Every week we’re spotlighting a program from around Lincoln County for our Team of the Week, presented by Bank of Brookhaven.

The 2025 Brookhaven Academy football team will seek to etch their name in the program’s history as champions on Saturday when the Cougars take on Lamar School in the MAIS 4A-Division III state championship game.

Kickoff at Mississippi College is scheduled for 3 p.m.

If you’d asked the most fervent fans of the Cougars if they expected to be playing for a state title at the beginning of the season, you’d likely not have found many who could have predicted this outcome.

The Cougars were 3-8 last season in their first year playing for Coach Ryan Ross.

Not to say that BA fans didn’t expect to see improvement, but even Ross has said he’s been surprised about how rapidly his team has improved.

The Cougars (8-4) won two road games in the 4A-DIII bracket to reach the championship, winning 27-14 at Simpson County Academy and then 42-14 last week at Silliman Institute.

Lamar School, located in Meridian, is also 8-4 on the season. The Raiders have long been a team that MAIS opponents knew would put the ball into the air and this 2025 team does so very well.

Lamar quarterback Sullivan Reed is committed to play college baseball at Mississippi State, that is if he doesn’t get drafted in the MLB.

Senior wideout Jalin Trotter is committed to next play at the University of North Alabama and has over 1,000 yards receiving.

Brookhaven Academy is led in the offensive skill position group by senior running back Walt Smith, a Southwest Mississippi CC baseball signee, along with junior quarterback Will Newell and sophomore wideout Talon Welch.

An anchor on the offensive line is senior Cole Spencer and the defense is made up of a gritty group of dudes, all doing a great job of tackling together over the last month of the season.

Lamar reached the championship by blowing out Cathedral School 40-6 last week.

The Raiders have won MAIS state championships in 2003, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Brookhaven Acdaemy is 4-0 all-time against Lamar. The Cougars won the last matchup 33-28 in the 2012 playoffs.

In 2009, Brookhaven Academy and former head coach Herbert Davis blew out Lamar, 63-28 in the AA state championship. BA also beat Lamar (35-14, 14-0) when the schools were members of the same district back in 1994-1995.

Brookhaven Academy also has won MAIS state championships in 1993 and 2012.

Seniors for the Cougars include Smith, Spencer, Carson Mowdy, Braxton Orr, Joe Joe Williams, Teague Russell, Wilson Calcote, Glen Lewis, Caleb Authement, Rocco Smith, Drake Strange, and Beckett Tullos.

The junior class at BA is made up of Newell, John Tucker Pace, Carter Evans, Sage Smith, Tucker Tarver, Trace Garrett, Nic Cline, Parker Shann, and Hamp Smith.

Sophomores for Brookhaven Academy are Welch, Ryder Hill, Baylon Carnley, Mason Roberts, Tanner Smith, Stanton Newman, Paxton Leggett, Collin Holmes, Cole Authement, Maddox Weeks, Garson Haley, Kade Roberts, Parker Case, Macel Woolley, and Jacob Jones along with freshman Braxton McDaniel.

Follow Y’all Sports on Facebook for updates from throughout the game on Saturday.