Nine Ripley High School football players have been recognized by the coaches of Region 3-4A, with four Tigers named to the region’s “Super 22” and five more earning second-team honors. Ripley High School announced the Ripley Tigers all-region selections on its official Facebook page on Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, congratulating each player on the recognition.
The honors cap a 2026 season that ended in the first round of the MHSAA playoffs, when Ripley fell on the road at Corinth on Nov. 6.
Ripley Tigers All-Region: The Super 22
The Super 22 is the top tier of the region’s postseason team and, according to the school’s graphic, is voted on by the coaches. Four Tigers made the list:
Cole Rakestraw – defensive line (No. 2)
Cohen Wright – wide receiver (No. 5)
Nate Boyd – offensive line (No. 71)
Kyran McDonald – quarterback (No. 9)
The group covers both sides of the ball, with a quarterback and receiver from the passing game alongside standouts in the trenches on offense and defense.
Region honors like these are typically voted on by the region’s coaches after the regular season, which makes them a measure of how opponents viewed a player over the course of the year. For a Ripley program that reached the postseason, landing nine players on the list reflects contributions from across the roster.
Five Tigers Named to the Region 3-4A Second Team
Ripley also placed five players on the 2026 Region 3-4A second team, with linemen once again well represented:
Isaiah Evans – offensive line (No. 55)
Paxton Kennamore – offensive line (No. 21)
Landon Story – defensive line (No. 57)
Antwain Zinn – defensive line (No. 8)
Jamarien Sims – defensive back (No. 13)
Kennamore has already had a busy November. On Nov. 12, he signed to continue his baseball career at Itawamba Community College.
What’s Next for Ripley Football
The 2026 season was Ripley’s last in Region 3-4A under the current alignment. In the MHSAA’s new classification and region assignments for 2027-29, Ripley moves to Class 3A, Region 1, where it will be grouped with Alcorn Central, Belmont, Kossuth and Nettleton.
For now, the all-region nods give the Tigers’ players a well-earned moment of recognition from the coaches they lined up against all fall. Ripley High School did not list any first-team or individual award selections in its posts; Tippah News will update this story if more honors are announced.
Congratulations to all nine Tigers on their all-region selections.
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
