High school football kicked off in the Miss-Lou with a bang and, unfortunately, a few sirens, Friday night.

Local teams squared off in Natchez, drawing fans and spectators together for not just love of the game but a bit of socializing.

In a small community, the greatest social event of the week is often right there under the Friday night lights.

Sadly for several players, the season ended almost as quickly as it started due to injury. Adams County Christian School senior Tyler Buckles had to be driven away from the Cathedral School field in an ambulance, but is recovering while his family members count their blessings.

Area coaches said this week that they work hard to be sure young athletes are in proper shape for the game and know when to walk off the field, but that avoiding injury in the game of football is impossible.

That fact has got to make it difficult for mom and dad to even watch.

But, thankfully, joys in the sport are much more plentiful than injuries.

And dozens of locals experience great joy on the field Friday.

Cathedral’s Ishmael Blackmon ran 91 yards for a touchdown.

ACCS’s Brandon Ross and Trey Fleming took their first snaps as the team’s quarterbacks.

Trinity, despite a loss, can look back proudly on the fact that the first game with a new coach and a different team is now in the books and the future lies ahead.

Natchez High quarterback Anthony Robinson completed eight of 12 passes for 92 yards, including a touchdown pass. Robinson also rushed for 65 yards.

But the best news of all? Everyone does it all over again this Friday!

High school football season is one of the most exciting times in our community, and for decades and decades, staff members at The Natchez Democrat have joined in on the fun at the games.

I’ve never worked with a sports reporter who didn’t live and breathe for football season, and our photographers — though frenzied when jumping from one game to the next — enjoy capturing the best moment of the night.

This newspaper has, for decades upon decades, provided the best, most comprehensive coverage of Friday night fun, and we have no plans to change that this year.

Our sports staff will continue to bring you game previews and player features throughout the week, plus full game coverage on Saturdays.

In addition, fans can see live game scores on our website — www.natchezdemocrat.com — as the games are played each Friday.

We’ll be posting scores from all Natchez and Concordia Parish schools as soon as the first points are on the board, so check back early and often from the comfort of your couch or from the discomfort of the bleachers at your team’s stadium.

I’m looking forward to a long, successful football season for our area athletes, and thankfully they won’t be playing each other too many times this season so we can all simply root for our home teams.

Good luck all our players, coaches and fans!

 

Julie Cooper is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.