MaxPreps 2013 Mississippi preseason football Fab 5

MaxPreps 2013 Mississippi Preseason Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard 1. South Panola (Batesville)
Head coach: Lance Pogue
2012 finish: 13-2; Class 6A state champion
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South Panola closed 2012 in an extremely familiar position: state champion. The Batesville school has endured roster and coach turnover and still finds way to win it all. After throwing for 2,357 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior, Rip Kirk is back for his senior season. Junior running back Darrell Henderson rushed for over 1,400 yards as a sophomore. Quandez Lee and Matthew Davis, the team’s top two sack leaders last year, return on defense.

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2. Brandon
Head coach: Brad Peterson
2012 finish: 12-3
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Brandon fell just short of a 6A title last year, falling to South Panola 31-23 in the state finals. This year, many believe Brandon could be the team to beat in the Magnolia State. Gardner Minshew is back after tossing for 3,001 yards as a sophomore. Additionally, he rushed for seven touchdowns last fall. Six-foot-six defensive end Kyle Strickland, who registered 105 tackles a year ago, will once again lead the defense.

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3. West Point
Head coach: Chris Chambless
2012 finish: 11-3
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West Point will be back in the thick of the Class 5A title hunt in 2013. Much of the team’s offense will center around Mississippi State running back commit Aeris Williams. In 2012, Williams rushed for 1,519 yards and five touchdowns. With South Panola, Starkville and Noxubee County on the early schedule, West Point will be tested from the start.

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4. Olive Branch
Head coach: Scott Samsel
2012 finish: 11-2
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After capturing a state title in 2011, Olive Branch was bounced from Class 6A playoffs in the quarterfinals by Madison Central. After over a dozen players saw action in the backfield last year, look for junior Dontavis Bruce, who rushed for six scores a year ago, to be counted on heavily. Linebacker/safety Alfred Dickens, committed to Ole Miss, will also be worked into the offensive gameplan. The team’s offensive line, led by Memphis commit Chase Johnson, should be a strength.

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5. Noxubee County (Macon)
Head coach: Tyrone Shorter
2012 finish: 16-0; Class 4A state champion
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The No. 1 team in Class 4A, Noxubee ranks among the best in Mississippi regardless of class. It has big shoes to fill with the departure of 2,600-yard rusher Darrell Robinson and Dylan Bradley, who recorded a whopping 26 sacks last fall. Diminutive linebacker Eric Hunt will be one of the team’s leaders on defense. Jessie Bryant, who saw time behind center as a sophomore, figures to start as a senior.

See last season's Mississippi All-Region football team