By Myra Bean

Tyler Pirtle and his older brother, Colby, played football and all other sports at their home every day until Colby graduated this past May.

“Now, he has the whole college thing going on,” Tyler said.

Tyler is the two-year starting quarterback for North Delta who transferred from Senatobia last year. That was a family decision based in part on Colby wanting to play basketball his senior season and a prior relationship with headmaster John Howell Jr., according to Tyler. The two played high school football together for three years.

The past two years North Delta has had its season come to halt in the North Half Championship. Last season, Pirtle was the quarterback. With a year under his belt running the same offense, Pirtle feels that will help the team get over the hump into the state championship. That and a much-improved defense, he said.

“Coach (Dan) Werner definitely made me a better player,” Pirtle said. “Coach (Harrison) Nickle is doing a good job. I just know the offense a whole lot better this year than last year. Our defense is a lot better than last year’s.

Pirtle credits both knowing the plays and performing them better makes him a better quarterback.

To add some more excitement to the North Delta games, Pirtle is expecting to “air it out” more this year.

“We have Austin Hagstrom so that should take some of the running off of me,” Pirtle said.

Hagstrom transferred from Tunica Academy after ranking in the top three in Academy A in rushing with 1,693 yards and 557 receiving yards.

Last year, Pirtle  completed 60 of 105 passes for 1,306 yards and 16 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,132 yards in 150 carries and scored 23 touchdowns. Colby had 16 of those receptions for 629 yards, averaging 39 yards per catch, and scored nine touchdowns.

“I am going to pass more this year and get my numbers up in that category,” Pirtle said.

As for tonight’s season home opener against Lee Academy of Clarksdale, Pirtle was vague in his expectations of the team, “It should be a lot to a little. I hope so anyway.”

This is a big rival for North Delta even though the teams are in different class categories. Lee Academy is a 3A school and North Delta is 2A.

“We got a good game plan for them so it should be good,” Pirtle said.

Pirtle thinks the key to a win over Lee rests with the Green Wave defense.

“We had the offense last year and that was not our weakest link. We put a lot of emphasis on that this year and we are doing a whole lot better,” Pirtle said.