High school football season is winding down across Mississippi. However, the end of regular season play merely signals the beginning round of the state championship playoffs.
Through four or five consecutive weekly rounds of playoffs, high school football teams from all seven classifications (1A-7A) of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MSHAA) will compete for the coveted title of 2024 Mississippi High School Football Champion.
Now, for those of you who do not follow high school football, let me warn you: Not only is it a tough road to garner this coveted title; it’s usually a very cold road as well – for players and fans alike. With the preliminary rounds lasting throughout the month of November, and the championship games taking place the first week of December, it can even get icy.
But the weather conditions cannot deter the spirit of competition among these high school athletes. They play with their whole hearts.
And this year, the 2024 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic (MHSAA Football State Championships) will take place at “The Rock” as Mississippi’s winning teams from the North and South sides of the state meet to battle it out for the gold. This iconic college football field is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on the beautiful campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
The highly anticipated, three-day high school football event will begin on Thursday, December 5, with the Class 3A championship game at 4:00 p.m. and Class 7A action at 7:30 p.m. Then, Friday’s (December 6) Class 1A and Class 5A championship games will be played at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, December 7, the Class 2A teams will play at noon, followed by the Class 4A matchup at 3:30 p.m. and the Class 6A contest at 7:00 p.m.
But hold on! With lots of division play still going on in the next two weekends, the actual MHSAA playoff brackets are not available yet. As such, now is the perfect time to head out to your local high school football and get in on the action. Go and support your favorite players, cheerleaders, and band members. While you are at it, grab some delicious food at the concession stand. There is nothing quite as enjoyable as a Mississippi high school football game!
Also, please take the time after the game to thank the refs because these men and women travel long distances to work in all kinds of weather – for our Mississippi kids. They have a tough, physically demanding job that often goes unappreciated and is even maligned at times when school rivalries and competitions get heated.
And in case you did not know, their numbers are dwindling so fast that it has been difficult for schools around the state to find qualified referees (and umpires) to man all MHSAA high school events. As a result, some of the local football games usually played under “Friday Night Lights” have been rescheduled in the past couple of years to Thursday nights.
Despite those changes, Mississippians’ love of high school football has not diminished. Yep! We love our gridiron action and our students who play in those games.
So, don’t miss out on the fun. Look for your local team’s game times on their respective high school websites, and go to https://www.misshsaa.com/2024/07/19/2024-class-1a-2a-3a-4a-football-bracket/ to soon find those official MHSAA playoff brackets.
And hopefully, we’ll see you the first week of December at The Rock in Hattiesburg for those final seven MHSAA matchups – at the 2024 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic. Good luck!
Through four or five consecutive weekly rounds of playoffs, high school football teams from all seven classifications (1A-7A) of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MSHAA) will compete for the coveted title of 2024 Mississippi High School Football Champion.
Now, for those of you who do not follow high school football, let me warn you: Not only is it a tough road to garner this coveted title; it’s usually a very cold road as well – for players and fans alike. With the preliminary rounds lasting throughout the month of November, and the championship games taking place the first week of December, it can even get icy.
But the weather conditions cannot deter the spirit of competition among these high school athletes. They play with their whole hearts.
And this year, the 2024 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic (MHSAA Football State Championships) will take place at “The Rock” as Mississippi’s winning teams from the North and South sides of the state meet to battle it out for the gold. This iconic college football field is located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on the beautiful campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
The highly anticipated, three-day high school football event will begin on Thursday, December 5, with the Class 3A championship game at 4:00 p.m. and Class 7A action at 7:30 p.m. Then, Friday’s (December 6) Class 1A and Class 5A championship games will be played at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, December 7, the Class 2A teams will play at noon, followed by the Class 4A matchup at 3:30 p.m. and the Class 6A contest at 7:00 p.m.
But hold on! With lots of division play still going on in the next two weekends, the actual MHSAA playoff brackets are not available yet. As such, now is the perfect time to head out to your local high school football and get in on the action. Go and support your favorite players, cheerleaders, and band members. While you are at it, grab some delicious food at the concession stand. There is nothing quite as enjoyable as a Mississippi high school football game!
Also, please take the time after the game to thank the refs because these men and women travel long distances to work in all kinds of weather – for our Mississippi kids. They have a tough, physically demanding job that often goes unappreciated and is even maligned at times when school rivalries and competitions get heated.
And in case you did not know, their numbers are dwindling so fast that it has been difficult for schools around the state to find qualified referees (and umpires) to man all MHSAA high school events. As a result, some of the local football games usually played under “Friday Night Lights” have been rescheduled in the past couple of years to Thursday nights.
Despite those changes, Mississippians’ love of high school football has not diminished. Yep! We love our gridiron action and our students who play in those games.
So, don’t miss out on the fun. Look for your local team’s game times on their respective high school websites, and go to https://www.misshsaa.com/2024/07/19/2024-class-1a-2a-3a-4a-football-bracket/ to soon find those official MHSAA playoff brackets.
And hopefully, we’ll see you the first week of December at The Rock in Hattiesburg for those final seven MHSAA matchups – at the 2024 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Gridiron Classic. Good luck!
