The South Panola High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) for short, is one of the largest student activity groups at South Panola High School, with over 90 current cadets. 

The AFJROTC has many extracurricular activities for cadets to participate in outside of the normal classroom curriculum. It boasts a nationally relevant marksmanship team highlighted by the current AFJROTC National Individual Champion. 

They also have one of the top nationally ranked AFJROTC robotics teams, which on March 5 will compete for the VEX Robotics State Championships. 

There is also one of the best Aerial Drone Teams in the world who will have the honor of hosting the 2024 All-Service JROTC National Aerial Drone Competition in Batesville on April 4-6 at the Civic Center. 

The AFJROTC Marksmanship Team, consisting of eight cadets, competes in standard Olympic 10 meter air rifle competitions for 11 months each year. These competitions consist of record shots being fired in the kneeling, prone, and standing positions.

.The young SPHS team began their competition season by participating in the 2023 National

Virtual Air Rifle League – a 10 week regular season followed by a postseason tournament. 

The team came out of the regular season as the AFJROTC Champions, and finished runner up in the All Service Invitational Tournament. 

After the virtual season last fall, the team began qualifying for the JROTC Regional Championships hosted by the Civilian Marksmanship Program in Anniston, AL, where they finished 2nd overall highlighted by sophomore cadet 2nd Lt. Veronica Hernandez’s come from behind National Championship performance just weeks ago. 

The team is now preparing to compete in the 2024 All Service JROTC Marksmanship Championship in Port Clinton, OH,  this week (March 21-23). 

After that competition, the team will then begin competing in civilian competition later in the spring against teams from other JROTC programs as well as 4-H and shooting clubs across the country.