Getting the players and fans of the South Panola Tigers "crunk" for the games each week can be attributed to some hometown rap.

Scoot 50 Flowers and an entourage of friends have recorded rap songs just about the South Panola Tigers.

This year Tiger linebacker Chris Strong is also featured on the CD. Flowers said he and Strong wrote their own parts and then Flowers’ cousins Frederick Hines and Lakedrick "Trek" Sanford provided backup and the music.

There are two tracks for this season so far and the second one says that football is not a girlie game.

The words dare opponents to take on the Tigers, while pumping up the players to go play to win.

He said he thinks of the words to some of the rap pieces at different places when he gets a quiet spot.

The response from the people who have heard the raps is overwhelming.

"Everybody likes it," Flowers said. "Everybody wants it."

Flowers does some free lance rapping, and people urged him to do something for the Tiger team.

"I used to freestyle, but the first I dropped and recorded was a South Panola song," Flowers said.

He does more than the South Panola songs. Trek does the background music.

After Flowers comes up with the lyrics and words, he says he calls "my boys" together and they get the CD cut from one to two and a half hours later.

Now, Ole Miss wants him to do one for them.

Strong approached Flowers about doing some tracks for this season.

"He (Strong) was telling me ‘Scoot 50’ we need to go on and drop, man,’" Flowers said. "He wrote his and I wrote mine and we recorded it."

These CDs are on sale by Flowers, who is a junior at South Panola high school, for $5.

The North Delta Green Wave (2-2, 1-0) will be back in district action tonight as they travel to Helena, Ark. to take on the Desoto Thunderbirds (2-2,0-1).

The Green Wave will be looking to bounce back from last week’s 28-0 loss to Kirk Academy. They were shut out after losing one of their starting offensive linemen, Jon Michael Ware, after just three plays into the game. Ware’s condition was still unknown at press time.

The Mavericks are looking for their first district win after losing 30-0 to Bayou Academy, September 9.

The Thunderbirds started the season with a win over Deer Creek 21-0. They also defeated Lee, Ark. 13-7, in non-conference action. Last Friday night, they lost to Delta Academy 34-14 in a non conference game. The Mavericks have been outscored 71-48 in four games.

The Thunderbird roster lists 25 players: six seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores, and eight are freshman. They will be under the leadership of quarterback Zack Haas, a senior weighing 150. Two other key players will be running backs Drew Smith, and Brett Gregory, both juniors who weigh 165.

Coaching the Thunderbirds will be Head Coach Bill Beck and assistant coaches Curtis Gregory and Robert Ballard.

Green Wave head coach Richard Russo said Desoto has had probably more injuries than their share this season, but they are trying hard.

"They actually led Delta last week for a little while, which Delta is a great team," Russo said. "Desoto features 11 different formations, so you can’t fall asleep defensively or you will be in a pickle."

Russo said he thinks Desoto’s starting tailback is hurt, so the quarterback will probably start as tailback. Someone else will be quarterback, according to Russo.

Russo expects a passing offense attack from Desoto.

"They are passing the ball a lot," Russo said. "They aren’t completing a lot of them, but when they do complete them, it is usually for a touchdown. On the defense, they stack the box. They put at least seven in the box at all times. Delta, which is probably one of the better rushing teams in the MPSA, had a hard time rushing on them."

Russo said he is really looking forward to this game.

"It is an important game for us," he said. "It is a district game. We’re still 1-0 in the district and we’ve got a chance. I hope that our kids understand that. I hope that our kids play with heart tonight. We’ve only played one district game, against a very athletic West Memphis team, and we won that one."

Russo said on film it was evident that Desoto is a well-coached team.

"We better play with some fire," Russo said. "We better have a good game plan, and we need to execute this week.

"The kids know what I expect and this week they are going to be better," Russo continued. "That is what I am going to preach to them."

The pep rally for the team will be at 2:30 p.m. in the school gym today. The pregame show will be at 7 p.m. and kickoff for the game at Desoto will be at 7:30 p.m.

Directions to Desoto: Take Highway 6 west to Clarksdale. Take a right onto Highway 61 and go north for about 13 miles. You will see a sign that says Highway 49 and the Isle of Capri Casino. Take a left. You will go about 10 miles crossing the Mississippi River bridge into Arkansas. After crossing the bridge, turn left at the stop sign. Stay on Highway 49 Bypass for approximately 5 or 6 miles. At the third red light, turn right at the vacant restaurant onto Sebastian. At the first red light, turn left between Pizza Hut and Exxon. Turn right at the stop sign on Shelia (turns into Quarles Lane). Continue on Quarles Lane to second four-way stop and turn left onto Fourth Street. The school is about 1/2 mile on the right.

All applications must be returned to the Enid Lake Field Office and received no later than 9 a.m., October 2. This year’s hunt will be divided into four sessions with each session restricted to a maximum of 40 hunters. A public drawing will be held at the Enid Lake Field Office at 10 a.m. on October 2, to determine who will be eligible to hunt in the first three sessions. Participants in the first three sessions may harvest only one doe (anterless) deer.

The successful hunters from the first three sessions will be eligible to enter the fourth session. If more than 40 hunters are successful in harvesting an anterless deer during the first three sessions, there will be a random drawing for the 40 participants allowed to hunt in the fourth session.

