Cougars travel to Greene Co. for opener
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Nov. 6, 2003
The Newton County Cougars and Greene County Wildcats are like two peas in a pod. They'll meet in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday at Leakesville.
All playoff games will have a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Both schools are relatively new, the result of consolidations. Both head into Friday's game with 6-4 records. Both have dominated their respective divisions the previous four years before relinquishing that role this fall.
Both teams were undefeated last year before running into eventual 3A state champion Collins in the playoffs.
Both had tough non-division schedules this year. Newton County faced Kosciusko, Lafayette County, Northeast Lauderdale and Quitman, all of whom are in the Class 4A playoffs, while Greene County took on Division 7-4A champion George County, Division 6-3A champion Collins, Moss Point, and Niceville, Fla.
And both traditionally have been running teams, although Greene County has thrown the ball more this fall than in recent years.
Both teams have good option quarterbacks in Newton County's Colby Amis and Greene County's Tommy Lott. Lott was a three-year starter on defense before moving to offense this fall.
Newton County defeated Choctaw Central 28-14 last week, while Greene County lost 22-3 to unbeaten Tylertown.
While the two have a lot in common, the one thing they haven't done is face each other before.
Johnny Ainsworth's Wildcats returned five starters from last year's 12-1 team. Leading the team in tackles each of the last three years is linebacker Travis Clark.
Newton
at East Marion
After struggling on offense the entire fall, the Tigers rolled up 528 total yards in crushing Clarkdale 51-7 last week.
Newton, 4-6, travels to Columbia to take on East Marion, 8-2, in opening round action in the Class 2A playoffs. The teams also met at Columbia in the 1992 playoffs with East Marion posting a 28-7 win.
The Tigers have won two of their last three games.
East Marion's two losses were to Bassfield (8-0) and Lumberton (12-7). The Eagles have a six-game win streak going into the playoffs.
The Eagles returned six starters from a 2002 team that went 10-2. Top returnees are wide receiver Josh Franklin, running backs Benard Williams and Kendall Newson, and tackle Larry Jenkins.
Perry Central
at Lake
The Hornets host a tough Perry Central team in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs Friday at A.F. Hollingsworth Field.
Lake beat Williams-Sullivan 40-14 last week to even its record at 5-5. Greg Sanders rushed for 78 yards on 19 carries, while Ivon Hickmon had three receptions for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Joseph Hunt was 4-of-10 for 131 yards and three touchdowns. Danny Towner had a 54-yard reception and rushed the ball eight times for 48 yards.
Markus Ickom had four tackles and two fumble recoveries for the Lake defense.
The Hornets get no bargain in their first round playoff foe as Perry Central comes in with a 6-4 mark with its losses coming to Purvis, Richton, Lumberton, and East Marion.
Leading Perry Wheat's Bulldogs, who finished 2-8 a year ago, are quarterback/running back Brandon Sumrall and running back Tristan Jackson.
Union
The Yellowjackets, 6-4, have an open date this week after losing 24-21 at Puckett last week. Union's playoff hopes depend on a Thomastown win over Nanih Waiya Friday night.
