The Panthers are one win away from a perfect regular season after defeating J.Z. George 49-6.
Their win on Friday night put their record at 9-0 on the season.
But while the final score indicated destruction, that was not the whole story.
The first half was a far different tale.
J.Z. George did a masterful job of keeping the ball, grinding out first down after first down to try to stop the explosive Yazoo County offense.
Yazoo County head coach Robert Dobbs tipped his cap to J.Z. George for executing their plan to perfection.
“The outcome didn’t indicate how the first half went,” Dobbs said. “They kept us off the field and wore our defense down. I believe that was their game plan.”
Despite running only 12 offensive plays, the Panthers led 13-6 at the half.
Yazoo County flipped a switch in the second half and it was off to the races. They put up 36 points to win the game 49-6.
Dobbs believes that playing cleaner helped them turn things around.
“We got stops in the second half to get our defense off the field,” Dobbs said. “We also had two turnovers on special teams in the first half. A combination of things slowed us down early. We came out in the second half and played much better football.”
Kenneth Gainwell completed 4-of-6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, and on the ground, he ran the ball seven times for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Devarrio Sanders had an incredible game despite few carries. He took his four carries and ran 162 yards and two touchdowns.
Cherokee Edwards ran the ball five times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Edwards also took a pass 51 yards for a score.
Kory Gainwell rushed the ball twice for 13 yards and a touchdown.
Dontrell Green caught two passes for 47 yards.
Ben Luckett had an insane game defensively. He racked up 23 total tackles, three of which were for loss, and a fumble recovery.
Kenderian Dixon had 16 total tackles,
Kory Gainwell and Kelon Dixon each recorded 13 total tackles with three tackles for loss.
Next up for the Panthers is the one they’ve had circled on their schedules all year.
In both of the past two seasons, Charleston has ended the playoff run for the Panthers.
On Thursday, they get their chance for revenge and a district title.
Despite their sordid recent history against Charleston, Dobbs feels confident in his team’s ability to compete with the perennial powerhouse.
“This is definitely one everyone has been looking forward to all year,” Dobbs said. “We’ve tried all year to take things one game at a time, but they’ve always been waiting there at the end of the schedule. They've beaten us the last couple of years. They’ve had our number. They’re very fast and athletic this year, but I’m not sure they’re quite as dominant as they have been. Our guys will be ready to play.”
According to Dobbs, the early game is both a blessing and a curse.
“They thought it would be a good idea to move the game to Thursday night to give them the opportunity to scout for their first playoff game,” Dobbs said. “It will give us the opportunity to do the same. It’s tough having a short week to prepare for a big game, but we’ll both be dealing with that.”
Kickoff at Charleston is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday.
