TALLULAH While most of the region is on the lookout for West Nile virus, a different kind of bug is making Jacky Thames nervous.

Several of his Tallulah Academy players have fallen ill with strep throat this week, and Thames feared several more may have mononucleosis. With the Trojans set to open their season at home tonight against Riverfield Academy, the outbreak was not welcome news.

“It started off with just a couple of kids sick, and then we had a couple (Monday) at practice that went down real quick and were puny,” Thames said on Tuesday. “It may be Friday before we know who’s in and who’s out. At 7:30 you’ve got to line it up and play regardless of who you’ve got.”

The list of players who may miss the game includes starting wide receiver Cole Grissom and starting running back Cade Marsh, who rushed for nearly 1,200 yards last season and intercepted eight passes.

Thames had already planned on using a number of underclassmen this season, and said they will be pressed into service this week. Tallulah has only four seniors and 11 sophomores on its roster.

“We’re going to have to depend on everybody now,” Thames said. “We’re not sure how healthy we’ll be on Friday night, but we’ll start working these new guys in right now. Sometimes you don’t have a choice.”

The younger players will be tested immediately. Riverfield returns several key, experienced starters from a team that went 7-4 and lost to state runner-up North Delta in the first round of the Academy-AA playoffs last season.

Tallulah and Riverfield have played many times through the years, with Riverfield taking a 17-7 win in last year’s season-opener.

“We beat them last year, but that was a very close game. We didn’t get our last touchdown until right there at the end,” Riverfield coach Larry Joe McClendon said. “I’m expecting the same type of game, and I just want to be on the winning side.”

Leading the way for Riverfield are all-conference tight end and defensive end Dusty Eppinette and quarterback Jude Johnston, a two-year starter.

Although the Raiders have experience on their side, McClendon felt Tallulah’s speed and size would be more of a factor.

“Their speed is going to be the toughest thing for us to handle,” he said. “We have to get better on our blocking. We’re not doing a good job getting off our blocks. They can take advantage of that real quick.”

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Briarfield taking on

bigger foe in Hillcrest

Briarfield went from having one of the smallest teams in the Mississippi Private Schools Association scheduled for its opener to one of the biggest.

Briarfield, an Academy-A school, was supposed to face Rebul Academy, but had to scramble to find another opponent when that school didn’t have enough players to field a team. After a few phone calls, a road game against Academy-AAA Hillcrest Christian in Jackson replaced the home game with Rebul.

“We got lucky,” Briarfield coach Jay Murphree said. “(MPSA director) Les Triplett gave us a list of schools with open dates … I called up Hillcrest and everything worked out. I found out about Rebul on Thursday and we had another game on Friday.”

Hillcrest was an Academy-AAAA school before the MPSA’s realignment in the spring, and will probably have twice as many players as Briarfield. Murphree didn’t think Hillcrest’s size would scare the Rebels, however.

“I don’t think we’re intimidated,” he said. “Our kids know they’re going to have 11 on the field just like we do. They may have a few more 11s though.”

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Wildcats looking to

fill holes, potholes

A rash of ankle injuries at Chamberlain-Hunt has the Wildcats hobbling into their opener against defending Academy-A champion Trinity.

CHA coach Fred Harvey said about 10 players have suffered ankle injuries so far in the preseason, including starting quarterback Craig Gilbert.

The senior was injured in a jamboree game on Aug. 9 and didn’t practice in full pads again until Tuesday. Harvey said he was doubtful for tonight’s game, and junior backup Brooks Ramsey may get the start.

“We’re really hobbling,” Harvey said. “We have about 10 ankles that are bad. We have a pretty rough practice field, and a lot of guys stepped in holes out there.”

Another key starter, running back Dee Polk, is also doubtful with a deep thigh bruise. Although a win over Trinity would be a feather in the Wildcats’ cap, Harvey said he’d be happy with a good showing and no more injuries.

“We’re just going to try and get through it without any more injuries,” he said.

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CM&I puts team together,

will face SIA in opener

Like Rebul, it seemed last week that Christ Missionary and Industrial High School also wouldn’t field a team this season. As it turns out, reports of CM&I’s demise were greatly exaggerated.

CM&I has a team and will face Sharkey-Issaquena tonight in Jackson. Although the two schools have been conference rivals for the last two years, SIA assistant coach Marlon Nichols said he knew little about CM&I.

“We don’t really know anything about them, because they didn’t have a team up until about a week ago. Apparently the funding came through for their team,” Nichols said.

Nichols added that SIA was prepared to take the open date rather than fill it with a game against a much larger school. When the original game with CM&I was put on the schedule again, it didn’t cause any hardships.

“It hasn’t been too bad,” Nichols said. “We were able to find out at the end of last week, so we’ve still had a full week to prepare for the game.”