By Angie Ledbetter

Since Head Coach Lance Pogue has taken over the reigns of the South Panola football program six years ago, the Tigers have won the division title except in 2011.

He added another Region 1-6A title after the Tigers defeated Grenada in a 15-8 dog fight Friday.

As usual Pogue was proud of the win stating, “This solidifies the division championship but we’ve got to keep finding ways to get better because it’s playoff time and we don’t have any margin for errors.”

With cold temperatures in the low 50’s and the wind blowing, both teams stayed in a headlock until the last minutes of the game.

The game was tied at eight until South Panola junior running back Darrell Henderson took the ball from the 15 for a Tiger touchdown and Clayton Sibley’s PAT made the score 15-8 with 2:49 left in the game.

The game was not over and there was plenty of time for Grenada to get the ball down the field and with 35 seconds left on fourth and 10, Grenada had the ball on the Tigers’ 25.

After deciding to go for the first down, Grenada’s Payne Horan’s throw was intercepted by South Panola’s junior defensive back Brady Smith ending any chance for a Grenada win.  

Grenada (4-6, 2-4) and the Tigers (7-2, 6-0) were tied at two at the end of the first quarter after Charger Devin Howard got a safety. The Chargers followed answering with a safety of their own when Bailey Lawrence kicked the ball out of the end zone to keep from the Chargers scoring a touchdown.

At the half the game was tied again at eight. Grenada’s Payne Horan found Trey Bledsoe on a nine yard touchdown pass but the PAT failed.

South Panola junior running back Tavian Bibbs scored on an eight yard run but the PAT failed with 2:23 left in the third quarter.

Pogue said Grenada played hard and was fighting for a playoff spot.

“We knew they would. Also it was tough conditions tonight with the heavy wind out of the north so two times in the fourth quarter we had to face that and deal with it.”

“I thought defensively we played really good. We were inconsistent offensively and I thought we could’ve had three or four more touchdowns but for whatever reason—a penalty, missing a block or not making a good throw. We got to get better at those things but that’s why they call it practice. But we made the play when we had to at the end.”

Henderson led the Tigers in rushing with 131 yards on 28 carries with one touchdown. He also had three kickoff returns for 66 yards. Rip Kirk completed 12 of 25 passes for 131 yards. C. J. Leland had seven receptions for 66 yards and Jaylen Lee had two for 53.

The Tigers ended the game with 227 total yards, 14 first downs, nine penalties for 71 yards, one fumble and one sack.

The Chargers were limited to 117 total yards and nine first downs. They had two fumbles, one sack and five penalties for 40 yards.

Matthew Davis had eight tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. Tony Conner had five tackles and one pass deflection. LaKeddrick Flowers and Javon Norris had four each. Smith had three, one interception, two pass deflections and one fumble recovery. Dashawn Lindsay had three and four pass deflections.