Like NFL  namesake, Batesville Steelers claim coveted title

By Angie Ledbetter
After struggling adversity during the season, the Batesville Steelers 11 and 12 year old team became the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls Saturday after defeating the Clarksdale Lumberjacks 34-8.

“Being the first team to win back to back is very special,” said executive director Fred Hentz. “There are about 22 teams in the league and some have never made it to the Superbowl yet. So it’s a great honor to do it back to back.”

“This championship means a lot since we have come a long way this year. We started out pretty good but then went through a slump.”

The Steelers had to play some games without key players and they lost a couple of games.

“One thing it did do was give the other teams a chance to slack up on us and give us a chance to make it to the playoffs,” Hentz said. “Both of the teams that beat us during the year, we beat in the playoffs. That goes to show you that we put in a lot of hard work and the kids out there put in a lot of time. We fought a lot of adversity but came back hard and did a great job.”

Hentz said these players are the future of the South Panola Tiger team.

“The future is very bright for South Panola football. We make sure these kids make their grades and if they don’t, they get disciplined. We stay in touch with them and go to the schools to check on them. We stay in contact with their teachers all the time.”

Twelve year old Oluwain “Thunder” Hoskins captured the Most Valuable Player award.

“It means a lot for me to win this award but I had to work hard for it,” Hoskins said. “We all had to play hard to win and play our “A” game. I want to continue playing football and play for South Panola.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers team is Hoskin’s favorite NFL team but he stated that Troy Polamalu #43 is his favorite player.

“Hoskins is a great player and I’ve never seen anyone like it for a 12-year-old kid,” said Coach Eric Bibbs. “The sky is the limit for him if he keeps himself together and stays in school. He’ll be a superstar one day.”

Bibbs was very excited about his team winning the game.

“This win means a lot to me and the kids and it gives them a chance to focus on the future. By winning this championship, they can keep doing the same thing at South Panola.”

The Steelers entered the playoffs as a fourth seed with a 3-3 record. They went undefeated through the playoffs.

The Steelers got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter when quarterback Tyler Pogue handed the ball off to Hoskins and he took it 17 yards to the end zone. The two-point conversion failed due to a blocking in the back penalty by the Steelers.

Hoskins took another handoff from Pogue with 7:40 to go in the second quarter and ran for a 60-yard touchdown.

The PAT by Rodney Shaw was good to put the Steelers up 14-0. Hoskins added another 20-yard touchdown with 4:05 left in the first half on the clock to put the Steelers up 20-0.

A few minutes later, the Lumberjacks answered when Donte Ellison scored on a 12-yard run and the two point conversion was good. Exactly 15 seconds later, Hoskins zigged zagged down the field for 50 yards for another touchdown but it was called back due to a block in the back penalty. At the half, the Steelers led 20-8.

Jaylon Ford scored on a four-yard run with 6:37 left in the third. With the PAT by Shaw, the Steelers led 28-8.

Hoskins put the icing on the cake with a 75-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in the game.     
The South Panola eighth grade team is the first team that played for the Steelers. They have been playing since they were seven years old.