State championships are what every high school athlete dreams of in any sport, and two area teams have a shot at achieving that dream this week.

The Trinity Episcopal Saints and Franklin County Bulldogs will each take trips to the Jackson area, with the Saints getting their chance at glory this afternoon.

Trinity will take on Briarfield Academy today at Robinson-Hale Stadium on the campus of Mississippi College in the MPSA Class A state title game.

Having spent three straight weeks following the Saints&8217; playoff drive, it seems pretty obvious this team has hit its stride at the most important point of the season.

Head coach David King told me on several occasions this season that he doesn&8217;t believe in taking the same intensity level into every game &8212; that he likes to have his team playing its best when it matters the most.

The Saints steamrolled the competition early this season before hitting a couple of roadblocks midway through the year. After the loss in the season finale to Porters Chapel, domination has not been strong enough a word for what Trinity has done to North Delta, Glenbrook and River Oaks in their previous three playoff games.

The Saints outscored their foes 103-7 in the first half, giving the starters a break in most of the second half.

King&8217;s philosophy appears to have paid off in a big way.

One key concern is obviously the condition of Stevan Ridley, but all signs indicate he will play today, and I expect to see another vintage Ridley performance. Coming into the season, I was skeptical about Ridley&8217;s abilities, but I am fully sold that a half-strength Ridley can lead this team to a win today.

If you have the means and the opportunity, get over to Clinton this afternoon to catch the game. With only four previous state champions in the city&8217;s history, we could all play witness to a historic moment.

Franklin County, on the other hand, appears to be playing the role of team of destiny. It takes a special team to win as many close games as the Bulldogs have (six by a total of a touchdown or less, and most of the comeback variety). After an impressive home win over the defending state champions, the Bulldogs will now take on top-ranked Nettleton Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson for the title.

This match-up appears almost too close to call, but given their history this season, that would seem to favor Franklin County.During my short time in this business, I&8217;ve covered two state championship teams, both of which were girls&8217; basketball teams. My previous encounters in football coverage were somewhat unsatisfying, as most of the teams I have previously covered were pretty lousy.

The quality of football in this area is almost unmatched, and it has been a joy to watch all season long. I hope these sports pages have conveyed all the excitement, and my only regret is that there are only two more games to cover.

Tim Cottrell is sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached by phone at 601-445-3632 or by e-mail at

tim.cottrell@natchezdemocrat.com

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