csb1211

I also watched the South Panola - Meridian game. Here's my opinion of South Panola. South Panola came into the game with a back that ran for 1700+ yds, the QB had 1500+ yds rushing, and a third back running for 1100+ yds. The offensive line dominated. Bottom line. As the post above states, many of the TD's scored when the back was untouched. South Panola only ran about 7 different plays...all out of the I formation. But, who needs to get fancy when you execute the way they do. They simply do not make mistakes and they execute, execute, execute. The linemen pulled and were throwing blocks 10 yds downfield on every play. Again, execution rules, especially at the high school level. Much credit should go to the coaching staff for this. In my opinion, that is the source of their domination in MS. Meridian had a back who rushed for over 1800 yds and they were not much of a passing team this year. SP keyed on the back, Eason, and basically shut him down. Early in the game Meridian threw deep 5 or 6 times and had receivers open each time but couldn't connect because the QB didn't have the time to get set up properly and overthrew the receiver. Midway through 3rd qtr Meridian drove the field and scored by balancing running with passing and looked impressive on this drive. So, to beat SP I would say you need a defense that is up to the challenge of playing smart. I think everyone in MS knew what plays SP runs but still, play after play Meridian had players out of position. A successful SP defeater must have it's defense schooled on playing proper defense. Offensively you have to have a balanced attack. You can't be single dimensional or SP will load up to stop you. And they will. I would say that SP doesn't possess any more talent than other notable schools mentioned in previous posts (i.e. Riverdale, Ravenwood, Maryville, Hampton, VA, Madison Central, etc) but they have been coached very well and focus their talent on execution. This discussion could go on and on. My hat is off to South Panola. Congrats to them on a third straight championship. As I stated in another thread, I have seen many high schools from across the SE play ball. Is SP more talented than any other team I have seen? No. Are they faster? No. Are they bigger? No. What differentiates SP from the other schools? Execution. Would they be competitive in FL? Yes. Competetive is a good word. Dominant? Only after they developed a more balanced attack. But then again, who needs to pass when no one can stop the run. Execution my friends, execution.

I suppose I'll jump in on this one. I know I am going to show my age here so just bear with me. My father was in the Navy and we moved quite frequently to say the least so I have seen a good amount of HS football in the S.E. I played HS football in FL before moving to and graduating in NC. Later I lived in VA Bch before moving to Nashville. I stayed there for 12 years and now am in Brandon, MS. I myself have played against teams that were great in the early 80's such as Milton, Mosley, Choctawhatchee, Tallahassee Leon, Tallahassee Godby, and have seen Miami Killian, Titusville, and others play. After moving to North Carolina I saw Jacksonville (5A State Champs), Cary, Fayetteville, and others. There was no comparison between NC HS football and FL HS football. I have seen the great Hampton Crabbers of the late 80's along with Green Run, Bayside, and a few others from the Tidewater area...again no comparison to FL football. HS basketball in NC and VA is GREAT! I had the pleasure of watching J.R. Reid and Alonzo Mourning squaring up in HS ball against each other. Great stuff! After moving to Nashville I saw Brentwood Academy, Riverdale, Gallatin, Smyrna, Brentwood, Shelbyville, David Lipscomb. Great teams no doubt but the across the board level of play and talent level doesn't compare to FL HS football. Now I am in MS. I have seen NW Rankin, Brandon, Meridian, and NE Lauderdale play over the last few years. I have not seen South Panola University play but they are a legitimate powerhouse. I will attest to that. I do want to say this.....25 years ago when I was in HS in FL.....football was a year round sport. My PE class consisted of backs and receivers and we ran plays and watched game film everyday during PE throughout the school year. Weight lifting was from the end of one season to the start of the next. I understand that is pretty much the regimen now but this was 25 years ago. The level of talent in FL is amazing. Yes, the great schools from other states such as South Panola, Brentwood Academy, Riverdale, Maryville, OakRidge, Hampton, and Jacksonville could be competitive in FL but they would not go unscathed year after year. The talent level is too great in FL for dynasties such as what these schools have created in their respective states.