By Angie Ledbetter

After three other games had been played in the fall jamboree, the South Panola Tigers took to the big stage before a huge crowd inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Friday night taking on the Oxford Chargers. It was a battle between the Clarion-Ledger’s Super 10 preseason No. 1 Oxford and No. 2 South Panola.  

The Tigers got off to a good start but came up short 14-10. Up 10-0 with a little over seven minutes left in the scrimmage things changed. 

Oxford junior running back Kenzie Phillips scored on a two yard run with 4:14 left in the second quarter. Adding the PAT the Tigers were still in the lead 10-7. 

On the final drive of the game for Oxford junior wide receiver D. K. Metcalf’s 11-yard reception from Jack Abraham gave the Chargers the scrimmage winning touchdown. 

Putting the Tigers on the board first with a 29-yard field goal was Steven Collins with 3:28 left in the first of the two quarter scrimmage. Collins missed earlier on a 31-yard attempt when the ball hit the goal post and fell short. 

In the second quarter junior Donald Twilley took the ball from 49 yards out with 11:17 remaining and Collins added his PAT.

South Panola had five penalties and Oxford had three. Oxford punted five times to South Panola’s four.

Henderson had nine carries and two receptions. Ryan Lee had three carries. Getting two carries were Roosevelt Jones and Donald Twilley. Ephraim Kitchen and Oluwain Hoskins had one each. 

Jones, Kitchen and Demetrius Market had one pass reception. 

Junior quarterback Tyler Pogue completed eight of 11 passes for 58 yards. 

On the Tiger defense, Lee and Kitchen had two tackles. Quandarious Hamilton, Josh Shorter, Ladarrius Rudd, Drelan Porter and Market all had one tackle each. 

Porter and Kamdon Edwards both recorded one sack. 

Tiger head coach Lance Pogue said it was all positives in the scrimmage for the Tigers.

“I had no interest coming over here and seeing about how many points were scored. I just wanted the team to get better.”

Pogue thought the Tigers played hard and physical.

“If it had been a four quarter game so many things could’ve happened but we had it set up for just two quarters.”

“I saw a lot of things we’ve got to work on but that’s part of it. You’re never a finished product after the second week of practice. We had so many penalties that bogged us down but they’re fixable. We missed a touchdown pass to Kitchen early in the game that was right off the finger tips so we’ve got to find a way to hit. We gave up a couple of plays on fourth down which ordinarily we don’t do. Oxford has a lot of things they’ve got to work on to, I’m sure.”

Pogue said the purpose of the scrimmage is to learn and get better.

“If not then we would’ve just stayed home and scrimmaged ourselves but the kids get tired of practicing against each other. The association allowed us to practice against someone else and it was only 20 miles so we got to do it here in a college stadium. It was a great experience for the kids.”

Pogue said they will look at the film, go back to work and get ready for the first game.

South Panola opens the season at home against White Station Memphis Friday at 7 p.m.