Fresh off of their biggest win of the 2022 season, the CA Cougars (2-5, 0-1) are hard at work in preparation for Friday night's homecoming game against the rival Simpson Academy Cougars (4-2, 2-1), a matchup that head coach TC Chambliss said will serve as a measuring stick to see where CA stands entering the second half of its regular-season schedule.
This Friday's matchup could arguably be the toughest challenge CA has faced to date. Simpson Academy will carry its own momentum into the contest, having dominated St. Joseph Catholic in a 43-6 win last Friday after falling in back-to-back games against Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Leake Academy. Last year they earned a 42-14 win over CA on their home field and will be looking for another big non-district road win when they visit town this Friday. Chambliss said he knows CA has a steep challenge ahead, but he wants to see his players embrace that challenge with the same confidence that led them to a big win over Centreville a week ago.
"Simpson is always a great team. Coach (Todd) Mangum does a fantastic job no matter where he's coaching, and no doubt he'll have his kids ready to compete again on Friday. They have a physical team with a lot of returning starters, and it's going to be a dog fight. But like I told my guys, we have to control what we can control and make plays when we have the opportunity.
"It's not a district game, so it doesn't have that much implication other than power points when it comes to the playoffs, but this is one of those measuring stick games where you really get a chance to see where your team stands. I don't want to be a coach that builds a program off of playing a bunch of weak opponents. We want to play against tough teams that push us to be our best. That's the only way you learn and grow as a team."
Chambliss said it will also be crucial for his players to remain focused, despite all of the homecoming festivities that CA has become well-known for showcasing during homecoming week.
"Nobody does homecoming quite like CA," Chambliss said. "It's something we always look forward to being a part of, but it can become a distraction if you don't take care of business between those white lines. I told our guys that our goal is to take it one day at a time. We want to win every day at practice so that when Friday gets here we're prepared and ready to take on a great football team."
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
