The Copiah Academy Colonels are the favorites to finish first inthe new MPSA District 6-AA , according to The DAILY LEADER’SPreseason Poll of region head coaches. The Gallman-based Colonels,coached by Mitch Mitchell, collected four first place votes for 16points. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Brookhaven Academy Cougars, under first-year head coach BoMilton, received one first place vote and three second place votesto take second place with 13 points.

Following Brookhaven was Columbia Academy with 10 points,Prentiss Christian School with 7 and Amite School Center with4.

Before the new District 6-AA was created last spring, PrentissChristian and Amite School Center were members of the District 6-A.Copiah was a member of the District 3-AA. Brookhaven and Columbiawere members of the District 4-AA.

Brookhaven’s Price Sessums, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior, rackedup outstanding statistics last year. Sessums collected 27touchdowns and was named The DAILY LEADER’s Player of the Year onthe 2005 All-Lincoln County Football Team.

Sessums passed for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns. He rushed for1,171 yards and 17 TDs. He also returned 1 kickoff and 2 punts forTDs. On defense, he returned 2 pass interceptions for scores.

Copiah.

Last year under former head coach Ray Ishee, the Cougars were6-5, finishing fourth in District 4-AA. Columbia ended the season5-5 and in sixth place out of seven teams.

Mitchell lost 10 seniors at Copiah, eight of them starters, offthe Class AA state runner-up team. The Colonels fell 14-7 to 3-timestate champion Simpson County Academy in the title game played atMississippi College in Clinton.

Copiah, the District 3-AA champ, finished the season with an11-2 record. Mitchell has some big shoes to fill following thegraduation of David Brunt who rushed for 1,341 yards and 16touchdowns last year.

The Colonels have two players battling to start at quarterback.Sophomore Daniel Sims completed 36 of 75 passes for 367 passingyards and 5 touchdowns. He also rushed for 153 yards and 2 TDs andwas intercepted twice. Senior Bennett Wilson completed 14 of 34passes for 110 yards and 1 TD last season

Last year, Prentiss Christian finished No. 2 with a 4-6 recordbehind No. 1 Wilkinson County Christian Academy (6-5) in District6-A. Both teams advanced to the state playoffs. Amite followed inthird with a 2-8 worksheet.