Public high school football has finally made its way back to Jasper County and many other areas in the state.
Sylva-Bay Academy, the one MAIS school in the county, has already faced several teams in two jamborees and its first two regular-season games. In fitting 2020 fashion with rain-soaked and soggy fields Friday night, the Bay Springs Bulldogs and Stringer Red Devils both got their first tastes of an opponent, and the outcomes were on the plus side for the local teams.
Bay Springs simply dominated the Forest Bearcats, 20-0, in only a half of play. Stringer blanked the St. Joseph Catholic Bruins out of Madison, Miss., 14-0, in two quarters played.
According to both local coaches, their teams just want to compete and were glad to be on the field Friday night. Neither of the schools nor any others in the state had a chance to partake in spring football due to COVID-19. The athletes are hungering for normalcy through school and competition, and both coaches only can hope and pray the virus remains away from their programs and others, and that Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves doesn't shut down high school football. In any other normal year, a coach might call off a pre-season jamboree event during extremely wet conditions that would potentially ruin a playing field that has been cared for and tended to for months. Not this Friday night. Bay Springs head coach Dan Brady and Stringer head coach Morris Cascio wanted their teams to at least have one opportunity to take the field. And, yes, both fields are in dire shape at this point, but that doesn't seem to matter.
“It felt great [tonight] man; it just felt good to be able to see the kids be able to compete. They have been wanting to get back at it for a long time. I know how bad they want it. That's why we didn't worry about the field conditions. We went ahead and played,” Brady explained. “I told the kids, 'We are going to play anyway. There's no reason not to play. If it tears the field up, we'll tear the field up.' I'm glad they were able to play. Right now, I feel like the governor might shut us down at any point, and that's why I wanted them to be able to play. The kids want to be able to come to school, and they want to practice and play. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times that kids like routines and they like structure. We have not had a bad day at practice yet, because I think now more than ever they realize how quickly it can be taken away from you. They feel a sense of urgency.”
Cascio had near the same sentiments as Brady. He wanted his team to be able to compete at least once after working hard during training the past months. Cascio even felt moved to gather both teams at a safe distance following the pre-season scrimmage Friday night to thank St. Joe for traveling a great distance to play in horrible conditions for only two quarters. As well, he reminded his team and the Bruins that the high school football season could be shut down at any time and for them to make the most of every given opportunity on the field.
“It was fantastic to get back on the field tonight. The kids have worked hard all summer, and everyone knows with the corona stuff that we are not guaranteed next Friday night, and that's what we have been telling our kids, especially that they need to play for our seniors,” Cascio said.
“Our kids and St. Joe came out here tonight on some of the worst field conditions that you could possibly have, and they lined up and played. Those guys [St. Joseph] drove near two hours down here, and they knew it was going to be horrible conditions. They've got seniors just like we do. I told them we are playing every night like it's our last night. I appreciate everything they did to get down here and play. They are great competitors, and they played hard on very rough field conditions out here tonight.”
In the Bulldogs' pre-season debut with Forest, senior running back Chase Wilson ran all over the Bearcats, positioning Bay Springs in the red-zone multiple times. Sophomore quarterback Anthony Newell connected with senior Eddie Payton on a long touchdown pass. Senior running back Lamarcus Stubbs had a rushing touchdown, and sophomore running back Ty Jones got into the endzone for a TD. The Bulldogs defense shut down the Bearcats and caused two turnovers, a fumble, and an interception.
During the game at Stringer, senior Omarion Bridges got into the endzone and junior quarterback Jackson Parker scored a touchdown for the Red Devils.
Bay Springs is set to kick off the MHSAA regular season next Friday at Lumberton. Stringer will be headed to Enterprise to open the regular season. Kickoff times are set for 7 p.m.
