Tiger defense quiets Grenada offense

By Myra Bean

The  Sports Illustrated No. 4 nationally-ranked South Panola Tigers (3-0) extended their win streak to 63 with a decisive 41-13 win over Grenada.

Grenada (2-1) entered the game with a high octane offense which had caught statewide attention and brought an approximate audience of 5,000 fans and media to watch a showdown.

The South Panola defense defused that offense and allowed only one touchdown, though that score was questionable at the time.

South Panola limited the Grenada offense to 178 yards of offense, including 109 passing and 69 rushing.

The Tiger offense racked up 517 yards of offense, with 411 rushing yards and 106 passing yards. Another record for the Tigers were 26 penalties for 193 yards.

The Tigers had a chance to utilize some backup receivers and running backs and rested the starters.

Ole Miss commitment Tig  Barksdale had 92 yards of rushing on five carries, scoring two touchdowns but saw limited play in the second half. He has 554 rushing yards for the season.

Four other backs were responsible for rushing yards. Nicholas Parker had 124 yards on 16 carries. David Renfroe had 23 yards on six carries. Justin Market rushed for 124  yards on 18 carries and one touchdown.

Dominic  Carothers rushed for 48 yards on six carries.

If Grenada’s claim to fame this year was a throwing offense, then the Tigers proved they could throw and catch the ball, too.

Quarterback Renfroe completed eight of 12 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He threw to six different receivers. Parker had one catch but no yards. Xavier Lee had one reception for 10 yards.

Bud Barksdale had one catch for a 32-yard touchdown.

David Baker had two receptions for 16 yards. Market had one reception for a 35-yard touchdown. Okoye McGee logged two catches for 13 yards.

Bud Barksdale also had an interception he returned 70 yards for a touchdown.

First Quarter

Grenada turned its first possession over on downs on the Tiger 25 yard line. Grenada quarterback Olive Hughes broke for a 42-yard run. Tiger Justin Carothers made the touchdown saving tackle on the Tiger 27 yard line.

Tig  Barksdale capped an 11-play 75-yard drive with a three-yard run with 5:16 on the first quarter clock. The drive took 4:41 minutes.

Renfroe missed his first PAT (point after touchdown) this season.

The next posession took just two plays for Barksdale to use a big hole made by the Tiger offensive line to go straight up the middle 62 yards for the next touchdown with 2:34 to go in the first quarter. The two-point conversion from Renfroe to Lee was no good as the Tigers took a 12-0 lead into second quarter.

Second Quarter

It took 4:46 minutes for the Tigers to score the next touchdown. The drive went 78 yards in 11 plays riddled with five penalties.

Market capped the drive on a 35-yard reception from Renfroe with 6:04 left to go in the first half.

Barksdale scored the two-point conversion for the 20-0 lead.

It was three and out for Grenada on its next drive as Hughes was dropped for a loss of four yards by Joshua  Shipp and Charles Corley on second and 10. On three and four he was flushed out of the pocket and stopped short on his run by Terrance Pope and Kendrick Strong which brought up fourth and six  and forced a punt.

With 4:00 minutes left in the first half, South Panola took over on its own 16 yard line.

Five plays later Market scored on a 33-yard run. He broke through a wall of defense and then shook off two defenders and hot footed it to the end zone with 2:33 left in the half. The Tigers had three first downs during that drive.

With Renfroe’s PAT, the Tigers led 27-0 at halftime.

Third Quarter

South Panola took the opening kickoff in the third quarter and the possesion ended in a fumble recovered by Grenada with 10:16 on the clock.

On first down and 10, Marvin Burdette dropped Hughes for an 11-yard loss.

On second down and 11 from his own 45, Hughes went deep looking for his receiver and found Tiger Bud Barksdale who returned the ball for a 70-yard touchdown  with 9:14 on the clock. The PAT was good for the 34-0 lead.

Though it was beginning to look like a blowout, Grenada recovered a Tiger fumble  and returned it 25 yards with 3:24 left in the quarter.  The score stood at 34-6 after the two-point conversion failed going into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Grenada had the ball going into the fourth quarter. The offense was starting to work together to get some yards and move the ball down the field.

Nine plays later, Grenada scored on a questionable 24-yard pass with 11:36 left in the game.

The official had a South Panola and Grenada player between him and Grenada’s Rod Topps who made the touchdown. Topps had his back to the official and no other official was in the area to make the call. Topps picked the ball up off the ground which had gone through his arms.

The official signaled the touchdown much to the upset of the Tiger crowd. With the PAT, the Tiger lead was cut to 34-13.

The final touchdown came when the Tigers were having trouble moving the ball on the ground.

Both Barksdales lined up in the wideout positions on fourth down and 22 from the 32 yard line.

Renfroe found Bud Barksdale in the end zone for the touchdown with 5:34 to go in the game. With Renfroe’s PAT, the Tigers led 41-13.

The Tigers logged some more penalties and LaReco Lee ended Grenada’s last possession with an interception on the Tiger three yard line and returned it to the 35 with 3:12 left in the game.

South Panola got the ball down to Grenada’s 32 and ran the clock out.

The Tigers will be home Friday night to host the Trezevant Bears of Memphis in the last non-district game of the season.

Trezevant (2-1) was open  Friday. Game time is 7 p.m.

                                    1      2      3      4     –   F
So. Panola (3-0)            12   15     7     7      –    41
Grenada                        0        0    6     7    –      13
SP-D Barksdale 3 run (kick failed); SP-D Barksdale 62 run (pass failed). SP-Market 35 pass from Renfroe (D. Barksdale run). SP-Market 32 run (Renfroe kick). SP-B. Barksdale 70 interception return (Renfroe kick). G-Robinson 25 fumble return (run failed). G-R. Topps 24 pass from O. Hughes (T. Tyler kick). SP-B. Barksdale 32 pass from Renfroe (Renfroe kick).