Youth Football League
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Batesville Steelers Youths Football League hosted the second round of playoffs Saturday on the South Panola Tiger Field in Robert H. Dunlap Stadium. Six games were played with the last game between the 9 and 10 year olds of Sardis and Batesville squaring off under the lights. In this game, the 7 and 8-year-olds of Batesville Steelers and Oxford Buccaneers came down to the wire as Batesville’s Justin Perry (left) made a touchdown-saving tackle on this Bucs runner. Oxford did score as the buzz
By Myra Bean
South Panola Tiger Field in Robert H. Dunlap Stadium was the site of the 2008 Youth Football League playoffs.
Local teams included three from Sardis in age groups 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.
Two teams from Batesville competed: 7-8 and 9-10-year olds.
In the first game of the day, Sardis 11- and 12-year-olds lost to Oxford Buccaneers 16-6.
North Pontotoc and Tupelo 11 and 12 year olds played next, followed by Oxford and Tupelo’s 9- and 10-year olds.
At 2:30 Oxford and Batesville Steelers 7-and-8 year olds took the field.
There were hard knocks and stellar defensive play on both teams.
Oxford scored first as the buzzer sounded for halftime and took a 7-0 lead after the extra point.
Batesville’s C.J. Easley scored on a one-yard run with 4:59 left in the third quarter. The extra point failed and Batesville trailed 7-6.
The touchdown capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive.
Sardis and Grenada’s 7 and 8-year-olds battled next on the gridiron. Neither team gave any ground or made mistakes and played near the 50-yard line most of the day.
Grenada set one block just perfectly and scored with 22 seconds left in the game to give Grenada the victory on a 34 yard run.
With the extra point, Grenada won 7-0.
The final game of the day was played under the field lights. The Batesville Steelers hosted the Sardis Falcons 9 and 10-year-olds. Batesville defeated Sardis 28-12
Darrell Henderson scored all four of Batesville’s touchdowns to bring his total to 37 on the year, according to Youth Football League director Fred Hentz. Henderson has rushed for over 1,700 yards this season.
He scored on runs of 45, 21, 5 and 2 yards.
Sardis scored on runs of 4 and 28 yards.
Hentz said the north half playoffs will be next week with the time and place to be determined.
