Steak Dinner!

Plans are under way for the Varsity players and coaches to be fed a steak dinner this Thursday, November 20, 5 p.m., in the high school cafeteria. At this time, it is believed that BankPlus will sponsor this dinner!

We are very fortunate to have such a giving entity in our midst. More details will follow. Joel Ross of BankPlus is, however, planning to make this happen through Steak Escape. Keep your fingers crossed.

Parent volunteers will be needed to set up the tables, bus them, and help with clean up.

Thank you!

Next: South Panola

Photo courtesy Keith Warren

I've heard of folks being saved in life ... you know ... finding something to believe in and have faith in. Well, on Friday night at Cougars Stadium as Northwest battled North-Half powerhouse Tupelo, I became a believer!

From kickoff to the final buzzer in overtime, the game with the Golden Wave was worth the price of admission ... and then some.

Hats off to Marcus Gibson and the defense. Gibson had taken heat all week prior to the game in the media and among the coffee-shop quarterbacks. But, after the Cougars pinned their ears back and gave Tupelo everything it could handle, Gibson and the rest of the Cougars 'D' exclaimed to all doubters, "How ya like me now?!"

Although the game was a sweet victory for all involved with the Northwest Rankin football program, the task at hand is not complete. Next up for the Cougars, the team that hasn't lost since 2002 in the state championship game -- the South Panola Tigers from Batesville.

As this week begins, and the coaching staff and players focus on moving one step closer to a state championship, I can't help but think of the New Orleans Saints from 2006. A team that was always under the radar and never given any respect. That year, a rookie by the name of Reggie Bush joined the team, and in one game, created a spark that would eventually turn into an NFC South Championship, and one game away from the SuperBowl.

Three words were spoken by Bush that motivated every player and coach on the New Orleans' staff to believe that anything is possible.

Break a Heart!

Let the nonbelievers and the doubters come into every game with our beloved Cougars with cockiness and disrespect ... I promise you they will leave with a broken heart!

The Cougars are embarking on a piece of history on Friday night ... let your voice be heard and support the young men who have made the 2008 season one that will never be forgotten! Help them give the Tigers 48 minutes of hell ... hit 'em hard, get back up, and hit 'em again!

Nothing is Impossible!

Impossible is Nothing!

Get fired up!

Photo courtesy Keith Warren

Whether you are a parent or a player, it's time to light a fire under all our backsides and get ready for a very good Tupelo team!

On Friday night, we won't see a team like anything we've seen this year! We'll see a team with 6 players who can potentially play at the D-1 level. We'll see a team that is hungry to get back into the State Championship hunt. We'll see a team that played the 'beatable' South Panola to a 1-point loss.

The last two weeks have made me scratch my head about what the Cougars want in 2008. We came out soft and lackluster in the first halves of each game, allowing something that we've had all season to get away from us -- momentum. This will not happen again!

We have stables full of playmakers and boys who want to hit someone hard! This week, the entire team and coaching staff is focused on the task at hand ... Beating Tupelo!

This is our first step towards a state title! Tupelo should be on everyone's mind, and how we are a better team than the Golden Wave! We will focus on how we are going to shut down their offense with a Cougars Defense that has proven to be among the best in the state.

Nothing is impossible! Impossible is Nothing!

Victory becomes, to some degree, a state of mind. Knowing ourselves superior to the anxieties, troubles, and worries which obsess us, we are superior to them.

Let's not leave anything on the field this week! All or nothing 'til the State Championship comes to Northwest Rankin High School!

Varsity Boys' Breakfast - Thursday, November 6

All varsity players (10th - 12th grade) are invited to attend a pre-game breakfast Thursday, November 6, at 7:15 a.m. under the pavilion. Bring your appetite! This is sponsored by the proud sophomore parent team.

Senior Night, Nov. 7

Please plan on being on the field by 6:20 p.m. this Friday, November 7, before we play Murrah to walk with your son for Senior night.