The Grenada Chargers will have their final tune up Friday night in preparation for the opening of the 2024 season, hosting Class 5A power Clarksdale in a two-quarter varsity and two-quarter junior varsity contest at Charger Stadium.
Second-year head coach Michael Fair expects to get a strong challenge from Clarksdale.
“Clarksdale is an extremely talented football team and has been forever,” he said. “They knocked off West Point last season, so this isn’t just any Class 5A school. It’s a legitimate program with outstanding players that has a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs. It’s a huge challenge for us. Athletically, it’s going to be a really good match up. From talking to other coaches, they are going to be bigger than us upfront. We are really looking forward to the two quarters against them. It’s important because of the Week 1 opponent (Oak Grove). We need to play fast this year and Clarksdale will force us to do that.”
After an outstanding summer, Fair and his staff are looking to see just where the Chargers stand on both sides of the football.
“We feel like we have an idea of who we are,” he said. “As coaches, we feel like we have guys in the right spots. The off-season has been unbelievable and has carried over to our fall camp. We feel like we have a handle on our identity, but there is no way of truly knowing until you play someone. That’s where we are right now. We are counting on Clarksdale to show us our weaknesses – to be honest with you. I’m sure they will give us a lot to work on for Week 1.”
Fair added that he has two goals for the jamboree besides ending up on the winning end of the scoreboard.
“The two biggest things we want to get out of the game is to compete and stay healthy,” he concluded. “We are not game planning for these guys – we are mainly working on ourselves. We are trying to be the best version of us that we can be. If we compete and stay healthy, it will be a successful night. That’s who we are right now. Our guys practice with unbelievable effort and we play really hard. No matter whether it is practice or a game, they are going to give great effort.”
Following the game, the Chargers begin preparation for the season opener next Friday on the road against the defending Class 7A champion Warriors. Kickoff time in Hattiesburg is 7 p.m.
