We&8217;ve come up with a new slogan for southwest Mississippi: Where Rebels become Saints and where Green Waves make Bulldogs.

OK, so it&8217;s not ready for the Chamber of Commerce&8217;s Web site yet, but it&8217;s fitting for the next couple of days at least.

You see, as we near the end of the 2006 high school football season, our area&8217;s fun rivalries are over for the year.

Now, only two local teams remain in the state championship hunt &8212; the Trinity Episcopal Saints and the Franklin County Bulldogs.

So suddenly, we&8217;re all fans of the hometown crew, even if weeks ago they were the rivals.

It&8217;s a little like the reaction often seen in sibling relationships.

Together, the two brothers may be completely annoyed by one another. But have an outsider pick on one of the brothers and you&8217;d better watch out.

You&8217;re almost guaranteed to bring down the family hammer in the hands of the second brother.

All of us are rooting for the Trinity Saints and the Franklin County Bulldogs as they face challengers in their respective championship divisions.

Here&8217;s hoping both teams have a safe, successful championship run.