The first Friday night of the 2024 MHSAA high school football season is in the books. Here's a look at how the teams in the SBLive Mississippi Top 25 Rankings fared:
No. 1 Brandon beat Picayune 60-34
The Bulldogs struggled to stop the always-tough Picayune ground game, but the Bulldogs had way too many weapons. They took a 39-34 lead into the fourth quarter and scored 21 unanswered points to seal the win.
No. 2 Oak Grove beat No. 13 Grenada 38-24
Sophom*ore Kellen Hall looked good in his first start for Oak Grove, as the Warriors rolled past No. 13 Grenada down in Hattiesburg.
No. 3 Madison Central beat No. 20 Ocean Springs 27-20
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but Madison Central’s Glen Singleton ran for touchdowns on four-straight possessions and that stout Jaguar defense held Ocean Springs scoreless in the final seven and half minutes.
MORE: Mississippi high school football Friday night scoreboard (Aug. 30 scores)
No. 4 Louisville beat No. 11 West Point 15-14
The Wildcats’ vaunted defense looked as good as ever in the season opener. West Point has only been held to 14 or fewer points four times since 2019, and three of those games were against Louisville.
No. 5 West Jones beat No. 6 Laurel 34-6
The defending 6A champion Mustangs appear to be elite on defense again, and the offense figured it out after a slow start Friday night. The Mustangs led it 7-0 at the half, but exploded for four touchdowns in the second half.
No. 7 Tupelo beat Whitehaven (TN) 26-19
The Golden Wave led it 19-13 at the end of the third quarter, and it was Tyreke Darden’s touchdown run in the fourth that put them over the top.
No. 8 Oxford beat Lafayette 45-0
The Chargers looked like a 7A North contender in their season opener, beating cross-town rival Lafayette by the largest margin in the history of the 54-game series.
No. 9 Warren Central lost to Clinton 26-20
The Vikings dug too big a hole, falling behind 26-10 early in the third quarter. They cut it to 26-20 with 7:23 left in the game, but three fumbles ultimately killed their chance at a comeback. It was a statement win for Clinton and first-year coach John Carr.
No. 10 Hartfield Academy beat Simpson Academy 49-0
After beating Brookhaven Academy 63-7 last week, the Hawks moved to 2-0 with another blowout win. Hartfield still has Cathedral, Presbyterian Christian and Starkville Academy to play before their first real test at No. 17 Madison-Ridgeland Academy on Oct. 11.
No. 12 Starkville beat No. 18 Noxubee County 43-22
The Yellowjackets stayed in command for four quarters. They took a 16-0 lead in the second quarter and never led by fewer than two touchdowns the rest of the way against a good Noxubee County team.
No. 15 Hattiesburg plays Petal at 7 p.m. Saturday
No. 16 Jackson Prep beat Adams County Christian 37-7
Parker Puckett tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two more as the Patriots took a 37-0 lead in the first half.
No. 17 Madison-Ridgeland Academy beat Oak Forest Academy (LA) 50-6
The Patriots (3-0) picked up their second-straight road win in convincing fashion. They’ll get a big test at home next week when they welcome Pulaski Academy from Arkansas.
No. 19 Holmes County Central beat Viskburg 20-6
Garrison Davis passed for two first-half touchdowns and the Jaguar defense flexed its muscles in the Red Carpet Bowl to start the season 1-0.
No. 21 Gulfport beat Greenville Christian 41-6
Cooper Crosby had a big game to open his junior year and the Admirals won comfortably to move to 1-0. The schedule gets much tougher going forward, with back-to-back road games at Vancleave and Madison Central.
No. 22 South Panola lost to Germantown (TN) 21-14
After a late start due to a lightning delay, the Tigers gave Germantown a run for their money. They trailed 14-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, tied it up at 14-14 with 10:44 left, but gave up a late touchdown.
No. 23 George County beat East Central 33-7
Deuce Knight passed for 157 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rebels roll to 1-0. They’ll play the Battle for the Bell against Greene County next week in Lucedale.
No. 24 Jeff Davis County lost to Poplarville 17-16
The Jaguars (0-1) took a 16-14 lead into the half, but Poplarville (1-0) took the lead with a field goal late in the third quarter and the Hornet defense pitched a second-half shutout.
No. 25 Ripley lost to Charleston 28-6
Charleston handed Ripley a touchdown after muffing the opening kickoff, but completely dominated the rest of the game. Charleston’s star tailback Marcus Flowers, Jr. went for 132 yards and three touchdowns.
