The South Panola Tigers fought a hard battle against the Brandon Bulldogs to come out on top 31-23 for the 6A State Championship title, the 10th title for the Tigers.

With a 24-23 lead with 2:58 left in the game, South Panola punted the ball away. Brandon helped the Tigers as they muffed the punt and Tiger Walter Henry recovered it on the Tiger 35-yard line. That set up a 22-yard touchdown run by Tiger running back Darrell Henderson.

After the PAT, the Tigers held a 31-23 lead and the Bulldogs were threatening to score and possibly tie the game.

With 43.4 seconds left in the game, senior cornerback Tevis Flowers ended that notion with an interception in the end zone. The team and the crowd began to rejoice.

Tiger head coach Lance Pogue said it felt like a lot of weight lifted off. This was Pogue’s fifth time to coach a state championship game. His only championship loss was in 2008 to Meridian.
“I wanted it so bad for these kids, our coaches and our community,” Pogue said. “It was a tough game from a lot of mistakes we made, self-inflicted, but we overcame them with just heart and guts. Brandon is a good team with a bright future with an outstanding quarterback. They’re to be congratulated because they played their hearts out. We were just able to make one more play or two at the end to make a difference.”

Pogue said sometimes they have to win a game like this.

“I’m so proud of our guys,” he said. “It takes a lot of heart and you’ve got to reach down and grind a little more when things don’t go your way. Our guys have that and they’re a special group.”

Brandon scored first on a 33-yard field goal by Jim Speights with 5:19 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers answered with a 75-yard touchdown run by Henderson with 4:16 on the clock and Clayton Sibley added the PAT giving the Tigers a 7-3 lead.

Henderson led the Tigers with 210 yards on 37 carries and two touchdowns.

Brandon fumbled on the punt and Tiger senior safety Tony Conner recovered. Sibley kicked a 30-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the first quarter to put the Tigers up 10-3.

The drive was aided by an 11-yard reception by C. J. Leland.

Brandon started a comeback, scoring a field goal and two touchdowns on interceptions and went ahead 20-10.

With 4:46 left in the second quarter Speights kicked a 22-yard field goal to put the score 10-6.
The Tiger defense held on third and goal from the five yard line.

Tiger junior quarterback Rip Kirk’s pass was intercepted by Brandon on the Tigers’ 33. Brandon  scored when Gardner Minshew connected with Dylan Knott on a nine-yard pass to go ahead 13-10 after the PAT with 8:50 left in the second quarter.

Brandon intercepted another Tiger pass and took over at the 50. A few minutes later Davien Tillis scored on an 18-yard touchdown run. With the PAT Brandon took a  20-10 lead with 4:43 left in the half.
That fueled the Tiger fire. With 1:52 left on the clock the Tigers cut the lead to 20-17 when Henderson caught a 12-yard pass from Kirk and Sibley added a PAT.

Kirk completed 16 of 26 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Tiger linebacker LaKeddrick Flowers recovered a fumble on Brandon’s 37 with 1:40 left in the half.

South Panola converted the turnover into a score to take the lead. Kirk connected with DeAndrea Harris on a 35-yard touchdown pass for the  24-20 lead (after Sibley’s PAT) with 1:04 left in the half.
 
The Bulldogs got within one point of the Tigers early in the fourth quarter after Justin Pack intercepted Kirk’s pass and returned it to the Tiger 37. The Tigers’ defense held strong, holding Brandon to a field goal. Speights kicked a 22-yard field goal with 10:10 left in the game.
The Tigers padded their lead with 2:19 left on the clock after the fumbled punt recovered by Henry and the 22-yard touchdown run by Henderson.

The  interception by Flowers sealed the deal for the Tigers.

Flowers said he knew he could do it.

“I just jumped up and caught it,” he said. “Then I held on to the ball tight. I know that was the difference in the game and it felt good to win. It took heart and guts for us to do it but we did. I can sleep at night knowing I got another state championship win. It feels good to go out my senior year knowing I’m getting another ring.”

Pogue said Flowers has come a long way.

“I’m proud of him and he has come a long way in his life and a lot has to do with our football program,” Pogue said. “He was our quarterback last year and a lot of people were negative toward him and it was unfair. What a way to end his career as a defensive back and making a game winning play to win a state championship.”

Conner, who finished the game with five tackles, one fumble recovery and two pass deflections, said the win felt wonderful.

“It’s good to be back at home and feels good to go out a winner. As far as Brandon we were expecting the battle because they’re a good team. It was their first time to be here and they came out wanting it but we wanted to too so we came out with the victory. We had to fight pretty hard.

“When we lost the two games that we did we had fans that doubted us but we stuck together as a team and got the victory,” Conner added.

An emotional Pogue talked about the picture he carried in his pocket of his late father, James Pogue, during the entire game.

James Pogue died at the end of October from a long illness.

“I had it in my coat pocket,” Pogue said. “Going through all that with his death was a tough time for us. It was just special for me right here at the end. I wanted it so bad personally. I knew he had the best seat in the house and I wanted to lift that gold ball up and let him see it. I thought it might make him happy.”

The Tigers ended the game with 417 total yards and Brandon had 338.

Harris led the Tigers in receiving with eight for 161 yards with one touchdown followed by Henderson with four receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown.

Leading the Tiger defense was Stephen Sanford with  eight tackles and three pass deflections.
Other defensive leaders include LaKeddrick Flowers, six tackles, one fumble recovery, one pass deflection; Tevis Flowers, three tackles, one interception, two pass deflections; Matthew Davis, three tackles, one sack and one pass deflection; Javon Norris, three tackles, one sack; and Anfernee Benson one tackle and one fumble recovery.