By Myra Bean

The South Panola football team will mark its eighth straight march to the state championship when it  hosts the first round of playoffs tonight.

The Tigers welcome Northwest Rankin from Brandon to Robert H. Dunlap Stadium.

The Tigers faced Northwest Rankin earlier this year in Brandon and won 34-13.

Tickets for the game will be on sale today through 2 p.m. at South Panola High School only.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is 7 p.m.

The tickets are $6 and are all general admission. MHSAA does not allow reserve tickets to be sold during playoff games.

The ticket booth at Dunlap Stadium will open at 5:30 p.m.

The Tigers have amassed a 113-3 record over the past eight years, including a now-broken 89-game win streak.

All eyes have been on the Tigers, who started the current season with a young team, having graduated a starting quarterback and most of the defensive backfield. The Tigers have not disappointed, amassing a 10-1 overall record (7-0 district).

The young team has scored 444 points this season and allowed 81.

Four games this year were shutouts.

The Tigers lost their first regular season game in eight years on September 4 to non-conference foe Memphis University School in a nationally televised game.

Since that loss, the Tigers have scored 353 points and allowed 47.

One of those wins was an October 2 televised rivalry game against Olive Branch, which turned out to be a lopsided affair with the Tigers winning 34-6.

The winner of tonight’s game will face the winner of the Southaven-Clinton game in the second round of playoffs next Friday night.

If South Panola wins, it will either host Southaven or travel to Clinton.

If the Tigers host Southaven, South Panola will hit the road for the North Half championship.