Hunters in the fourth session will be allowed to harvest only one legal buck deer with 6 points or more. The first session will be for young hunters, 10-15 years of age, and will consist of three days, (October 6-8).

An adult at least 21 years of age must accompany these young hunters. The second session will be 8 days, (October 9 – 16) and will be for adult hunters, age 16 and up. The third session will be 8 days, (October 17 – 24) and will also be for hunters age 16 and up.

The fourth session will begin November 10 and continue through November 17.

The Resource Manager of Enid Lake, Billy J. Samuels, or his designated representative will issue all permits. In addition to state laws, participants will also be required to comply with special regulations for the Springdale Wildlife Management area.

For more information contact Mike Robinson, Supervisory Ranger for the Corps of Engineers at Enid Lake at 662-563-4571.

As South Panola looks to push its win streak to 50 tonight in the district opener against the Horn Lake Eagles, the Eagles has a streak of its own it would like to get going.

Horn Lake broke a 14-game losing streak with a 14-13 win over Corinth last Friday on the road. Before then Horn Lake had not won a game since an October 22, 2004, upset win over Columbus 20-16.

The Eagles were winless in 2005 and only won two games in 2004. Before last week, they had lost the first two games of the season.

South Panola went deep in the depth chart last week to secure a 44-0 win over Carver High School of Memphis.

As the district season for 5A and 1A schools kick off tonight, most teams are of the mindset that every team starts 0-0 and are equal going into tonight’s games.

The district games determine who goes to the playoffs and eventually the state championships at the end of the regular season.

The non-conference games just provide a bit of competition and a chance to test the team’s mettle against other teams they would probably not have ever met.

South Panola head coach Ricky Woods is in his fifth year as head coach. He inherited a team which was going through a rough spot, but nonetheless was still considered one of the premier powerhouse teams in Mississippi.

Under Woods directions, the Tigers have experienced national attention and rated placement on national polls. The players have been recruited from universities and colleges nationwide.

Though South Panola’s win streak is at 50, the Tigers have not lost but one game under Woods, the 2002 state championship game against then 5A Wayne County. The next year Wayne County dropped to 4A and a rematch between the two teams has not manifested itself yet.

Under Woods, South Panola holds a 63-1 record.

Horn Lake has been the one team which has always played South Panola hard on the field.

It was not so long ago, 2002 and 2003 to be exact, that Horn Lake found itself in the playoffs.

South Panola and Horn Lake met in the playoffs in 2002 in a rematch. The score was tied 21-21 before a second half surge by the Tigers to win 54-35.

In 2002, it was a rematch with Starkville which ended Horn Lake’s hopes for more glory.

Last year it was a 30-7 victory by the Tigers but not before they knew they had been on the field with the Eagles. The Eagles presented a scrappy little team that worked the entire fourth quarter for some little edge against the Tigers.

The Tigers and Eagles will be at Robert H. Dunlap Stadium in Batesville for the Tigers’ last of a four-game home stand. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

In other action around 5A tonight, the hot spot will be the match ups between Columbus at Tupelo and Starkville at Grenada. All of these teams are exhibiting signs of being much improved over last year.

Southaven and Olive Branch will be involved in a classic Desoto County rivalry in Southaven.

Grenada, Olive Branch and South Panola are all 4-0. Southaven is surprisingly 3-1, followed by Starkville with a 2-2 record. Columbus, Horn Lake and Tupelo are all 1-2.

At the beginning of the year, the North Panola Cougars did not dream wins would be so elusive this year.

With a new coach calling the shots and speaking nothing but positive attitudes, everyone was caught up in the enthusiasm of the upcoming season.

Though the Cougars have put points on the boards, they have not been the last team standing in the games.

Tonight, they will meet the M.S. Palmer Dragons in a rival district game. Last year Palmer only managed one win.

So far the Dragons, under first year head coach Aaron Holden, have already doubled that record with a win 27-6 over Coahoma AHS to start the season at home and last week in a 14-12 squeaker with Byhalia.

Tonight’s game should prove interesting between these two teams as North Panola won the last three matchups – last year 34-12; 2004 34-16; and 2003 37-6.

The Cougars have given up 140 points this season and scored 66.

As Cougar head coach Vincent Johnson has said in the past, the team will have to make plays and execute in order to pull out a win over the revamped Dragons.

In other 3-3A action tonight, Byhalia will be at Independence, Water Valley at Holly Springs, and Heidelberg will be at Senatobia for non-district play.
The Cougars will travel to Marks for the 7 p.m. kickoff.

Directions: From Sardis – take Hwy 310 West until get to Highway 3. Take left on Highway 3, go straight through 4-way at Marks for two miles. School is on right. Stadium behind school. Or take Highway 51 South to Batesville. Take right onto Hwy 6 West. At Marks 4-way stop, take left onto Highway 3. Go two miles to school which is on the right. Stadium behind school.

The challenge is open to all boys and girls ages
10-14.

Plaques will be awarded to top three winners in ages 10-11 and 12-14.

The first place winner in each age group will qualify for the district challenge to be held in October date and location tentative. Proof of age may be requested.