Last minute touchdown ends Tigers’ embattled season Pogue coaches final game at SP

By Brad Greer
As countless times before, South Panola head coach Lance Pogue addressed his team near the south end zone of Robert H. Dunlap Stadium.
Only this time it would be different as the winningest coach in school history bid an emotional goodbye to his players and coaches after the Tigers saw their season come to an end in a gut-wrenching 28-23 loss to Warren Central in the opening round of the North 6A State playoffs Friday night.
“ I just told the guys don’t let one loss define who you are or where you’re from. Be proud of what you have accomplished while you were here and take it with you wherever you go,” said Pogue, who leaves with a 127-17 overall record with five state championships in 10 seasons.
Trailing 23-21 with 44 seconds remaining in the game and facing a 4th-and-10 from the Tiger 41, Warren Central quarterback Jesse Wilson rolled to his right while avoiding two would-be tacklers before heaving a bomb into the waiting arms of Demarcus Jones who raced into the enzone for the winning touchdown.
After receiving the following kickoff, South Panola reached midfield but their last ditch effort failed as Patrick Shegog’s pass into the end zone was swatted away as the final horn sounded.
The Vikings game winning drive began on its seven yard-line after blocking a Tiger field goal with 4:16 remaining in the game. Runs on 11 and 12 yards by Wilson kept the drive alive. Three straight incompletions from the Tiger 41 led to a Warren Central timeout followed by the winning pass.
South Panola, (7-6) who fell behind 21-7 in the second quarter, took the lead at 23-21 with 9:04 remaining in the game on a JaMichael Robinson two-yard run on fourth-and-goal. The key play in the drive came on D.J. Hall’s 56 yard scamper on a fake punt from the Tiger 39.
Warren Central (10-2) took the opening kickoff and drove 41 yards on nine plays to grab a 7-0 lead as two personal foul penalties on South Panola fueled the drive.
The Tigers answered back on its first possession as Jordan Strong turned a short hitch route from Shegog into a 27-yard touchdown reception with Blaine Ware booting the point after.
Warren Central took advantage of a partially  blocked punt at the Tiger 45 to retake a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter on a Alex Weathers four-yard run. The Vikings extended its lead to 21-7 midway through the second quarter on Wilson’s one-yard run.
With their backs against the wall, South Panola got a much needed score late in the half as Shegog called his own number and raced 21 yards for the touchdown with 1:03 left before halftime. Shegog accounted for 310 yards of total offense with 122 yards on 16 carries and 188 yards through the air.
The Tigers looked to have all the momentum swinging its way in the third quarter, but a potenual go ahead touchdown run by Shegog was negated by a holding penalty. South Panola instead settled for a 29-yard field goal by Ware  to make the score 21-17.
“We fought our heart out tonight against a dang good football team and came up one play short. Give them credit though, they made the play and we didn’t, but I can’t fault the effort our guys gave tonight. I told the seniors they’re the one’s that kept us from going under when we were 1-4 and fought back. We have a good football team and I thought if we could have pulled this one out tonight we would be hard to deal with but it wasn’t meant to be,” said Pogue.
South Panola outgained Warren Central 427-403 in total yardage with both teams running 63 plays. The Tigers rushed for 239 yards with Shegog leading the way.
Robinson followed with 12 carries for 30 yards while Markel Gleaton added four carries for 14 yards. Jamian Johnson had two carries for nine yards  as did Quin Bradford.
Strong led the Tigers in receiving with five receptions for 81 yards. Jameel Thompson garnered three catches for 50 yards. Kanoda Lewis also hauled in three catches for 41 yards. John Railey added three receptions for 16 yards.
Hall led the South Panola defense with eight tackles while Jeterrion Draper followed with seven stops. Calvin Hankins chipped in with six tackles. O’Bryan Goodson registered five tackles including two quarterback sacks.
Morris House chipped in with three tackles, two passes broken up to go with a interception. Robert Hentz also had a quarterback sack.
“The good Lord has been good to me and even all these championships we have won here can’t replace the friendships my family has made here throughout the years. As the old saying goes nothing lasts forever, but I’m leaving here with my head held high because I know all these guys laid it all on the line each and every time we stepped on the field. I will always be a South Panola Tiger and that will never change,” said Pogue.