Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss head into the 2022 season hoping to match last year’s historic 10-win season in 2021. It was the Rebels’ first 10-win regular season in the history of the football program. Ole Miss accomplished several highs last season as they won all seven home games for the first time in 29 years in finishing 11th in the final College Coaches Football Poll. Kiffin will have his hands full replacing 14 starters to fill several big holes on both sides of the ball. Kiffin has holes to fill in several spots, but his main focus is finding a quarterback. Ole Miss opens the season on September 3, as they will host Troy University.
Mississippi State opened their football practice last Thursday and is just the opposite of the Rebels. They have a productive and experienced veteran group returning with not many holes to fill. On offense they bring back quarterback Will Rogers along with several veterans in the backfield and at wide receiver. On defense, the Bulldogs are very experienced at linebacker and in the secondary. The Bulldogs in year three of the Mike Leach era will host Memphis on September 3.
Southern Mississippi also opened fall camp as Coach Will Hall begins year two of his era. Hall hit the transfer portal very hard this year in hopes of bringing his scholarship numbers up to 85. The Eagles ended the season with only 65 players on scholarship in 2021. Hall is hoping to shore up the offensive line and the quarterback position for the upcoming season during the fall camp. USM will host Liberty on September 3.
The Mississippi Gridiron Football Magazine authored by Chris Brooks is out with their preseason high school football predictions. The Super 10 has Brandon leading the way followed by last year’s Class 6A champion Madison Central Jaguars. Last year’s Class 5A champs are No. 3 with Oak Grove No. 4, Starkville No. 5, Ocean Springs No. 6, Oxford No. 7, West Point No. 8, Laurel No. 9 and Lafayette No. 10.
In the Smaller School poll Raleigh is No. 1, Amory No. 2, Scott Central No. 3, Madison Ridgeland No. 4, Jefferson County No. 5, North Panola No. 6, Jackson Prep No. 7, Velma Jackson No. 8, Baldwyn No. 9 and Hartfield Academy No. 10.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association announced last week that the State Football Championships are headed back to M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg. The 2022 Championships are now scheduled for December 2 and December 3. Last year’s games, also played at Southern Mississippi, attracted more than 40,000 fans over the two days.
The first preseason junior college soccer polls are out, as the season will open in a couple of weeks. The Jones College Lady Bobcats are ranked second while Holmes is third and Northwest fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division II preseason poll. Pearl River is ranked No. 5 in the guy’s poll with Gulf Coast at No. 11 and Jones at No. 13 in the same poll.
The Biloxi Shuckers won five of six games from the home standing Mississippi Braves last week. Biloxi now leads the season series, 14-10, with a six-game set in September at MGM Park in Biloxi. The Shuckers are now 17-16 in second half play and 51-49 on the season. The Shuckers will host Rocket City this week. The Braves are now 18-15 in the second half and 47-55 overall on the season. The Braves will travel to Tennessee this week before returning to Trustmark on August 16 to host Pensacola.
DeSoto County’s Austin Riley hit the jackpot last week as the Atlanta Braves signed their All-Star third baseman to a 10-year contract for $212 million, the most lucrative contract in team history. Riley hit .423 with 11 homers, 25 RBIs and 26 doubles in the month of July.
Listen to Dale and Marshall Wood on the Brouhaha Sports Show each Tuesday at 6 p.m. on WABO FM 105.5 in the Waynesboro area. This week’s guest is basketball great Bailey Howell. To listen to the broadcast on your computer or smart phone anywhere in the world, go to Google Chrome; go to wabo105.com and click listen live. You may also go to The Brouhaha on YouTube and listen to archived shows. Dale has been writing sports since 1973.
