By Myra Bean

South Panola head football coach Lance Pogue has been busy shoring up some coaching positions for the high school and Batesville Jr. High teams.

Robert Lightsey and Pete Robertson both retired after this past year and left vacant positions.

Trey Higdon of Water Valley has been hired to head coach the junior high team. There is another position open which Pogue is trying to fill with Artee Smith, an assistant with the high school team. Smith teaches at the high school and no one has been found to fill that teaching position yet.

With the leaving of Willis Wright as defensive coordinator, that left a vacant spot on the high school team. Pogue will take over defensive coordinator responsibilities. He said he wants the plans and plays to remain consistent with what has been taught the last few years.

Two assistant coaches have been hired and went through spring training with the team. Eric Rice was an assistant with North Panola for the last few years.

Jamie Easley is a native of Bruce where he went to high school. He then attended Delta State University. After DSU, he coached at Calhoun City High School for six years.

He is married and has one son. His wife will teach in the school district this year.

The South Panola team is now going through weekly workouts. They have been lifting, pulling and running in different organized groups.