As the cool winds of November start to blow across Mississippi, high school football teams across the state are quickly dwindling down.

Each MHSAA classification has just eight teams left playing, while MAIS classifications have just four teams left.

The teams that are still remaining in the playoffs are the very best the state has to offer, and a few Miss-Lou teams can lay claim to that distinction.

Three Miss-Lou teams still are alive and well as the playoffs near their conclusion, and only one of those teams was expected to be in the position it’s in at the beginning of the year.

That team, of course, is Trinity Episcopal.

The Saints destroyed yet another opponent last night, routing University Christian 55-14 in a game that wasn’t even that close.

Trinity, the defending state champion in Class A, not only is the favorite to win another state championship in that classification, they would most likely be the favorite to win a state championship in Class AA as well.

After all, they have defeated the top two teams in Class AA, in River Oaks and Brookhaven, which by the way have advanced to the Class AA semifinals.

Triinty has so many weapons at its disposal it’s almost unfair.

The Saints didn’t even complete a pass against University Christian, but didn’t have to as they rushed for over 500 yards behind the legs of Kent King, Tip McKenzie and Givonni Dent.

But when they need to throw the ball, they can do that well too, judging from Dent’s 339 passing yards earlier this season against River Oaks.

The Saints will host Sylva-Bay Academy next week, in what will be its biggest test against a Class A team this year.

Win this game and I don’t think the Saints will be stopped in their quest for another state title.

While Trinity is doing what is expected, the Cathedral Green Wave continue to outperform expectations.

Not much was expected out of a Cathedral team that went just 4-7 last season, but the Green Wave won a tough Region 4-1A, which included a stunning upset of defending state champion Mount Olive.

Cathedral continued its magical season by defeating Noxapater 21-14 in the first round of the playoffs Friday, for its first playoff win since 1997.

Cathedral was down 14-6 at the half, but was determined not to see its season end on Friday, as they came back with a strong running game and dominating defense to outscore the Tigers 15-0 in the second half and take the win.

Cathedral gets a rematch with Dexter, the only team to hand them a region loss this season, next week on the road.

Win that game and the Wave could very well be hosting Mount Olive for the South State championship the following week.

Another unexpected quarterfinalist is Jefferson County in Class 3A.

The Tigers needed a last-second touchdown against Franklin County in the final game of the regular season to even make the playoffs, but have taken advantage of that with two big postseason wins.

The Tigers, the No. 4 seed from Region 7, upset Region 8 top seed Seminary 28-23 in the first round and then destroyed Morton 58-20 in the second round on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Tigers will host region foe Tylertown in a rematch of a game earlier this year, in which the Chiefs defeated the Tigers 28-14.

So congratulations to these area teams. Only a few select athletes are where you are today.

Enjoy it while you can. You deserve it.

Jeff Edwards is the sports editor for The Democrat. He can be reached at sports@natchezdemocrat.com, or by phone at 601-445-3632.