The North Panola season may have ended Friday night but I have a feeling this is just the beginning.
Coaches Derek King, Vaughn Daniels, Denver Wade, Timothy Krautkramer, Carl Diffee, Robert Lester Jr. and South Oakes have turned the Cougar team into a machine. They are in the process of tweaking some parts which are not quite working right but after winter workouts there will be a different team which emerges next spring.

Unfortunately, the seniors which did more than admirable job this year will not take part in next year’s team. They will be missed. They contributed so much to this team as a few having been playing since junior high and some only a couple of seasons. To those who persevered through four coaches through your high school years, thank you for hanging in there. It was you who got the team to the playoffs and not just a fourth place team but as a competitor for second place in the district.

It is so hard to find all the words to what the seniors have meant to this team this year but make no mistake that the word indispensable comes to mind.

Seniors include Tony Hibbler, Jaquay Daniels, Jeno Perry, Dameon Phillips, Antwun Armstrong, Kendrick Austin, Cedric Clay, Jamal Mangrum, Aaron Kimmons, Qyndarius Russell, Steve Russell, Kelvin Covington, Rondarius Hunt, Cordarius Love, Izear Farmer, Tacoris Lee, Jalen Taylor and Jerod Gordon.

I know the coaches probably tell you over and over thank you for being so coachable and sticking with the team even as the season started 3-0. Your leadership is invaluable so please do not sell yourselves short.
To the returning team members, I would encourage you to mimic the work ethic of the seniors who produced on the team this year. Don’t just make the required workouts but go above and beyond what is expected of you in order to help the team reach its goal: the state championship.

That means going through the likes of Charleston in the district and Water Valley, Cleveland East Side and Aberdeen in the north. Then there are the South teams like Hazlehurst.

There is so much on the horizon for the upcoming players in the next few years under the tutelage of King and staff. I would not be surprised if other, larger schools start to court him after they see what he has accomplished at North Panola. It is up to the players to make it worth his while to stay.

I really just wanted to say how proud I am of each of you and how much improvement  you have made in just a few months. I can only imagine what you will look like on the field after a year under this coaching staff.