B and 9th grade Tiger teams get by Olive Branch

By Myra Bean

The South Panola ninth grade and B-team football squads faced gritty Olive Branch teams Monday night.

Both walked away winners.

The ninth grade won 28-8. The B-team survived 8-6.

Kendrick Market opened  the scoring for the Tigers in the ninth grade game with 5:33 left in the first quarter.

After an interception, South Panola scored on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Lee Self to Dennis Draper with 2:26 left in the first quarter. With the two-point conversion, South Panola led 14-0.

Olive Branch scored on a three-yard run and the two-point conversion with 7:43 left in the second quarter to cut the lead 14-8.

After a fumble recovery by Tyrone Key with 2:19 left in the half, South Panola’s Al Hentz scored on a two-yard run with 1:33 on the clock. The two-point conversion failed and the Tiger lead stood 20-8.

Olive Branch fumbled the next possession and Taylor Rotenberry recovered it. South Panola capitalized and scored on a 39 yard touchdown pass from Self to Market with 1:01 left in the half.

With Draper’s two-point conversion, the Tigers scored the last points of the game for the 28-8 score.

There was no scoring in the second half, but Olive Branch intercepted a pass in the third quarter.

South Panola recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter and had to punt.

B-Team

The B-team played two 15-minute halves.

With 3:30 left in the first half, Olive Branch scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass but the two-point conversion failed. They left 6-0 at the half.

In the Tigers’ first possession, quarterback JePeri Mitchell was instrumental in getting the ball in the red zone. He broke from the Olive Branch 45 to the nine yard line. It took three plays, but he handed off to Matthew Brown who ran for a seven-yard touchdown with 10:03 left in the game.

The two-point conversion was good by Mitchell for the lead.

It got close in the bottom part of the game, but South Panola kept Olive Branch out of  the end zone.

The Tigers fumbled the ball with 3:38 left in the game and Olive Branch recovered on its own 45 yard line.

Olive Branch was trying to pick up yardage but the Tiger defense kept the ball out of the backfield.

The teams were in Grenada yesterday but the score was not available at press time.

South Panola will be home Thursday, September 20 to host Grenada and also on Monday, September 24 to host Clarksdale. Games start at 6 p.m.

Batesville Jr. High

Batesville Jr. High hosted Grenada in its home opener yesterday, but the score was not available at press time.

The Jr. High Tigers will be in Grenada Thursday, September 20. Games start at 5 p.m.

Pope Jr. High

Pope Jr. High hosted Water Valley in seventh and eighth grade games Tuesday.

The seventh grade lost 6-0 and the eighth grade lost 22-0.

The Bulldogs will be home Tuesday, September 25 to host Coldwater at 5:30 p.m.