By Myra Bean

The Byhalia Indian football team is having as much of a breakout year as the North Panola Cougars, whom they will host tonight in Region 3-3A action.

“The biggest part is we are going for the exact same thing,” Cougar head coach Derek King said. “That’s what we told the boys in practice this week. They are trying to play at home for the playoffs and we are too. Knowing that we are going for the same exact thing should prove motivational to us.”

The competition in 3-3A is getting so much attention that the game will be broadcast on 92.7 FM out of Holly Springs and also video streamed on www.thechange927.com beginning with the kickoff at 7 p.m.

Both teams are under first year head coaches who have turned the programs around. Byhalia is coached by John Danley.

Byhalia went 0-10 in 2008 under Markeith Washington’s first year as head coach and made slight improvements the next three years to earn a berth in the playoffs last year.

The team has picked up where it left off in 2011 and has posted a 6-4 overall, 2-1 district record this season.

Their losses were to higher class teams Senatobia, Center Hill, Lewisburg and a district loss to Charleston.

“Byhalia is strong, top to bottom, and fast,” King said. “So first of all we have to respect that. They are very athletic.”

King said Byhalia’s strongest point is experience.

“We have a lot more seniors but their running backs have been playing since they were freshmen. A lot of those junior defensive guys have been playing since they were sophomores and freshmen. They have a ton of game experience. They have playoff experience from last year,” King said.

However, physically, King believes the teams are evenly matched. The teams have also played similar games against district opponents, according to King.

“With Winona they got a lot of big plays against Winona,” he said. “They battled Charleston very well. We had similar games against Independence as well as against Palmer.”

King does not plan any big changes for the Cougars, just to improve on what he has been instructing the last few weeks.

“For our side of it, we are really focused on making sure we do the things right that we can control. I am excited to play Byhalia because I coached half that team in middle school. The ninth and tenth graders, they were my seventh and eighth graders, King explained.

With the video streaming and having the game broadcast on radio, King is really happy for the team.

He said a pep bus for the students will be going to the game and they hope to get a caravan of fans and supporters going.

“Just the exposure we have gotten since Charleston is great,” King said. “Our Facebook page is growing. It’s fun.

“It is rewarding for our boys to see that hard work pays off,” King said.

On the injured players front, senior defensive end Izear Farmer was cleared to play on Wednesday afternoon, following a concussion he sustained in the game against Charleston. Kelvin Covington is also cleared to play.

“We have had major injuries to two starters, Jatavious Farmer and Brandon Conner, but thankfully we have stayed in tact. We have a ton of boys still at practice. We can run first team, second team, scout team.

It’s been awesome, having the bodies and people to move through drills,” King said.

Directions to Byhalia: Take 55 to Church Rd.  Take Church to 305. Take a left on 305.  Take 78 East. Look for the Byhalia exit.  Take a left at the exit. Go through town. School is on the right.