South Panola outlasted Houston High School (Memphis) 28-26 Friday afternoon in a game that will be remembered as one of the hottest football games the team has every played. The Tigers started the season 1-0 after beating the Mustangs, ranked No. 17 in Tennessee polls, on the campus of Northwest Community College.

Two high school games were scheduled for Friday, with South Panola and Houston taking the field at 4:30 p.m. when the air temperature was 97 degrees and the heat index hovered at 110. SuperTalk Radio reporters covering the game said the artificial turf on the field measured 171 degrees shortly before kickoff.

South Panola Superintendent Del Phillips requested the game be moved from Northwest to Tiger Stadium in Batesville to allow for a later start time, but an agreement could to be reached with the opposing team. A second game was scheduled at Northwest for 8 p.m., which kept the Tigers-Mustangs game from being moved. In the second game Germantown (TN) beat DeSoto Central 24-12.

In the South Panola game, senior running back Julius Pope led all rushers with 130 yards on 24 carries. The Tigers took the opening kickoff and Pope scored the first touchdown of 2023 less than two minutes into the game when he scampered up the middle for a 39 yard touchdown on the fourth play of the season.

The Mustangs responded with a touchdown on a 7-play drive capped off with a nine yard run by quarterback Chandler Day.

South Panola scored two touchdowns in the second quarter – both on 1-yard plunges by Pope. Houston added another touchdown on a 39-yard strike from Day to Derrick Miller, Jr.  The Tigers took at 21-14 lead to the locker room thanks to an interception by Mykel Allen.

The teams took a few extra minutes for cooling at halftime and returned to the playing field where the temperatures had not dropped. Referees agreed in their pre-game meeting to  have four extra water breaks during the games – two each quarter instead of one. During those official breaks coaches are not allowed to talk to the players on the field.

Players on the sideline had water available at all times and an industrial fan blowing misting water helped them cool some. Coaches instructed all players coming off the field to stand under tents that also provided some relief.

Tigers quarterback Michael Johnson scored the only touchdown of the third quarter on a 1-yard run. The teams traded punts and turnovers on downs throughout the period giving South Panola a 28-14 lead going into the final 12 minute quarter.

The Mustangs made the game close again just 1:53 into the fourth quarter when Miller got behind the South Panola safeties and Day hit him in stride for a 36 yard touchdown. Houston tried for a two point conversion but Day’s pass was incomplete and the Mustangs were down by eight, 28-20.

The Tigers lost their early momentum and could not move the ball effectively in the fourth quarter, failing to score another point. Instead, the Tigers relied on hard-nosed defensive plays and a couple of missed connections by the Mustangs quarterback on open receivers, to hold on to their lead until the 4;21 mark when Day again hooked up with Miller for a touchdown, this on a 36-yard catch and run.

Down 28-26 because of the first missed two-point attempt, the Mustangs tried to tie the game with another two-point effort, but failed again when Day’s pass was off the mark, leaving the Tigers with a slim two point advantage.

The Mustangs were stymied again in the fourth when Kaleb Bland came up with an interception on a critical drive, as the Tigers defense held on to secure the win.

Tigers head coach Brooks Oakley said the game played about like the coach staffing had planned, particularly with the unusually hot conditions.

“We looked about like we figured, the second half  fatigue got and we just didn’t get anything going,” he said. “In the first half we did what we wanted to and that’s a good football team, they have really good skill players and a good quarterback and they will have a good year.”

The Tigers out gained the Mustangs on the ground, picking up 227 on 46 carries. Houston had 55 yards on 22 carries. Through the air the Mustangs had 188 yards on Day’s 18-for-32 performance with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Tigers QB Johnson had 75 yards on 9-for-13 attempts. Johnson also picked up 81 yards on 15 carries and one rushing touchdown.

Marcus Christon caught seven passes for 40 yards, the longest a 13-yard gain.

Xavier McFadden made all four PATs for the Tigers, giving South Panola a bright spot in the kicking game that has been inconsistent at times in recent seasons.

D’marqavious Battle punted four times for the Tigers for 127 yards (31.8 avg.) with a long of 38 yards.

The Tigers had no turnovers and were penalized 11 times for 79 yards. The Mustangs were flagged eight times for 51 yards.

Although both teams scored four touchdowns each, the Tigers clearly won the time of possession battle, keeping the football 32:17 compared to the Mustangs; 15:43.  The Tigers ran 59 plays, gaining 302 yards (5.1 avg.), while Houston snapped the ball 54 times for 243 yards (4.5 avg.)

South Panola will play another non-district game next week when the Tigers play host to Oxford at Robert Dunlap Stadium at home Friday, Sept. 1, in a 7:30 kickoff.

Oxford beat Lafayette in the season opener for both teams.