This week is homecoming week for the North Panola School District. Our football team has been struggling, but I am still a fan of my alma mater. Win or lose I will continue to support them. We’d love to have a winning football program like our neighbors to the south, the National Champions, South Panola Tigers. Any time the Tigers are playing on TV I try to watch them, after all “Panola” is still in their name.

I read a piece in The Panolian last Friday by sports writer Angie Ledbetter, and I share her sentiments about fan loyalty. When South Panola played the team from Hoover, Alabama, I watched and was very sad to see them lose.

My first thought was to the coaching staff and players. I wondered how fans would react. I didn’t hear any rumblings so I figured all was well. After a second loss a couple of weeks later, I became really concerned. Angie’s piece confirmed that concern for me.

I know that South Panola is a powerhouse in the football world, so losing a couple of games early in the season is just part of the game. There has to be a winner and a loser and the Tigers happened to lose. No biggie, in my opinion.

Angie Ledbetter is a proficient sports writer and very passionate about whatever she’s covering. I’ve seen her in action at some functions at North Panola, most recently, the “Let’s Talk it Out” basketball camp. She’s thorough and talks to everyone.

She broke down the duties of the coaching staff  – from time away from family to attending games of younger players to scout out future South Panola players. She was right on point. Her plea for fans to not be so negative about losses was great and the win-loss record, 60-4 in four years is unheard of in some schools. The coaching staff, whom I’ve never met, have my complete support. I am a Tiger fan even though I am from North Panola.

Being a former athlete, I know the duties of a coach and his staff. My old junior high and high school coaches checked our grades every six weeks, made sure we didn’t cut class and if we acted up in class, we paid for it in practice by running extra laps.

Our coaches were actually surrogate parents. I loved all of them. My first basketball coach was Vernon Pitts, then the late Lawrence Sanders, who didn’t take kindly to us goofing off in the classroom because as Angie stated, they are also teachers.

My final high school coach was Robert Lightsey. His parents traveled with us and were at all of the home games. They were our biggest fans and always encouraged us. I remember one game where Coach Lightsey was sick as a dog, but he came to the game any way. He could barely speak. I think about that sometimes now and admire him for giving it his all.

These men and women help shape a young person’s life and losing is a part of life. It doesn’t feel good but it’s true. In every game there will be a loser.

To the South Panola Coaching staff: You are appreciated by D. Taylor. That may not hold much weight but I’m saying it any way. I wish you much success in the future, win or lose.

Peace y’all!