By Angie Ledbetter

After getting one game behind them, the South Panola Tigers will be on the road again along with the North Panola Cougars while the North Delta Green Wave will be at home.

South Panola

The Rivals. com nationally-ranked No. 5 South Panola Tigers will go on the road to Moultrie Georgia where they will face another powerhouse team, the Colquitt County Packers who are ranked No. 5 in class AAAAA in Georgia.

The black and gold Packers have 116 players that include 28 seniors on the team.   

Head Coach Lance Pogue said he is really impressed with the Packers.

“People talk about them losing last week to a 2A school but it’s different in Georgia due to population. They would be like a 4A school here. The team that beat them is a really good team and has a player committed to the University of Alabama.”

Pogue said Colquitt’s offense is outstanding and explosive. There  are two good running backs in No. 22 Tevin King and No. 23 D’Amonte Ridley, according to Pogue

“Both are small guys but have great speed,” he said.

Their quarterback is two-year starter Tyler Brown, wearing No. 3. Pogue described him as a really good quarterback. Brown is 6’2” and 190 pounds. Another player to look for is Xavier Ward No. 63, a 6’6”/245-pound offensive linemen who is one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen in the country.

“They have a sprinkling of players that can play for anybody and their style of play is what Coach (Rush) Propst did at Hoover,” Pogue said. “They spread the ball out on offense, spread the defense out and throw it around. Their offense is very multiple and keeps you off balance.”

  “On the other half defensively, they were like we were last year with nine new starters. They’re very athletic but just inexperienced and play about twenty different people.”

   “We know that we have to stop the run and do a good job on those little runningbacks and not let them get away from us. The bottom line is we do what we got to do and treat this team just like it was Olive Branch or anybody else. There is nothing different about it except the fact we’re going a long way on the road. I think it’s going to be positive and add to the excitement of the game with these kids. They’re looking forward to it and a lot of them have never had this opportunity.”

Kickoff for the game is 12:45 P.M. Eastern time.

Directions to Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium: Once getting into Moultrie, turn right at GA-33 S/US-319 Business South and go 2.7 miles. Turn right at 7th Avenue SW and go 0.4 miles. Turn left at Stadium Dr SW and go 0.2 miles. A diagram of the stadium is available at the Panolian.

North Delta

    The North Delta Green Wave will host their second game of the season tonight when the Tunica Blue Devils who are #3 in 1A visit Green Wave Field.

    This Blue Devils team made it to the North State Championship last year but the Green Wave defeated them 33-12.

    Head Coach Jimmy Hanks’ blue and white team is in MAIS District 1.  

    “I think they have had a few players to transfer in this year and have a really good looking team,” said Head Coach Dan Werner. “Last year it was 12-0 at the half but they drove down the field and had a chance to score making it close right off the bat.”

   “I know they’re a type of team that is going to be really dangerous. They’re well coached and we have got to play good to beat them.”

    “The quarterback is a really good player. He threw for a bunch of yards last year. The runningback #23 is a guy that is being highly recruited by several division one colleges from what I understand. The fact that they can run the ball and throw it obviously poses a real threat.”

   “We decided after watching the film with Magnolia Heights that we were going to forget about that game and move on making it like a preseason game and this is the first game of the regular season. We want to have a great attitude coming in and start off the rest of the season with a big victory. We want to be as positive as possible and see what happens here on out.”

   “The guys could’ve easily started pointing fingers after the Magnolia Heights game about who did what wrong but instead they talked about how they wanted to move forward and be successful for the rest of the season.”

   Kickoff is 7:30 P.M.

North Panola

     The North Panola Cougars will once again be on the road tonight as they travel to Mound Bayou to take on the Kennedy Hornets looking for their first win of the season.

    Head Coach Sheldon Hodge’s blue and white team is in region 4 in 2A. The team is young with only nine seniors of the thirty six players on the roster.

    The team is under the leadership of #7 Samodrian Melton, a 5’10/160 junior quarterback.

    “He will be hard to stop if he gets on that edge,” said Head Coach Sean Norwood. “He did a lot of running last year.”

    “The Hornets will spread us out also. If our defense don’t stay in their lanes and contain like they’re suppose to, then the quarterback will get lose. The Hornets are more of a passing team and they did a lot of it last year.”  

    The Cougars defeated the Hornets 34-6 last year and will be looking to add to that win column.

  “Practice has gone good this week. On Tuesday, we had a really good practice and got in a lot of work that we really needed.”

    “As far as healthy players, the only time you’re healthy during football season is when you take a physical. We don’t have any injuries but have some little bangs and bruises but nothing serious.”

   “We had a lot to cramp up last week but I think they sweated all their fluids out and we have to work on getting more potassium in their system this week.”

     Kickoff is 7:30 P.M.

     Directions: Go to Clarksdale and take highway 61 north. Go about 30 miles and follow the sign that says Mound Bayou. Merge right. Go to stop sign and take a left. Go over the overpass and the next town is Mound Bayou. Pass the high school and take a left at the four way stop. The stadium is a half mile.