Cougars advance to 2nd round with 60-6 win
Published 1:34 pm Wednesday, November 10, 2021
The North Panola Cougars will look to continue their march through the post-season as they visit the Aberdeen Bulldogs Friday in the season round of the North 3A State playoffs in a 7 p.m kickoff.
Both teams advanced out of the first round in different ways last Friday as North Panola (8-1) trounced Ruleville Central 60-6 in Sardis while Aberdeen (6-4) went on the road and survived a last second missed field goal to defeat Water Valley 12-9.
This will be the fifth time the Cougars and Bulldogs have met in the playoffs with the series tied at two games apiece. North Panola has won two in a row including the last meeting 45-12 in 2020. Aberdeen finished the regular season as the number three team from region four behind Noxubee County and Amory.
The Bulldogs wins have come against Calhoun City (6-0), Mooreville 26-21), Nettleton (28-17), East Webster (31-16), and to Hatley (51-0) with losses against an early season forfeit loss to Houston, followed by setbacks to Caledonia, Amory and Noxubee Co.
If Aberdeen plans to pull off another upset, they must find a way to slow down a red hot North Panola offense that is averaging 40 points per game that has included 170 points over the last three games and has won its last five in a row after losing their only setback of the year 28-20 against Senatobia.
Against Ruleville Central last week the Cougars set the tone early with a touchdown on the opening series and never took their foot off the gas pedal in a 60-6 trouncing of the Tigers.
Quarterback QD Walls threw five touchdowns and ran for two more as the Cougars led 40-6 at halftime. Walls tossed scoring strikes of 80,34 and 28 yards to M.J. Newsom and a 37-yard connection to Southern Mississippi commitment J.J.Harrell.
Leading 54-6 late in the fourth quarter, Walls threw a 50-yard bomb to Cody Simpson with 1:11 left in the game.
Walls also had scoring runs of 22 and 20 yards. Jakeen Bowdery returned a interception 29 yards for a ‘ pick 6’ in the first quarter. Limekin Walls added a 51-yard scamper in the third quarter.
