MAIS loses games due to MHSAA ruling
Some football coaches within the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools have been scrambling to fill open dates this week.
Tuesday’s ruling by the Mississippi High School Activities Association has delayed the start of its football season two weeks and the earliest it can play games is September 4, but it also caused MAIS schools to lose some dates for competition.
Even though the MAIS has committed at this time to start the 2020 season on August 21, because of what the MHSAA did this week because of the circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), some MAIS schedules have taken a hit.
The second game of the season for the Starkville Academy Volunteers on August 28 was scheduled to be against French Camp, an MHSAA opponent.
Now that game will not happen.
Starkville Academy head football coach Chase Nicholson has reached out to another MAIS team to see if he can fill the date and is waiting for a response, but he does have another option and it still involves French Camp.
“That same date is the French Camp scrimmage date,” Nicholson said. “If we can’t fill it with a game, then we will probably play a half game with them, so we are not stagnate for a week and we’re still able to do something to get better.
“Right now, I’d still like to play four quarters with special teams and things like that, but if the team doesn’t call us back, that may be the only option.”
If something does not happen to cause a postponement of the MAIS schedule, the Vols will open the season on the road against Lamar School on August 21.
Nicholson said the plan is “to play” and would even like to get a game for August 28.
If that does not happen, he remains appreciative of the relationship with French Camp to at least make a scrimmage happen.
“I know (French Camp) coach (Nathan) Wright texted me immediately that night and suggested that and I already thought about that,” Nicholson said. “I was pretty much waiting on my coaches to see what they thought. Hopefully, we get another game. If not, at least we’ll still be able have something.”
In Clay County, the Oak Hill Academy Raiders were supposed to play two MHSAA opponents in the first two weeks against Mantachie on August 21 and Tupelo Christian Prep on August 28. With the first two weeks wiped out for MHSAA, those games will not happen now.
Oak Hill coach Bill Rosenthal has filled one of those dates with a road game against Benton Academy on August 21, but as of now, August 28 is an open date.