Some football coaches will tell you that open dates are good, while some say they are not.
For Grenada High School head football coach Michael Fair, the team’s bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. The Chargers were coming off a disappointing second half in a 35-17 road loss to Class 7A Oxford on Sept. 26. Also, the team and school were reeling from the murder of junior defensive back Ayden Reno and subsequent arrest of four students in connection with his death.
“We went back to the fundamentals of the game,” Fair said. “Personnel-wise we made some changes to help make us better. Offensively and defensively, Cleveland Central and Oxford exposed some areas that we need to improve. Sometimes when you lose a game, everything gets magnified. We have a good football team, and we love our players. We just have to get better each day.”
Grenada begins Class 6A, Region 1 action at Center Hill High School in Olive Branch this Friday night. Former Grenada High School assistant coach Mitchell Harville has taken over the helm of the program and has the Mustangs at 3-2 on the season. They are also coming off an open date following a 42-17 victory over Class 7A Lewisburg.
Sophomore Gavin Shoup leads the Mustangs at quarterback and has completed 62-of-108 passes for 848 yards and four touchdowns to go with three interceptions. His leading receiver is senior Devon Barkers, who has 114 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
On the ground, sophomore Trent Martin is the leading rusher with 24 carries for 260 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Nigel Payne has 82 rushes for 202 yards and six touchdowns.
“Center Hill is a very talented football team,” Fair said “Mitchell has come in there and done an outstanding job with this team. We know we will get their best shot.”
Grenada, the defending Class 6A champion, had its 18-game winning streak snapped with its loss to Oxford. The Charger have used the duo of junior Malik Taylor and sophomore Christian Ewing for the ground attack. Taylor has 43 rushes for 296 yards and three touchdowns, while Ewing has 28 rushes for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Brayden Trusty is 60-of-98 for 809 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. His top receiver is Mississippi State commit Zayion Cotton, who has 28 catches for 489 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, senior linebacker Jereon Street leads the team with 44 tackles, including five tackles for losses. Senior defensive back Jaeden Curry has 26 tackles to go with two interceptions for 47 yards.
The second and most important part of the season begins Friday for both teams. Fair says this is what his team works for, earning a high seed in the Class 6A Playoffs, which begins in November.
“This what we work for in the spring and summer, along with the non-division schedule prepare us for the most important part of our season,” Fair concluded. “Our goal each week is to go 1-0 and get the highest possible seeding in the playoffs.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
