Tigers rematch Bulldogs in redo of 2012 championship game
Published 10:46 am Friday, August 25, 2017
Tigers rematch Bulldogs in redo of 2012 championship game
By Brad Greer
After getting past week one with a victory, the South Panola Tigers road show continues as they tangle with the Brandon Bulldogs tonight in a 7 p.m kickoff.
South Panola, the No. 6 ranked team in the latest Clarion-Ledger Super 10 prep poll, is coming off a 24-23 win over Clinton while Brandon lost 10-7 at Madison Central in a defensive struggle.
The last meeting between the two teams was in 2012 as the Tigers came away with a 31-23 triumph in the 6A State championship game.
To add more intrigue into tonight’s matchup, Brandon unveils its brand new 10,000-seat stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers (6’2″-180) directs the Bulldog offense while senior running back Javarius Spann (6’2″-205) joins him in the back field. Rogers completed 15-of-27 passes for 131 yards against a stout Madison Central that held Brandon to 20 yards rushing.
Rogers’ main targets will be Matt Stowers (6’1″-195 Sr.) and Bo Whatley (5’9″-155 Sr.). Stowers led Brandon in receiving last week with five catches.
” This will be another big test for us tonight, but when your playing 6A football every week is going to be a challenge. Brandon is a lot like Clinton on offense. They are solid on both sides of the ball and their very good in the kicking game. There are a handful of teams in the state that are all about equal and Brandon is one of them,” said South Panola head coach Ricky Woods.
The Tigers will relay on a strong defensive unit led by linebackers Telly Doyle, Alexander Jordan and Jemeel Thompson. South Panola’s defensive backfield will include Jordan Strong and Jerome Porter at the corner back positions along with safeties Morris House and Wade Thornton.
Jordan paced South Panola in tackles last week with seven and came up with a huge fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter.