A total of 32 teams begin their quest to M.M.Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg site of the State Class 3A championship on Nov.30 tonight in the opening round of the North State playoffs.

One of those odds on favorite  teams is the No.1 ranked North Panola Cougars  who will open the first round by hosting Amanda Elzy of Greenwood tonight in a 7 p.m kickoff.

Fresh off a convincing 52-19 victory over  Water Valley last Friday for their second straight District 2-3A championship, North Panola (9-1) will face the fourth seeded Panthers out of District 3-3A.

Amanda Elzy (5-6) defeated J.Z.George 24-6 to qualify for the playoffs is averaging 52 yards passing and 154 yards on the ground per game.Look for Norman Polk and Deontae Neal to share the quarterback duties. Polk has thrown for 394 yards and three touchdowns on the season.

The Panthers main threat is junior running back # 21 Dephabian Fant who has 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. Smitharrious Wright joins Fant in the backfield.Wright has accounted for 256 yards rushing and lead the Panthers in receiving with nine catches for 242 yards and four touchdowns and is also the team’s leading tackler with 60 stops on the year.

Other leaders on the Panthers defense include. La’Andre Pittman, (58 tackles, seven quarterback sacks) Timothy Wilson,(55 tackles) Marquez Cary,(44 tackles) and William Greer ( six QB sacks). Devin Donley leads Amanda Elzy with three interceptions.

The Panthers will have tall task staring them in the face as the attempt to contain a North Panola offense that is averaging over 43 points per game. Cougar quarterback K.J.Jefferson threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s victory of Water Valley which brings his yearly total of touchdown passes to 27.

North Panola’s offense is more than a one-man show as  playmaker’s Clarence Taylor, Carl Robinson and  Tyler Shorter and strike for big plays anywhere on the field. Not to be outdone, coach Marc Cobb’s Cougar defense is ranked third in state with eight points allowed per game. Xavier Glover, Alex Gross and Jaylen Gipson leads the defensive front while Norman Edwards and Ethan Leverson spearhead the linebacking corps.