By Myra Bean

North Panola ended its season on a positive note with a come-from-behind victory over district foe Byhalia Indians 42-26 Friday night.

“I am still speechless,” said Cougar first-year head coach Sean Norwood, right before the team chased him down for his first Gatorade bath of the season.

Byhalia took a 26-12 lead into halftime. That score stood going into the fourth quarter and it looked like the Cougars were going to end the 2010 season winless. However, the fourth quarter saw a more aggressive defense take the field and force turnovers.

With 10:25 left in the game, Cougar senior defensive back Martez Hooks picked up a Byhalia fumble and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. Not only was the Cougar defense operating on a different plane, but special teams picked up the pace in the second half. The two-point conversion by All-Star wide receiver Ricky Hunt was good to cut the lead 26-20.

Byhalia fumbled its next possession and North Panola recovered the ball on its own 30 yard line. On second down and 12 from the 28, Cougar sophomore quarterback Martavious Butler connected with Hunt for a 72-yard touchdown reception with 6:01 left in the game to tie the score at 26. Hunt ran in the two-point conversion for the first lead of the game 28-26.

Knowing how easy and precarious a two-point lead is and how easy it is to lose one since that happened against Rosa Fort October 8, the Cougar defense dug in even harder to prevent a repeat of that game.

Against Rosa Fort, the Cougars took the lead with 1:54 seconds left in the game, but Rosa Fort went into a fast-paced drill and retook the lead and win with 50 seconds left in the game.

Byhalia’s next possession was a failure to the Indians as Hibbler tackled the runner after a two-yard gain on first down. The Indians got a five-yard penalty on second down and then fumbled. Byhalia recovered the ball after a seven-yard loss to bring up third down and 20. After breaking through the line on fourth down, Hibbler was right in the face of the punter and forced him to muff the kick and he was downed on the Indian one-yard line.

This turned to be the longest possession the Cougars had in the fourth quarter.

A Byhalia penalty put the ball on the one-half yard line. Hunt was tackled for a one-yard loss which brought up second and goal from one and a half-yards out. A Butler touchdown was negated on a holding penalty. On second and goal from the 11, Hunt scored on a run. With the two-point pass from Butler to Willie Hibbler, the Cougars padded the lead 36-26 with 3:22 left in the game.

For the first time this season, the Cougar stadium was not packed to capacity, but the sparse crowd that was there cheered on the Cougars to the end as the defense had one more exclamation to make.

On second down and 16 in Byhalia’s next possession, Cortez Howard sacked the quarterback for a three-yard loss.

Byhalia went to the air on third down and 18 from the 45-yard line, Hunt intercepted the ball and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown to end his senior year as a Cougar. The two-point conversion failed but the Cougars had prevailed 42-26.

Byhalia was forced to turn the ball over on downs on its next possession after four incomplete passes. The Cougars took a knee on their next possession but there was still time left for Byhalia to get the ball back and a double tackle attack from Tony Hibbler and Hooks ended that possession.

Byhalia looked good in the first half and scored 14 unanswered points in the first quarter on runs of 32 and 41 by sophomore running back/cornerback Andrea Collins (5’6”, 155 pounds). The first two-point attempt by sophomore running back/strong safety Devontae Norman failed. The second two-point attempt by Collins was good.

Hunt almost had a kickoff return in the first quarter but was stopped at the Byhalia 24. He took the kick on the Cougar 12.

The return set the Cougars up nicely for a four-yard run by junior running back Chris Connor with 3:51 left in the quarter. The drive was aided by an 18-yard pass reception from Butler to senior tightend/ defensive end Cordarus Salter.

The Cougars had the ball to start the second quarter. On the first play, the Cougars did a successful double reverse with Hunt running around his right side for a 26-yard touchdown after a handoff from Connor who took the handoff from Butler with 11:44 on the clock. The Cougars had cut the lead 14-12 as the two-point run attempt failed.

Hunt faked a punt on the Cougars’ next possession to pick up 25 yards, but he was one yard shy of the first down and the Cougars turned the ball over on downs.

Byhalia got the ball on its own 46-yard line and capped a six-play, 52-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run by Collins with 4:29 left in the half. The two-point pass failed and Byhalia led 20-12.

The Cougars punted away its next possession and Byhalia capped a four-play 55-yard drive with a 49-yard touchdown run by Collins with nine seconds left in the half. The score stood 26-12 after the two-point pass attempt failed.

Though there was no scoring in the third quarter, the Cougar defense had started to heat up. Senior Barrett Loveberry intercepted a pass but the Cougars punted the possession away.

Though the Cougars led in points, Byhalia led in total offensive yards with 372 including 293 on the ground. North Panola had 187 total offensive yards with 11 in the air and 76 on the ground.

Butler ended the game with 11 rushes and minus 47 yards and completed five of 15 passes for 11 yards and one touchdown.

Hunt was the leading rusher with 109 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns, 90 yards on two catches and one touchdown. He had one kickoff return for 64 yards and one put return for 11 yards. He had seven kickoffs for 275 yards, 39.25 average and three punts for 74 yards, averaging 24.6 yards per punt.

Other rushers include Connor, five for five yards, one touchdown; Tony Hibbler, five for six yards; and Hooks, two for three yards.

Other receivers include Loveberry, one for two yards; Salter, one for 18 yards; and Rashaad Burdette, one for one yard. Season stats will be published in Friday’s edition of The Panolian.