,696 yards, 26 TDs; 24 tackles, 4 INTs. ... WR/CB Tre Gunn 22 catches, 222 yards, 7 TDs; 52 tackles, 10 INTs.

Shannon (6-5) at Aberdeen (7-4)

The Buzz

—These teams are meeting for the first time since 2016. Aberdeen leads the series 20-11. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.

Stat Leaders

—Shannon: QB Trey Spurgon 23 of 56, 328 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 31 carries, 244 yards, 1 TD. ... RB Kegan Ruff 167 carries, 1,232 yards, 10 TDs. ... SS Michael Chalmers 67 tackles, 1 INT.

—Aberdeen: WR Justin Payne 26 catches, 344 yards, 1 TD. ... RB Don Gilleylen 20 carries, 237 yards, 1 TD. ... WR Edrian Garth 11 catches, 183 yards, 1 TD.

ALSO TONIGHT

—Ashland (2-8) at Walnut (5-6): Walnut is 3-0 against Ashland, including a 40-0 romp last season.

—Amory (12-2) at Pontotoc (4-7): Braden Maranto makes his debut as Amory's starting quarterback. These teams have met 75 times but not since 2018. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

—Belmont (4-7) at Smithville (4-8): Michael D. Jackson is making his debut as Belmont's head coach. The Cardinals went 4-6 last season and missed the playoffs.

—Byhalia (1-9) at H.W. Byers (4-6): Lonnie Johnson has taken over as head coach for Byers, which was 4-6 last fall. Also debuting is quarterback Corey Willis, a sophomore.

—Caledonia (6-7) at Nettleton (6-5): Nettleton won last year's meeting, 41-13. QB Braylen Williams passed for 175 yards and a touchdown and added 151 yards and two TDs on the ground in that game.

—Coffeeville (3-8) at Calhoun City (5-6): The Wildcats have won nine in a row against Coffeeville, including a 47-6 romp last season. Calhoun City leads the series 32-7.

—Columbus (5-7) at Houston (12-2): These teams have never met in football. Houston reached the 4A North final last season.

—Corinth (5-6) at Booneville (4-7): These teams are meeting for the first time since 2016. Corinth leads the series 28-8. Kickoff will be 8 p.m.

—East Union (4-7) at Tupelo Christian (6-4): These teams have met once, in 2014, with East Union winning 40-9. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

—Falkner (4-6) at Potts Camp (4-6): Both teams have new head coaches. Kevin Walton has taken over at Falkner, and Chris Daniels is the new man at Potts Camp. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

—Hatley (2-8) at Mooreville (0-10): Mooreville is looking for its first win since Oct. 21, 2021. These teams last met in 2016. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

—Mantachie (7-4) at Holly Springs (2-8): Holly Springs has won both previous meetings, most recently in 2018. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

—New Hope (4-6) at Itawamba AHS (12-1): IAHS won last year's meeting, 34-7. The Indians forced three turnovers in that game.

—Noxubee County (10-5) at Starkville (12-3): Noxubee County reached the 3A state title game last season, losing to Raleigh. Starkville won the 6A championship. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.

—Okolona (5-7) at North Pontotoc (3-7): These teams last met in 2018, with North Pontotoc winning 28-21. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

—Saltillo (3-8) at New Albany (7-4): This is the first meeting between these programs in 15 years. New Albany leads the series 19-4.

—South Pontotoc (2-9) at Bruce (1-9): Chuck Darbonne is the new head coach at Bruce. South Pontotoc won last year's meeting, 42-6. Kickoff is 8 p.m.

—Thrasher (3-8) at Middleton (Tenn.) (0-10): Middleton has lost 43 games in a row, dating back to the 2018 season. Thrasher beat the Tigers 21-6 last year.

—Tishomingo County (2-8) at Alcorn Central (2-8): These teams last met in 2020, with Tishomingo County winning 41-7. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

—Vardaman (7-5) at Nanih Waiya (2-9): Vardaman is led by two-way star Za Pratt, who rushed for 1,152 yards and 15 TDs last fall. He also made 54 tackles. Kickoff is at 8 p.m.

—West Point (11-3) at Louisville (14-1): Coming off its seventh straight 5A title game appearance, West Point starts the season against the reigning 4A champion. Louisville beat the Green Wave last season, 24-14. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Note: Tupelo plays on Saturday against Memphis Whitehaven. Look for a preview capsule in Saturday's Journal.

brad.locke@journalinc.com