Hanging out the football wash and wishing the season was stillgoing strong.

Since Ole Miss and Southern Miss both were bypassed when thefinal bowl invitations went out, why not have the Rebels and GoldenEagles clash in the Magnolia State Bowl. Jackson’s own MississippiVeterans Memorial Stadium would be a great location and a neutralsite, too. They could meet on Saturday, Dec. 22, at high noon. Witha stadium capacity of 62,000 plus, plenty of seats would beavailable.

Jackson mayor Harvey Johnson could be theofficial host. Players could visit the area hospitals, deliverpresents to young and old patients alike and promote plenty of goodwill before Christmas. MCI WorldCom could provide the corporatesponsorship. Fan interest would be extremely high.

The game would feature two of the best quarterbacks in thestate. Sophomore Eli Manning, fresh from winningthe Conerly Trophy, would throw for Ole Miss. Senior JeffKelly, certainly deserving to be on the final Conerlyballot, would call signals for USM.

The game would provide plenty of excitement. Besides, it wouldkeep the football season going for a few more weeks.

Kelly broke many of the records held by USM grad BrettFavre. Eli broke many of his father’s (Archie) recordsthis season.

Personally speaking, I believe both teams could put plenty ofpoints on the scoreboard. Whoever’s defense rises to the occasionwould determine the outcome.

The Mississippi Coliseum would be an ideal place to host apregame luncheon for both teams. Kentucky Fried Chicken andPopeye’s could cater the function. Sonny’s Barbecue would providean alternative main course. A tanker truck, parked outside, wouldpump iced tea to various indoor watering stations.

For desert, pecan pie and coconut pie, plus Mississippi Mud cakewould be available.

For entertainment, Charlie Pride could serenadethe older folks. Tim McGraw and FaithHill would appeal to the country music fans. Perhapsn’Sync could make a guest appearance during halftime and entertainthe younger generation. All of those popular Mississippi casinoscould form a combined front to absorb the entertainment expensesand pay for the fireworks display.

Sounds like a great idea. Problem is, Ole Miss won’t playSouthern.

Football coaches will tell you it’s a game of inches. In theClass 2A state championship game last Friday, Gulfport St. John wasdominating Ackerman. The Eagles were about to score and go up21-zip but a fumble happened and Ackerman’s DerrickBoyd returned it 97 yards to paydirt, closing the deficitto 14-7 just before halftime.

Ackerman (14-1) wound up winning 20-14. Boyd, a senior widereceiver/defensive back, also caught two touchdown passes.

In Class 1A, Durant was expected to beat Pelahatchie in thetitle game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they missed an extrapoint kick and eventually lost 21-20.

In Class 5A, Starkville produced the biggest upset of theweekend. Not only did the Yellowjackets beat Moss Point, theywhipped the Tigers decisively, winning 34-zip. To say the least,Moss Point’s players and fans were shocked by the shutout.

Bill Lee, an assistant coach at Moss Point for 19 years,took over the Starkville helm last spring. Lee had helped coachMoss Point to five state championships during his time on the GulfCoast.

The Jackets used their blazing speed to topple MossPoint. Starkville wide receiver Tee Millons displayed his greattalent, catching 6 passes for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns.Quarterback DAngelo Dantzler looked impressive, throwing the ballto Millons, too.

Moss Point suffered six turnovers and was limited tothree first downs and 79 yards total offense. Starkville is stouton defense, too.

In Class 4A, the South Pike Eagles were the localfavorite with former Brookhaven head coach Greg Wall directing theprogram. Wall had coached at Brookhaven for five seasons beforereturning to South Pike where he coached the previous 25 years,winning two state championships and finishing runner-uptwice.

South Pike had to settle for runner-up again. Clarksdale flexedits defensive muscles and shut out the Eagles 13-0. In the firsthalf, the Wildcats limited South Pike to just 27 yards offense andno first downs.

Clarksdale, coached by Jesse Murphree, said hehas 10 defensive starters returning for next season so that meansbad news in Class 4A. Perhaps an offensive giant, plus some swiftsuperstars, will step forward and dethrone the Wildcats who havebeen to five straight state title games.

South Pike did maintain a strong tradition for this area.Lawrence County won the Class 4A title in 1999 and McComb marchedto the championship in 2000.

In Class 3A, Collins cruised past Corinth in the title test.Collins, coached by Bruce Merchant, had to forfeit itsfirst two games of the season due to an ineligible player. TheTigers (13-2) regrouped and finished strong, beating Corinth28-14.