By Myra Bean

North Panola (1-3) got its revenge with a 6-3 win over South Pontotoc (1-4) Friday night.

It was a defensive battle from the first play from scrimmage as South Pontotoc controlled the clock the first nine minutes of the first quarter.

They were forced to try a 48-yard field goal which barely fell short of the uprights.

With 11:09 left in the first half, South Pontotoc scored its only field goal of the night, a 23-yarder for a 3-0 halftime lead.

After that, they were completely shut down by the North Panola defense.

It was not until the fourth quarter that the Cougar offense would be able to cross the goal line.

With 9:49 left in the game, Cougar quarterback Jatavious Farmer hit senior wide receiver Jaquay Daniels for a 24-yard touchdown reception. The PAT by Willie Hibbler was blocked.

Farmer ran for a 65-yard touchdown which was negated on a block in the back penalty by North Panola on the Cougars’ next possession.

With 3:48 left in the game, Cougar senior linebacker Jerod Gordon recovered a South Pontotoc fumble to stop  that drive.

On South Pontotoc’s last possession, two penalties on South Pontotoc and some huge defensive plays by Cougar senior defensive end Kendrick Austin forced Pontotoc quarterback Alex Pannell to make some bad decisions.

Austin tackled him after a two-yard gain on second and 13 from their own 47. Then Gordon hurried him and forced Pannell to illegally ground the ball to bring up third down and 27 from their own 33-yard line.

South Pontotoc decided to try get a first down and Cougar senior middle linebacker Aaron Kimmons intercepted the ball with 46 seconds remaining and ran it all the way to the end zone, but another block in the back penalty negated the touchdown.

During the Cougars’ second possession in the fourth quarter, Farmer went down with a leg injury. He was carted off the field after the game in am ambulance and it was confirmed Saturday morning by head coach Derek King that he had broken his fibula, but there was no time table to when he would be able to return to action.

North Panola will celebrate homecoming this week and host Benton County next Friday in the homecoming game beginning at 7:30 p.m.