By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Sept. 6, 2001
If you thought the Newton County-Newton football rivalry couldn't get any more intense, think again.
The 12th-annual meeting of the two teams Friday night in Decatur takes on even more significance this year. For one, the two schools' booster clubs are co-sponsoring a trophy which will go to the winning team for a year. Named the Cat Classic Trophy, the trophy has the scores of the first 11 meetings engraved on it with a space for the scores of the first 40 games between the two.
Secondly, the game will be the first in Cougar Stadium, a 5,000-seat stadium on the Newton County campus.
While the Newton County folks are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to show off their new facility, the Newton folks would love nothing more than to come in and embarrass the Cougars in the stadium dedication game.
Make that a catfight.
Newton holds an 8-3 lead in the series after winning 21-16 last year.
Newton opened its season with a 33-6 win over Lake after taking a slim 8-6 edge into halftime. Tiger junior quarterback Laderrian Blaylock (6-0, 170) completed 5-of-8 passes for 62 yards and ran the ball 12 times for 90 yards in the season-opening win.
Bobby Lindsey, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior wide receiver, caught five of Blaylock's tosses for 62 yards.
Newton County also comes in 1-0 after beating Forest 35-0 last week. Junior tailback Darryl Mapp (5-8, 165) ran 12 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns with junior fullback Kendrick Windham (5-9, 180) getting 15 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns against the Bearcats.
With Newton playing on Thursday and Newton County on Friday last week, both coaches got to scout the opposition.
Breland and Peterson were on coaching staffs together at Louisville and Newton to add more fuel to the already raging fire.
Winston Academy at North Delta School: In a battle of 2000 MPSA state champions, defending AA state champion Winston Academy heads north to Batesville to take on defending AAA state champion North Delta.
In last year's contest at Louisville, the Green Waves of North Delta took a 47-42 offensive slugfest.
Winston opened its 2001 season with a 37-0 blowout of Heritage Academy.
In other North area games, Choctaw Central is at Kemper County, Neshoba Central hosts Forest, Scott Central is at Lake, Leake Academy hosts Wayne Academy, Louisville hosts Tupelo, Nanih Waiya hosts Sturgis, Newton County Academy hosts Benton Academy, Noxapater is at Philadelphia, Sebastopol hosts Ethel, and Union hosts West Lauderdale.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551 ext. 3234.