Cougars blast Palmer Dragons, visit Calhoun City Friday

Published 7:46 am Wednesday, September 1, 2021

The North Panola Cougars will look to carry the momentum of a 44-0 season-opening win over Marks Palmer as they travel to Calhoun City Friday for a 7 p.m kickoff at D.L. Harrison Stadium.

Due to Covid restrictions, and practice protocol guidelines that limit the Calhoun team this week, the two teams are scheduled to play a scrimmage game consisting of two quarters.

North Panola is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest Class 3A and No.7 in the Little 10 prep Poll according to capitalsportsms.com while Calhoun City (0-1) is No. 5 in Class 2A despite having to forfeit to Houston last week.

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Calhoun City, coached by former South Panola assistant M.D. Jennings, is coming off a 10-2 season in 2020 that saw the Wildcats reach the state championship game where they lost 42-0 to Taylorsville.

North Panola leads the all-time series including a 34-20 victory last year in Sardis.

Players to look for the Wildcats will be quarterback Jackson Lee along with RB/WR Zy Pryor and WR/DB Jaylon Williams.

Last week the Cougars hit the Palmer Dragons early and often for scoring strikes and forced punts and turnovers regularly.The game was called by officials with 7:06 remaining in the contest after both teams got into a skirmish following an incomplete pass.

Limekin Walls dazzled the home crowd as the shifty 165-pound running back finished the night with 76 yards on five carries and three touchdowns. The Cougars led 30-0 at halftime.

Junior quarterback QD Walls added 29 yards on three carries while throwing for 54 yards on 5-of-8 passing. Walls also intercepted a pass and raced 30 yards in the third quarter to cap off the scoring.

North Panola held the Dragons to 62 yards of total offense including -9 yards rushing and picked off Palmer quarterback Latraveon Wilbourn three times. Jamarcus Nelson got into the scoring act with a touchdown run in the closing seconds of the first half.

Following a squib punt by Palmer, Limekin Walls got the Cougars on the board with a five-yard run for a 6-0 lead then added another five-yard score as Nelson ran in the two-point conversion for a 14-0 cushion.

North Panola increased its lead to 22-0 with 9:17 remaining in the first half as QD Walls called his own number and raced 24 yards to paydirt before adding the two-point conversion.

With the scoreboard not working, the Cougars ran their two-minute offense to perfection by going 69 yards on eight plays in the closing seconds of the half as Nelson raced untouched for a touchdown then added the conversion for a 30-0 North Panola advantage at intermission.

The Cougars ran one play in the second half with that being a 57-yard scamper by Limekin Wells early in the third quarter to make the score 36-0. Wilbourn was the lone bright spot for Palmer by passing for 71 yards on three completions.

Photo:  Cougar running back Limekin Walls turns upfield for a good gain last Friday against Marks Palmer High on the North Panola campus in Sardis. The Cougars will travel to Calhoun City this Friday. (Glennie Pou)