By Angie Ledbetter

The 2008 South Panola Tiger football team ended spring training with a spring game against Lafayette County Commodores on Tuesday in Oxford.

If the score really counted, Lafayette won that battle 7-0.

The Tigers played without starting quarterback David Renfroe who had a minor medical procedure done the previous week.

The team showcased parts of its talent for the fall season but there are areas that need work, according to Tiger head coach Lance Pogue.

Pogue told the team after the game that they did a good job but had some work to do and that is the purpose of spring games.

“We had some work to do last spring when we went to Provine,” Pogue said. “We’re going to have a good football team but we have got to get better in some areas. That’s what spring is all about. Nobody keeps the score in the spring. The bottom line is going to be very simple. It’s going to be how we approach this summer, what kind of work ethic we have. Do I make a commitment to get bigger, stronger, faster and in better shape? That’s going to be the deal. We’ll have all of our people back in place in the fall and everybody in line to make a commitment this summer.”

The only score of the game was a 14-yard pass from Lafayette quarterback Montez Phillips to Devon Wilson.

The Tigers gained only 66 yards on the afternoon while Lafayette had 157.

Pogue talked about the game.

“We had a lot of bright spots,” he said. “We had to play without our first team quarterback, no excuses. We were trying to get another guy ready and it was very positive for him to get a lot of practice time and work. On the offensive line, we got to improve a little bit and we knew that because we lost a lot of seniors last year. Our defensive backs, our secondary are talented kids and experienced.

“It’s been a great spring and a learning experience for them,” Pogue continued. “The summer program is going to be a big thing, coming in and trying to improve and get ourselves in great condition. We will be fine and when August rolls around, we’ll be ready to go. That’s what spring is all about. You try to find what you need to work on and address that during the summer. That’s our challenge.”

South Panola starts the 2008 season on the road to play Vicksburg in the annual Red Carpet Bowl on August 29.

The Tigers will host Apopka, Fla. on September 18 or 19 in a possible ESPN televised game. Apopka is a highly ranked team in Florida.