Tigers close season with win

By Brad Greer
If there is one football team going into the post-season with a full steam of momentum it would be South Panola.
Winners of their last six of seven games, the Tigers closed out the regular season Thursday in dominating fashion with a 32-7 victory over Desoto Central.
Sophomore Derrick Cunningham ran for 89 yards on 10 carries while quarterback Patrick Shegog threw for 117 yards and one touchdown as South Panola improved it srecord to 7-5 and 6-1 in district play. Desoto Central ended its season 1-6 and 6-6 overall.
“We fought our way back from a slow start at the beginning of the season and finished on a positive note heading into the playoffs,” said Tiger head coach Lance Pogue.
Not to be overshadowed was the South Panola defense that held Desoto Central to three yards rushing and 137 yards of total offense. The lone Jaguar  score of the night came with 4:49 left in the contest against the Tiger second unit defense. South Panola’s first team defense has not given up a point in four straight games dating back to a 35-26 victory over Hernando.
South Panola received the opening kickoff and promptly marched 66 yards on 14 plays to grab a 7-0 lead as Jamian Johnson scored from six yards out with Blaine Ware booting the PAT. Shegog keyed the drive with a 23-yard completion to Jordan Strong and a pair of nine yard passes to Kanoda Lewis.
The Tiger defense set up the following score as  linebacker Jeterrion Draper intercepted as pass that was deflected off the hands of fellow teammate D.J. Hall’s hands at the South Panola 15-yard line.
South Panola wasted little time extending its lead to 14-0 as Cunningham finished off a seven-play; 85-yard drive with a 28-yard scoring run on the last play of the first quarter.
The Tigers took a 19-0 lead into the lockerroom as a bad snap over the Desoto Central quarterback’s head at the Jaguar 11 resulted in a safety. Ware later tacked on a 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the half.
South Panola rushed for 263 yards on 43 carries and finished with 380 total yards of offense. Markell Gleaton followed Cunningham in the rushing column with 56 yards on seven carries which included a three-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. Morris House set up the final score with a 48-yard kickoff return.
Quin Bradford added four carries for 30 yards while JaMichael Robinson added six carries for 28 yards. Johnson tallied 12 carries for 43 yards and Hall chipped in with two carries for nine yards.
Strong caught three passes for 51 yards with John Railey adding four receptions for 34 yards and a nine yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Montray Blackburn reeled one one catch for 14 yards.
Perhaps the biggest hit of the night came in the third quarter when Tiger defensive back Gerrian Key tatooed Jaguar running back Miquel Hill much to the delight of his teammates.
“The two most important things about tonight’s win is we got to play everybody and no one got hurt. Our next step is the playoffs where if you lose you go home. There is no tomorrow and our guys know they have to be focused all week and that preparation will be the key. We are not very flashy on offense, but more of a grind it out team. That is going to be our key  along with aggressive, sound defense as we hopefully make a post-season run,” said Pogue.
O’Bryan Goodson paced the South Panola defense with five tackles and a quarterback sack. Robert Hentz added four tackles while Eriq Kitchen, A.J.Polk and Wade Thorton all registered three stops. Quin Benson, Kalvin Hankins and Tramell Thomas garnered two tackles. Kitchen also added a quarterback sack to his credit.
South Panola will now host Region 2 No.3 seed Warren Central (9-2) Friday night in the opening round of the Class 6A North State playoffs beginning a 7 p.m.