Tigers ready to open season; Chargers coming off stinging loss

Anytime the Oxford Chargers and South Panola Tigers meet on the gridiron there are sure to be fireworks from the 6A powerhouses.

  The latest installment of the rivalry should not disappoint as the two teams meet for the 43^rd time Friday at Bobby Holcombe Field in Oxford with  a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

  The Chargers will be looking to bounce back from a tough 45-14 opening season loss to No.1 ranked Brandon last Friday.

The game is the season opener for the Tigers and new head coach Brooks Oakley.

The Tigers lead the all-time series 22-18-2 but will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak to Oxford, including last year’s heart-stopping 35-28 Charger victory in the opening round of the playoffs.

  Oxford is led by Utah commitment Mack Howard at the quarterback position.

The Heritage Academy transfer has plenty of weapons at his disposal including senior running back Roman Gregory and wide receiver Cashe Shows.

Arkansas commitment Alex Sanford anchors the Charger defense along with junior defensive end Malaki Pegues.

  South Panola will counter with defensive backs Khalik Boothe and Marcus House and LB/RB Julius Pope.

On offense, look for junior wide receiver Mykel Allen, quarterback David Hubbard and running back Dee Perteet to carry much of the load with receiver Michael Johnson a big-play threat on every snap.

The Tigers saw limited action two weeks ago in a jamboree against Lafayette County in Oxford, where they outplayed the Commodores for two quarters, posting a 26-14 advantage.

In that scrimmage, coaches were pleased with the overall performance, but noted that improvements were needed in the passing game.

Encouraging to coaches and fans was the play of the young, but solid offensive line and the speed of the defense.