RIPLEY - The Ripley Tigers' season opener against the New Albany Bulldogs is back on for Thursday, Aug. 18 after briefly being moved to Friday, Aug. 19. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.
Monday afternoon, the Mississippi High School Activities Association( MHSAA) denied Ripley High School's request to play a MHSAA Classic Game on Thursday (Aug. 18), thus pushing the Tigers' season opener to the following night. Classic Games are intended to raise money for the MHSAA, which gets 40 percent of the gate, as well as participating schools.
However, Monday evening, via text message, Coach Grady McCluskey indicated Mississippi high school football's governing body had overruled it's initial ruling, pushing the game back to it's original date. The game is the only one of 30 Classic Games--involving north Mississippi schools--scheduled for Thursday.
Falkner and Walnut high schools also open their season with a Classic Game on Friday, Aug. 19. The Falkner Eagles will travel to Middleton, Tenn., while the Walnut Wildcats will host Booneville. Kickoffs for both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Games will begin at 7:30 p.m. and feature "heat timeouts" though September. Beginning in October, game will start a 7 p.m.
This is not the first time a Tippah County School has been involved with a MHSAA ruling. In 2008, the Walnut Wildcats advanced to the third round of the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs, after an official's blown call was overruled.
