High School Team Preview: Tupelo Golden Wave

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering AJ30 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> With one of the coolest fields in the state, if not the entire country, the Tupelo Golden Wave have been one of the most storied and winningest programs in North Mississippi. Led by second year coach Ty Hardin, Tupelo is looking to carry on this tradition following a 6-5 season last year. <em><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></em> Last year should have an asterisk for every high school team in America. COVID-19 impacted tons of games, and that was the case for Tupelo as well. Two of their contests were left as forfeits due to the virus outbreaking, and head coach Ty Hardin didn’t get a spring or a real full summer to take over and change the program how he wanted to. With a 5-2 record in their division, the Golden Wave finished in the top 3. The team kicked off their playoffs with a forfeit loss to Warren Central due to the virus; a terrible way to end an already gloomy year. Tupelo loses a lot of key contributors from the 2021 graduating class. It’s always hard to replace a quarterback, but losing a guy like <strong>Jake Weir</strong>. Weir led a productive offense for two seasons at Tupelo and finished his high school career with a walk on opportunity at Mississippi State. Senior wideout <strong>Corbin Huggins</strong>, the team’s leading receiver, also departs and has signed with Coahoma Community College. On the defensive side of the ball, leading tackler and starting inside backer <strong>Justin Wilson</strong> leaves a big hole to be replaced. Wilson was a two year starter and leader of a talented group of defenders. Despite these losses, this team is still full of returning and young talent. Recent Ole Miss commit rising senior [player_tooltip player_id="104420" first="Jacarius" last="Clayton"] is one of the best defensive lineman in the entire state, and is an absolute man among boys on the field. On the other side of the ball, 2023 offensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id="108897" first="Zay" last="Alexander"] has been turning heads around the country this offseason. Alexander has added offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Florida, and Texas among many. These two guys together is a coach’s dream. Outside of the obvious stars, Tupelo has a lot of young players that have a ton of potential to make a huge impact this upcoming season. This is a talented team on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball poised to make a run at the region title. <em><strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong></em> <strong>Jeremiah Harrell</strong> | 2024 QB The loss of senior QB Jake Weir presents a challenge for Tupelo, but rising sophomore Jeremiah Harrell could be one of the front runners to take the job. He spent last season as the starting quarterback for the freshman squad, but spent the spring getting quality varsity reps. In the spring game, he looked like a guy that had been there and done that against powerhouse West Point. Harrell stayed calm in the pocket and showed the ability to step up while continuing to go through his progressions. Harrell has a quick release and can throw from a variety of arm angles. Really like his athleticism on the run as well. While it hasn’t been announced to the public that he is the starter, something about Harrell just screams "special." [player_tooltip player_id="107037" first="Zech" last="Pratt"] | 2023 DB One of our favorite DBs in Mississippi, Pratt is a long and athletic safety who makes plays all over the field for Tupelo. This guy has great hips and change of direction combined with the speed to catch up to any receiver on the field. Pratt is extremely productive in pass coverage, with 13 PBUs and 1 INT last season. He anticipates the ball coming well and can read the quarterback’s eyes to know exactly where the ball will end up. Pratt also uses his length well to jar the ball loose when receivers have a chance to get it. Really like this guy’s talent and definitely wouldn’t want to throw towards his side of the field this upcoming season. <strong>Romero Hampton | 2022 DL</strong> Hampton anchors the defensive line for Tupelo and is a big time nose tackle. This is a guy that stands at 6’1" 280 and can absolutely take up space for offensive linemen. Hampton is quick off the ball with a good first step and uses his hands violently to make plays in the backfield. His athleticism does not match his body type - this is a guy that runs like a linebacker. Hampton is quick to change direction and can bend well during pass rush. To top things off, he is a naturally strong kid with a good bull rush. Hampton lists offers from almost every instate JuCo and will look to build on that as a senior. <em><strong>MORE NAMES</strong></em> <strong>Fred Adams Jr</strong> | 2023 DB Led the team in INTs as a sophomore. Had two in one game against DeSoto Central. [player_tooltip player_id="148681" first="Michael" last="Wallace"] | 2024 DL One of the hottest names in the recruiting world right now. Wallace has been a force at camps this offseason and looks to make an impact on varsity this season. [player_tooltip player_id="106778" first="Jamarion" last="Scott"] | 2023 LB Big athletic playmaker who can hit like a freight train. Looking at him to step up as a leader of the defense. [player_tooltip player_id="139851" first="JQ" last="Witherspoon"] | 2024 WR Speedy wide out who looks to run in the low 4.4.-4.5 range. Expecting a big year on varsity this season. <strong>GAMES TO WATCH</strong> <strong>9/3 Saltillo (AWAY)</strong> - As close as an in-city rivalry as it gets. Tupelo holds a 3-0 lead in the series and will look to make this game the 4th victory. <strong>10/8 Starkville (HOME) </strong>- Tupelo takes on one of the best teams in the state at home. Starkville lost senior quarterback Luke Altmyer and has to travel to Tupelo for this one. Going to be a great battle between two awesome programs. <strong>10/15 Madison Central (AWAY)</strong> - If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. Madison Central looks to have an electric offense this upcoming season, and the Tupelo defense looks rock solid. If you’re a fan of watching tons of talent face off against each other, this game is going to be full of it. Expecting over 6 college recruits to be on the field all at the same time. &nbsp;