By Myra Bean

You could not tell the people in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium that Friday was not the start of football season.

Twenty teams took part in the Oxford High School/Ole Miss jamboree Friday and Saturday. North Panola took on their last year playoff opponent Booneville and dominated from the opening kickoff with a 30-0 win.

With temperatures hovering in the low 90s, the players entered the games with as much intensity as they are expected to do Friday night when the regular season opens.

North Panola wasted no time getting on the board with a nine-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jatavious Farmer to sophomore receiver Trai Sanders in the first quarter. The two-point conversion was good for the 8-0 lead.

North Panola got the ball back on a Booneville fumble, recovered by senior Darius Thomas on the Booneville 32-yard line.

Then Farmer completed a 15-yard pass to senior receiver Robert Oliver for the 14-0 lead after the two-point pass attempt failed. The play was aided by a 17-yard run by Farmer.

On the Cougars’ next possession, Sanders scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a 42-yard run with 7:50 left in the quarter. Farmer took in the two-point conversion for the 22-0 lead.

North Panola got the ball back on a punt and in three plays scored with 4:49 left in the quarter. Farmer connected with Thomas on a 43-yard pass. After a penalty, Thomas scored the two-point conversion from the eight-yard line.

North Panola fumbled away its final possession of the first quarter. Then in the second quarter, the Cougars committed more errors including an interception and fumble.

North Panola’s Ankeyvias Harris also recovered a fumble in the second quarter with 4:12 left to go.

At the end of the game, North Panola had 269 total yards, including 154 rushing and 115 passing.

Farmer completed seven of 12 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns.

Leading receiver was Thomas with 68 yards on two receptions and one touchdown, followed by Oliver with 37 yards on two receptions and one touchdown. Sanders had five yards on two receptions and a touchdown.

Leading rusher was Sanders with 85 yards on five carries and one touchdown, followed by DeAnta Sipp with 43 yards on six carries. Farmer had 35 yards on four carries.

In the Jr. Varsity game, Booneville won 10-6.

North Panola kicks off the regular season Friday night at Rosa Fort in Tunica at 7 p.m.

In other Cougar news, senior Willie Hibbler who has been back and forth with the team this summer said he was scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery yesterday and will miss the season as rehab will take 10 weeks.

Junior running back Justin Connor did not play in the scrimmage but said he will play Friday night against Rosa Fort.