SP hosts Southaven in final home game

By Brad Greer
The South Panola Tigers look to get back on the winning track as they host Southaven in a Region 1-6A tilt tonight at 7 p.m.
To add more intrigue to tonight’s contest, it will also mark to final regular season home game for 20 seniors as well as being homecoming.
South Panola (4-5; 3-1) is coming off a tough 3-0 loss at Tupelo last week while Southaven ( 5-4; 1-3) lost a 49-33 shootout to Columbus.
Tiger head coach Lance Pogue is expecting a tough game out of the Chargers who will be attempting to snap a three-game losing streak.
“With this being homecoming, it has always been a big deal for the kids with all the activities and stuff. But for us as a team we are in the thick of the playoff race and need to rebound after last week’s loss,” said Pogue.
“I was extremely proud of the effort we gave against Tupelo. They were averaging close to 30 points per game and we held them to under 200 yards. We just have to move the ball on offense and put some points on the board. Hopefully we can get back on a roll and face them again in the playoffs,” said Pogue.
Southaven meanwhile started out the season 5-1 with victories over Trezevant, Tenn., Holmes Central, Manassas, Tenn., Greenville and Olive Branch  before dropping district games to Hernando (28-26) and 38-7 to Tupelo in which the Golden Wave led 10-7 at halftime.
The Chargers are averaging 26 points per game while surrendering 22 points.
Brandin Echols is the to-go guy on offense as the six-foot, 172-pound senior has accounted for 895 all-purpose yards on the season which includes six touchdown receiving and three more scores rushing.
Southaven is led under center by junior signal-caller Jules Holley along with junior running back Gabriel Wilson.
“Southaven runs a high-powered offense that has put some points on the board. They mix up their scheme up very well by throwing and running the ball so they are very much not one dimensional.
They are a very athletic group that can run. They have ran into some back luck and  lost some close games this season so their backs are against the wall so to speak,” said Pogue.
South Panola looks to linebackers Jaterrion Draper, James Johnson and A.J. Polk along with defensive back Jordan Strong to spearhead the defense.