The Newton Tigers will have somewhat of a different football schedule this season with a host of new opponents.
The Tigers have new opponents in Forest, Quitman and Yazoo County in non-non-division play with new foes Nanih Waiya and Kemper County in division play.
“It’s going to look a lot different,” Grady said. “I think the non-division schedule is a good one and should get us prepared for division plan and hopefully the playoffs. We’ve got a lot of guys back with a lot of playing experience. This is my first time at Newton where we weren’t looking up from the bottom of the division.”
The Tigers will open the season with Hazlehurst, a team they beat 6-0 last year.
“They beat us the first we played and we beat them last year,” Grady said. “They had a good young quarterback that is coming back. I think the majority of players from both sides are coming back so it should be a pretty competitive game, I would think.”
On Sept. 3, the Tigers will travel to Class 3A Forest, a team Newton has played in years.
“They are kind of a wild card,” Grady said. “They have changed their staff. But I know they have some long kids on the outside that can play. But other than that, I don’t know a lot about them. It’s always tricky with the staff changes.”
The Tigers will then step up and take on Class 4A Quitman, a team that struggle with COVID issues last year.
“They are traditionally a competitive program,” Grady sad. “I think it will be a good pre-division game for us. They will be big and physical and we have to come prepared. Traditionally, they have 50- or 60-man football squad.”
On Sept. 17, the Tigers will travel to Heidelberg, a team familiar to Newton. But Heidelberg didn’t play football last season and has a new coaching staff.
“I don’t know a lot about them,” Grady said. “They will have a whole new coaching staff. Traditionally they have athletes but I think they will be pretty young this year. They didn’t play football last year so you really don’t know what to expect.”
The Tigers will finish out their non-division schedule on Sept. 24 with Class 3A Yazoo County.
“They will have some big strong kids,” Grady said. “They are traditionally a playoff team. I think it’s another good game before we begin division play. We have some veteran players coming back and I made the schedule a lot stronger. We are trying to make a playoff push so when you get to district, you will be prepared for the teams in the district.”
The Tigers will open division play on Oct. 1 with Nanih Waiya, who is moving up from Class 1A. The Warriors were 11-1 last year and were coming off winning back-to-back Class 1A titles in 2019 and 2018.
“They are a real good football team,” Grady said. “I think they will be young in some positions. They have been really good the last couple of years and their kids know how to win. It will be a good challenge.”
On Oct. 8, the Tigers will then make the short drive down Hwy. 80 to take on rival Lake.
“I really like their quarterback,” Grady said of Lake’s Brady McGee. “I think pound for pound, he’s the best football player in our area. He is a good football program. Now what they have to go with him, I don’t know. We didn’t get to play them last year because they had to quarantine.”
After Lake, Newton will host Kemper County, another new team to the schedule. The Wildcats went 8-3 last year and made the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
“They have a really good running back,” Grady said. “The quarterback is back and they have some good athletes. They will have a good squad. They always have good skill kids.”
After an off week on Oct. 22, the Tigers will finish the season on Oct. 29 at Philadelphia.
“I have no idea what they are going to have,” Grady said. “I think all of their key guys are gone. They traditionally have kids who can play. They have lost some kids and will have a whole new group of players. They were real young last year. Normally, they will have somebody, I just don’t know who it will be.”
