NP travels to Benton County for rematch in first round playoffs

By Ike House
North Panola will be entering playoff season this week. They will travel to Benton County and face the Buccaneers in a  7 p.m. rematch from the regular season on September 2.
North Panola wonthe first match  20-14.
They will have their hands full with a team who finished 7-3 and who won six of their last seven games.
The Cougars finished their season 9-2 with a third place finish in the district.
“These are both two different teams that took the field in the third week of the season,” head coach Carl Diffee said. “Both teams have players in different spots and they have faced ups and downs this season.”
The Cougars will be in a different environment this time around having to travel to Benton County. The Buccaneers are a steady team that only lost by 11 the last time they faced the Cougars.
With head coach Eric Rice at the reigns, he is familiar with how North Panola plays because of his former ties with the school.
“This will be a fun game but we have to be 1-0 everyday this week,” Diffee said. “We have to keep our kids filled with energy because the atmosphere in Benton County is something that they haven’t faced before.”
The Cougars will also face another run heavy team, something that Cougars have had limited success stopping this season.
The Cougars will look to counter the run heavy, slow pace of the Buccaneers with a heavy pass game.
“I look to spread the ball all night because of the matchup problems our guys present,” Diffee said. “We will get K. J. (Kenneth Jefferson) going early and get his confidence to rolling.”
The Cougars are asking all the fans to wear red tonight.