Brookhaven Academy head football coach Herbert Davis scheduled a3 p.m. practice for Thanksgiving Day. It met with the approval ofthe Cougars and there were few grumblers in the team huddle at theconclusion of practice Tuesday afternoon.

Davis will send his team against the Lamar School Raiders Fridayat 5 p.m. on the Millsaps College gridiron in Jackson. To thewinner goes the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools AAstate championship.

“I know what’s best for our team,” said Davis. “We’ll review ourkickoff coverage and punt return game on Thursday.”

This will be the final game for seven Brookhaven Academyseniors. They include linebackers Donovan Lorraine and JamisonPowell, wide receivers Tripp Jolly and Logan Pace, and linemenClint Stewart, Will Gatlin and Prentiss Smith.

“I don’t mind missing some deer hunting to play for the statechampionship,” said Smith, who works mainly on defense.

The Cougars are unbeaten in 14 games and Lamar is 12-1. BAeliminated River Oaks of Monroe, La. 17-7 last Friday and Lamarknocked off Simpson County 42-28 at Mendenhall, avenging an earlierloss.

Gatlin (6-3, 235) is one of largest players on the squad.Discouraged by a chronic lower back ailment, he had decided to giveup football last summer but changed his mind. He goes through aseries of lower back stretches before every practice and game.

Gatlin said the Cougars must be ready to defend Lamar’srecord-setting quarterback Witt Haggard (6-2, 180). Haggard haspassed for 3,532 yards and 48 touchdowns this season. He has rushedfor 846 yards and 14 TDs.

“Lamar has a really, really good quarterback,” said Gatlin.”They have a good wide receiver (Bo Bidgood), too.”

Bidgood has caught 89 passes for 1,674 yards and 20 touchdowns.Another primary receiver is Jamie Thompson who had 52 catches for800 yards and 12 TDs.

“We will have to play one of our best games on defense,” saidGatlin. “We want to make them (Raiders) one dimensional, like Coach(Kenny) Williams said. We want them to rely on one phase of theirgame.”

Gatlin said a state championship appearance has been on his mindsince the fourth grade. “We have thought about it. It’s a dreamcome true.”

Offensively, the Cougars will counter with junior quarterbackChandler Rogers (6-3, 178). His rifle arm has accounted for over3,461 yards passing and 53 touchdowns. He has rushed for 932yards.

Primary receivers for the Cougars are seniors Jolly (6-0, 165)and Lorraine (6-2, 180) and sophomore Christian “Bubba” Keene (6-3,170). Jolly and Keene have over 1,000 yards receiving thisseason.

“We will have to have our A game on both sides of the football,”answered Rogers when asked about Lamar. “They are well coachedoffensively and defensively.”

Rogers said it was his first opportunity to play in a statechampionship game. “We are looking forward to it. There’s a lot ofnerves but we just have to go play. Our offensive line is healthyand they have improved a lot.”

Looking back to the sweat-soaked workouts of last summer, Rogerssaid the team was on a mission. “We felt like we could make it tothe state championship.”

Now there are just two teams left who have a shot at the stateAA title.