Games to Watch: MHSAA 2nd Round
Here in Mississippi we are about to get deep into the playoffs and the pressure is surely about to creep upon teams. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but the 3rd round is shaping up to have many of the title favorites on a crash course. Before we get into what could happen, we will take a look at which games could possibly be instant classics.
Pine Grove vs Coahoma County
We get to see a 2nd round match up featuring two of the teams that everyone felt have a chance to make it to Jackson. Pine Grove played a schedule that will have them primed to play Coahoma County. Playing Noxubee was a great game to schedule since Coahoma plays a similar style. Pine Grove won that game by one. Coahoma won the last two 2A state championships and they are the favorites Saturday night when they head up to Ripley . Look for it to be a low scoring grind it out type game.
North Panola vs Amory
This game might be the best match up of the weekend. It will feature two top senior guards: North Panola’s Cal State Bakersfield Signee Cedquavious Hunter (34.5ppg), and Amory’s 6’4 Charleston Wallace (25.7ppg). Both teams have a common opponent in Aberdeen. Amory beat Aberdeen 62-35, while North Panola beat them 53-49. I was on hand for both games and I can say this match up will be one to watch. Both teams are not shy when it comes to firing up 3’s and playing fast. This game will be a toss up, but with North Panola expecting a sell out crowd, we give them the slight edge.
New Albany vs Greenwood
Here’s another sure fire match up that is taking place up north. Greenwood will be making a 2 hour bus ride up to take on New Albany. They have no common opponents, but both teams have played top teams to get ready for this moment. The records are similar with New Albany sitting at 17-6 and Greenwood 19-10. Greenwood’s Senior JT Lawerence is one of the best scorers in the state. Lawerence has scored 50pts a few times during his high school career and this season he’s had multiple games where he put up 30 plus. New Albany have Jones CC Signee Kam Carter and Co-Lin Signee Mike Smith leading the way. Both of these seniors are having great season and will look to do whatever it takes to get the win at home. This game is a toss up, but I expect New Albany to get a narrow win at home.
Leake Central vs Pontotoc
This is a game that’s very intriguing. Leake Central is a team that has flown under the radar, but have a quality resume this season. They are on a 14 game winning streak. Their last loss was at the hand of Holmes County in December. Pontotoc has proved to still be a top 4A team even after the departure of 2 key players over the summer. They’ve played a high level schedule and will be primed to get back to Jackson. I give Pontotoc the slight edge in this one.
Provine vs Columbus
An old fashion slug fest is what we can expect in this one. Both teams play a tough, grind it out style. Columbus bring in a trio of seniors who can get it done in Tre Dismuke, Willie Young, and JJ Williams. Provine bring in a young team of mostly sophomores with Senior Samarion Grant leading the charge for them. Both teams have a common opponent in Olive Branch. Provine was the first in state team to beat them at OB 82-71, while Columbus beat them 47-41. We really feel like next season will be the year Provine reaches their full potential. This game is a toss up, but Columbus gets our vote to win this one. We can expect this one to be a game in the scoring range of 60 and under.
Olive Branch vs Madison Central
A game with so many questions that need to be answered is OB vs Madison Central. Both squads have strong senior PG’s with Landon Jeffries (Olive Branch) and Caleb Kent (Madison Central) leading the way. We can expect this one to be a high scoring affair with the likes of Jay Tyler pouring in buckets for OB and Isaiah Spencer adding a helping hand for Madison Central. The key for both teams will be centered around what the big guys can get done. Shane Davis will be the biggest guy on the floor standing at 6’10. Darren Davis and Terry Joyner will have a task containing him, but we expect Olive Branch to do what they do best; run the floor and make shots. Olive Branch wins this one in the end.