The MAIS played a number of “Week Zero” football games last Friday, and will have its Week 1 openers for everybody else this week.

The Mississippi High School Activities Association, meanwhile, will have Week minus-1.

MHSAA teams, including Vicksburg High and Warren Central, will play preseason scrimmages this Friday evening. It’s a chance to give their players some live game reps, suss out any major issues, and most importantly get the blood pumping for when the games count for real on Aug. 30.

“It’s exciting. I had a scrimmage this past weekend and people were lined up at the top of the stadium. People just want to see football,” Vicksburg coach Christopher Lacey said. “The kids are tired of hitting each other. We’ve been at each other’s throats since April, so we’re tired of it. You’re ready to hit another color jersey and see how that unfolds. As soon as that first kickoff hits, school is going to turn into a whole different place. I’m really excited.”

Lacey’s Gators will go to Clinton Friday at 6 p.m. They’ll play two quarters with the varsity under normal timing rules, and two more with the junior varsity with a 10-minute running clock.

Vicksburg is replacing nearly a dozen three- and four-year starters. Some facets of the roster and scheme will be a work in progress in the first month of the season, but Lacey said this week he’s mostly looking at things beyond the X’s and O’s.

“Since I’ve got so many new people and different faces in so many spots, I’m moreso just looking at how kids have taken to coaching — limiting mistakes, are they playing together, running to the football,” Lacey said. “Right now we have a big thing on connection. How are they picking each other up and helping each other out? I’m trying to see my seniors who have been here for a minute fall into their new roles of leadership. Just trying to see that new crop of kids and how they adjust to their new roles.”

Warren Central will go a little farther east on I-20 to Flowood, to play Northwest Rankin Friday at 7 p.m. Like Vicksburg and Clinton, they’ll play two regularly-timed quarters with the varsity and two 15-play series with the JV.

Most of Warren Central’s starting positions are locked down — it has 15 of 22 starters returning — but coach Josh Morgan said there are still plenty of things to evaluate. Most are happening on the sideline and not on the field itself.

“From how we operate on the sideline, to how we handle personnel, how we train our ball guys, our filming operations, that’s stuff you just don’t get to work on a lot. That’ll be one of the biggest things out of this, is a trial run of how a game looks for us,” Morgan said. “Hopefully we can work out all the kinks when the real thing hits. We’ve not had jamborees before and then there’s things that hit you in the face you just weren’t ready for. That’s what we’re trying to do, is eliminate any uncertainties.”

Even with so many returning starters, Morgan added there are things to nail down that can only be done with game reps. Timing, flow, and positioning are all items on the punch list heading into the Red Carpet Bowl against Clinton on Aug. 30.

Vicksburg plays Holmes County Central in the other half of the Red Carpet Bowl doubleheader.

“There’s still the continuity and the chemistry of playing together that we’re trying to build. That’s big,” Morgan said. “The O-line, for example, they’ve got to play with each other and build that chemistry and the speed of each other. You’ve got to know how you fit, linebacker-wise, behind your D-line. That stuff is important.”

FRIDAY’S AREA GAMES
Preseason scrimmages
Vicksburg at Clinton, 6 p.m.
Warren Central at Northwest Rankin, 7 p.m.
MAIS regular season
All games at 7 p.m.
Porter’s Chapel at Delta Academy (Radio: 104.5 FM)
St. Aloysius at Adams County Christian School (Radio: 101.3 FM)
Riverdale at Tallulah Academy