Four area high school teams open the postseason tonight as the Tippah County football playoffs slate gets underway on Friday, Nov. 6. Falkner is the only local team at home in the first round of the MHSAA playoffs. Ripley, Walnut and Benton County’s Ashland all travel. Every game kicks off at 7 p.m., according to the teams’ MaxPreps schedules.
The MHSAA playoffs for Classes 1A through 4A began this week, and all four local teams that qualified are in action on the same night. Here’s a look at each matchup, with records and region finishes as listed on MaxPreps going into the game.
Tippah County football playoffs: Friday’s matchups
French Camp Academy at Falkner (Class 1A): The Eagles (5-4) finished second in 1A Region 2 with a 2-1 region record and host French Camp Academy (3-7), the third-place team from 1A Region 4.
Walnut at North Side (Class 2A): The Wildcats (4-6) placed third in 2A Region 1 and travel to Shelby to face North Side (7-2), the runner-up in 2A Region 3.
Ripley at Corinth (Class 4A): The Tigers (2-8) earned the No. 4 spot out of 4A Region 3 and face a tough test at Corinth (6-3), which went 4-0 to win 4A Region 1.
Ashland at West Tallahatchie (Class 1A): The Blue Devils (1-9) finished third in 1A Region 2 and make the trip to Webb to take on West Tallahatchie.
Falkner gets a home playoff night
Falkner’s second-place region finish earned the Eagles a home game, and they come in as the only local team with a winning record. Falkner has scored 224 points this fall and allowed 236, and the Eagles went 3-1 at home during the regular season. French Camp Academy comes in having won its last game.
Falkner and Ashland both play in 1A Region 2, so fans of both schools will be watching the same bracket. A first-round win for either team would keep the Tippah-Benton area represented in the second round of Class 1A.
Road tests for Walnut, Ripley and Ashland
Walnut faces one of the tougher draws. North Side has outscored its opponents 301-96 and went 6-0 on the road. The Wildcats have scored 151 points this season and will need a strong defensive night in Shelby.
Ripley takes a two-game losing streak to Corinth, the 4A Region 1 champion. The Warriors have allowed just 111 points in nine games. A first-round upset would give the Tigers a strong finish in their last stretch in Class 4A. Ripley moves to Class 3A when the MHSAA’s new classifications take effect in 2027-28.
Ashland won its final regular-season game and enters the playoffs with some momentum. The Blue Devils have gone 0-7 on the road this year, so a win in Webb would be a big turnaround for the program.
How to follow the games
Scores are expected on the teams’ MaxPreps pages and on school social media later tonight. Fans heading to Falkner or making the road trips should check the host school’s ticket information before leaving, since playoff ticketing is handled by the host school.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
