NP slams door on Independence 60-9

By Ike House
The Cougar of North Panola won their first district game of the season on Friday against Independence in big fashion. With a final of 60-9, the Cougars looked very dominant in their win.
“Our guys meshed together very well and they put what we practiced during the week together on Friday night,” head coach Carl Diffee said.
The game began with a bang as Jonathan Harris came out on the opening kickoff and laid one of the biggest hits of the night on the return man for Independence. With the drive for the Wildcats including a personal foul and a big sack from Marvin Adams, it led to fourth down.
On the punt attempt Demarco Smith got his hands up and blocked the kick which was recovered on the 19. That set up a two play drive that ended in a 24 yard touchdown after Kenneth Jefferson found Jamarvis Echols wide open in the endzone. They got the two point conversion and the Cougars led by eight.
Both teams had back-to-back stalled drives that ended with punts but on one punt attempt for the Wildcats, Demarco Smith reached upand took another kick out of the air and this time he scooped and scored, to give the Cougars a 14-0 lead.
It would take the Cougars a while to score again but when they did it was on a 48 yard drive that ended with Sylvonta Oliver running from one yard out. They did not get the two points conversion but they did lead 20-0.
Independence did not stay down long as they responded to the score with a 36 yard touchdown run of their own. The Cougars blocked the PAT but the Wildcats cut into the deficit 20-6.
With that score the Cougars looked hungry to take their points back and they did after a short field. Two plays was all it took after Jefferson had a 24 yard run to set up a Carl Robinson four yard run. With that score and the two point conversion the Cougars led 28-6.
That score would spark the rest of the team and after getting a stop on the defense the Cougars went right back out and put together a seven play drive right before halftime. The drive ended with the Jefferson-Echols connection from the first score for the 34-6 lead after the two point attempt failed.
They went into the locker rooms with that score but the Cougars changed it after the half. This time it was a 10 play drive that ended with Jefferson connecting with Jonathan Harris on a 12 yard pass. They did not get the two point conversion but led 40-6.
The next drive for the Wildcats was their final one of the night where they kicked a 35-yard field goal to cut the lead 40-9. But the Cougars responded on the backs of Antwon Oliver and Clarence Taylor. Both combined for 40 yards.
Oliver scored on a one-yard run to go ahead 46-9 as the two-point attempt failed.
Jefferson scored again in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard quarterback run. The two-point attempt failed for the 52-9 lead.
The Cougars scored on their next offensive possession with Alex Gross getting his first touchdown of the season from six yards out. He also ran in the two-point conversion for the final score, 60-9.
Jefferson completed 8 of 12 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball eight times for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Leading the ground attack for the Cougars was Taylor with seven carries for 60 yards.
Other rushers include Oliver, six carries, 56 yards, one touchdown; Robinson, four carries, 27 yards, one touchdown; Gross, two carries, 15 yards, one touchdown; Karterrikous Walls, one carry, nine yards; and Kylan Osborn, one carry, seven yards.
Leading the receiving corps was Harris with two catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Other receivers were Jamarvis Echols, two catches, 37 yards, one touchdown; Tyler Shorter, three catches, 29 yards; and Sylvonta Oliver, one catch for 13 yards.
Quinterrious Walls led the defensive attack with six tackles, six tackles for a loss and four sacks, followed by Demarco Smith who had two tackles, two blocked punts, a sack, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
Other tacklers include Alex Gross and Jaylen Gipson each with four tackles, two tackles for a loss; Marvin Adams, three tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss; Osborn and Sylvonta Oliver, three tackles each; Malcolm Lyons, three tackles and a tackle for a loss; Latravious Jenkins, two tackles, one sack, one tackle for a loss; Harris, two tackles; Jarvis Echols, one tackle, a tackle for a loss; Norman Edwards, Tracy Davis, Antwon Oliver and Robinson had one tackle each; and Shorter had a fumble recovery and an interception.
North Panola will be celebrating homecoming this week with a Saturday game against Coahoma AHS at 5 p.m.