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Teams generally don't like to
have pivotal contests during Week 2 of the football
season.
Look at Tennessee. The Vols play
Florida early in the year and most often are relegated
to playing exhibition games the rest of the way after
losing early to the Gators.
This Friday night, McKenzie
faces just such a test. A new and improved Camden team
comes to town with talent an weapons galore. After the
Rebels 47-6 victory over at the Lions' Den last year,
Camden comes in with the smell of revenge tickling the
nostrils.
The Rebels have won seven
straight over Camden, but the Lions have newfound
confidence, thanks to coach Kevin Ward. They will come
to Rebel Field believing they can beat their hosts.
Camden is bigger, stronger and faster. It has a 28-6
victory over Waverly under its belt.
That's not to say that McKenzie
doesn't have weapons. It does. The Rebels picked up a
lot of confidence both on offense and defense after a
convincing win at Obion Central.
Here's what's at stake: the
winner of this game rides a tractor beam all the way to
a homefield playoff spot. It's not a lock, but pretty
likely that the winner of this game will be at home that
first weekend in November. This game pits a team who is
familiar with being at or near the top of the flagpole
against a team who aspires to take its place among the
elite.
This question will be asked of
the Rebels time and again before the season ends: How do
you want to be remembered? If the Rebels can play like
they want to be remembered in a positive light, they'll
be fine.
As for Bethel's loss last week
to Arkansas-Monticello, I say big deal. A-M was supposed
to beat Bethel. It's an NCAA D-2 school and, frankly,
should be embarrassed it didn't win by a larger margin.
That just shows you what kind of team Bethel has.
That loss may serve the Wildcats
better than if they had won. They will still be under
the radar screen of Mid South opponents. The best is yet
to come for this young team.
Last week I was 18-6 for 75
percent. I roll the dice with a few of my picks this
week. Let's see how we do:
McKenzie over Camden: This
should be a great ballgame.
Huntingdon over Adamsville: If
T.J. Robinson is out, it could be a long night for the
Cardinals.
Hollow Rock-Bruceton over Halls:
The host Tigers will straighten it out this week.
West Carroll over Lake County:
This will be a tougher battle than the War Eagles want
in a battle of the birds.
South Fulton over Gleason: The
Red Devils prevail, but the Bulldogs are making strides.
Bethel over Georgetown, Ky.:
Call it a leap of faith, but I believe.
UNLV over Tennessee: With no
offense, no proven running game, no proven quarterback,
the Vols suffer a stunner to the Runnin' Rebels, who are
better than they were when they last visited K-town.
Unlike Bethel, I don't believe.
Elsewhere, I see:
USJ over Perry County, JCS over
Trinity, Fayette Academy over Middleton, Chester County
over Riverside, Peabody over Union City, Humboldt over
Dresden, Milan over Westview, Crockett Co. over Liberty,
McNairy over Fayette-Ware, Lexington over Bolivar,
Ripley over Obion, Covington over Brighton, Dyer Co.
over Gibson Co., North Side over Munford, Haywood over
Dyersburg, Hardin Co. over JCM and Franklin over Henry
County. |
