Yazoo County’s dream season ended at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium when they were soundly defeated 36-7 by Jefferson Davis County.
Despite their best effort, the Panthers fell just short of immortality, but left behind on the field was pride, the same pride that had filled the Panthers for each step of the journey.
Long before the game, however, was a press conference and the circus that followed.
Championship week started early for Yazoo County head coach Robert Dobbs, but it did not interfere with the Panthers’ preparation.
It only intensified the feeling that something special was happening.
“It was a very busy week,” Dobbs said. “Starting with the press conference, it was a very busy week for me. I tried to soak it all in and enjoy the moment. We still were able to have three good days of practice to prepare for the game.”
There was an electricity in the air, and nerves were evident in both teams as the opening kickoff arrived.
Those same nerves caused Jefferson Davis to kick the ball out of bounds three straight times to start the game, moving them back a little further with each attempt.
On their fourth attempt, the ball stayed in-bounds, but unfortunately for JDC, it landed in the able hands of Devarrio Sanders, who returned it all the way back for a touchdown to give the Panthers an immediate 7-0 lead.
Yazoo County’s defense started almost as well as their special teams with three straight tackles for loss to force a punt.
Despite the momentum trending in their direction, the Panthers were unable to get a first down, and they were forced to punt.
The defense of Yazoo County held firm once more, however, forcing a punt of their own.
On the first play of Yazoo County’s next drive, quarterback Kenny Gainwell was sacked hard for an 8-yard loss, putting them in a position where they would need to punt again.
All of the running that JDC did in their first couple of possessions opened up a wide-open play-action pass for a 27-yard touchdown that tied the game up at 7-7 with 2:15 remaining in the quarter.
Kory Gainwell returned the ensuing kickoff to the 47-yard line, but their offense sputtered once again, punting it away.
The Jaguars methodically marched down the field and got all the way down to the 2-yard line. When it looked as if scoring was inevitable for them, a fumbled pitch gave them 4th-and-goal from the 15, making it far from a sure thing.
But another play-action pass gave the Jaguars a 14-7 lead with 7:10 remaining in the half, their first of the game.
After the Panthers are forced to punt on their next drive, a high punt by Jamie Ortiz was fumbled and recovered by Yazoo County, giving them the ball at the opposing 25, their best field position of the day.
Unfortunately for them, a chop block placed their offense in a precarious situation, causing Kenny Gainwell to throw up a ball in the end zone that was picked off, eliminating the threat.
With 2:24 remaining in the half, the Jaguars marched down the field in three plays and scored to make it a 21-7 game at the half.
The Jaguars received the second half kickoff, and after a block in the back penalty, their drive started at the 11.
Using their triple option offense, they marched down the field little by little, taking off second after second along the way.
Their drive stalled at the 46, but they had used up nine minutes before that point.
Still, the Panthers could get nothing going on offense and had to punt it right back.
The Jaguars made them pay with a touchdown and successful 2-pt conversion, pushing their lead to 29-7.
With 8:09 remaining in the game, JDC scored once more on a run, pushing their lead to 36-7, a score that would become the final.
The Panthers gave up 340 rushing yards in the contest, but Dobbs felt that was more of a product of their defense being on the field so much.
“Our defense was on the field way too much,” Dobbs said. “Their time of possession was 30 minutes, and we were on the field for only 18 minutes on offense.”
The defense was forced to play so much due to their sputtering offense.
Mental lapses and a lack of execution kept the offense pinned back throughout the whole game.
“We couldn’t get anything going on offense,” Dobbs said. “They had a plan for everything we did, and when we would have a big play, there was a penalty. We had too many mental lapses. We had nine penalties for over 100 yards. That kind of stuff is tough to overcome.”
It was a bittersweet day for Yazoo County. It was the culmination of the greatest team in school history, but it was one that did not hold the Cinderella ending.
Still, Dobb was proud of his coaches, his team, and the seniors that brought them all together.
“I’m proud of the progress we made this season,” Dobbs said. “It didn’t end how we wanted, but I’m proud that we left it all on the field. Our seniors did a tremendous job with leadership. Every one of them brought leadership to the team in their own unique way. They helped bring together the underclassmen. They all had a great relationship. I’m proud of the seniors. I’m proud of this whole team. I’m proud of the coaches for working hard all year. I’m proud of them all.”
Dobbs didn’t want to leave out the crowd support.
He was eternally thankful for the support from Yazoo County.
“I was very pleased with the crowd,” Dobbs said. “There were people from all four of the schools supporting us. I really appreciate the fans that have supported us through it all. It really means a lot. Even during our runner-up ceremony, our whole section was standing up and cheering. That meant so much to our team.”
The Panthers ended the season with a 14-1 record, the best in the school’s history.
