On a week when parents of Pee Wee Football players are caught on tape beating the snot out of each other and O.J. Simpson writes a book about how he would have killed his wife if he did actually do it, it&8217;s hard to really add much to the conversation.

With so much weird stuff happening in the sports world, why don&8217;t we stick close to home?

Locally, three teams still have life in the playoffs, as Trinity, Ferriday and Franklin County will all face tough contests this week to stay alive to fight another day.

Trinity gets the honor of going first, as they&8217;ll take on Glenbrook tonight.

The Saints proved several people wrong last week as they completely steamrolled North Delta, 54-22.

Having seen Glenbrook play once, the smart money says Trinity takes this game, perhaps by as much as two or three touchdowns.

Franklin County will travel to face Collins Friday as they march on towards the MHSAA 3A state championship game.

Ferriday most likely faces the stiffest test of anyone, as they travel to face third-seeded St. Charles, who comes in with a 9-2 record (with one of those losses coming against John Curtis).

The Trojans face a long trip, which can always be tough on a player&8217;s joints, and won&8217;t get any favors from the Comets. This is certainly a game they can win, but it won&8217;t be easy.

In other news from the area, basketball season has finally arrived in earnest, and the area is practically spinning with tournaments, jamborees and whatever else.

There seems to be quite a bit of football rust in several local teams thus far, but there should be plenty of interesting basketball once everyone plays themselves into shape.

Perhaps one of the more interesting subplots of this weekend in college football is the fact that LSU fans need to root as hard as they possibly can for Mississippi State, because only the Bulldogs stand between Arkansas and clinching the SEC West.

We&8217;ve got the Capital City Classic and Ole Miss-LSU this weekend, which should make for an interesting tailgating scene for several area fans.

My only regret is that I can&8217;t be in both places at once.

Perhaps the biggest revelation I had over the weekend, though, was that I&8217;m becoming a dyed-in-the-wool Saints fan.

Growing up, I always pulled for them, but never found myself particularly irked after a loss. Following the fumble that ultimately cost them the game at Pittsburgh Sunday, I was, literally, downtrodden for a good two hours.

Hopefully, I won&8217;t have to feel that way after they&8217;re through with the Bengals.

Tim Cottrell is the sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached by phone at 601-445-3632 or by e-mail at

tim.cottrell@natchezdemocrat.com