MUS @ South Panola

[BigSneaky]

The game will be carried live by ESPNU Friday at 8pm eastern. I will be rooting for MUS, but getting a win in South Panola will be exceedingly difficult, as I don't think SP have lost at home in over a decade.

[rollredroll]

My hunch is that MUS will still be in this game in the fourth quarter, and has a very good chance to win this one. Their defensive scheme causes fits, and their offense is too potent to be held too much in check. I see a game in the high teens, low 20s, decided by a TD or less.

[ba123]

Anyone care to share on the key MUS players that were lost, and those that returned from last year? They had some big play makers last year, from what I saw of that State Championship at least.

[USP94]

Hello all, i graduated from South Panola so of course i love our football team. I live in Memphis now so i've seen MUS play a couple of times so i know they have a well coached team. Tradionally South Panola has been a team that liked to have a QB, FB, and TB that each could run for 100 yards in any game but since Lance Pogue took over he's tried to have a more balanced offense with more passing. Having said that, South Panolal still likes to run the ball a lot and has an excellent senior running back in Nick Parker and another good senior running back named Dominique Carrothers. The offensive line is young but they have good size and are improving. The few times they do throw the ball it's usually to a very good junior WR named Nickalus Brassell(6'2"185) and he has very good hands with excellent speed. Defensively South Panola is very young but they have good size and is very fast. At safety they have a 9th grader named Antonio Conner(6'2"190) who was the best 8th grade athlete i had ever seen when i first saw him last year..he'll probably start for them at QB beginning next year. MUS has a very good team but South Panola hasn't lost a home game since November of '01 so it will be tough for MUS to go in there and get a victory.

USP 27

MUS 14

[big red big blue]

of course, RRR, this game won't register on the radars of most TN HS Football fans (that is, unless MUS loses badly, then it will become a regular discussion topic for the irony-challenged)...The defending D2 champ taking on a nationally regarded monster in South Panola. Should be the event of the year in Tennessee given our watered down, 15-20 championship play-off format. My guess is outside of the D2 crowd most "knowledgeable fans" will ignore this game altogether. By my count this will mean that each of MBA, BA, and MUS has carried the flag for TN in a nationally televised game against a marquee out-of-state opponent in the past 3 years. As usual, D2 is the face of TN when it comes to out-of-state football games.

 

BA and MBA have scheduled some true behemouths from out of state over the years, but this honestly may be the most aggressive out-of-state game put on a schedule by anyone in TN. In short, WAY TO GO MUS!!!! Can't wait to watch. Best of luck and BRAVO!!!!!!

[OmahaVol]

Hello all, i graduated from South Panola so of course i love our football team. I live in Memphis now so i've seen MUS play a couple of times so i know they have a well coached team. Tradionally South Panola has been a team that liked to have a QB, FB, and TB that each could run for 100 yards in any game but since Lance Pogue took over he's tried to have a more balanced offense with more passing. Having said that, South Panolal still likes to run the ball a lot and has an excellent senior running back in Nick Parker and another good senior running back named Dominique Carrothers. The offensive line is young but they have good size and are improving. The few times they do throw the ball it's usually to a very good junior WR named Nickalus Brassell(6'2"185) and he has very good hands with excellent speed. Defensively South Panola is very young but they have good size and is very fast. At safety they have a 9th grader named Antonio Conner(6'2"190) who was the best 8th grade athlete i had ever seen when i first saw him last year..he'll probably start for them at QB beginning next year. MUS has a very good team but South Panola hasn't lost a home game since November of '01 so it will be tough for MUS to go in there and get a victory.

USP 27

MUS 14

 

That's a good analysis of the Tigers, and I thank you for that. But, these two teams have too potent of offenses for it to be that low scoring. Both the Tigers and the Owls have each put up over 30 points in each of their games. South Panola's two wins(Petal/NW Rankin) are far more impressive than MUS' two wins(Millington/Kingsbury), but I think MUS will go down to Batesville and stun the Tigers. Remember, no one thought they would beat Olive Branch last year.

 

MUS 40

S. Panola 33

 

P.S. I hope S. Panola is ready for Madison Central in the playoffs....

[CheckerboardEndzones]

One of the big things, I think, is will SP underestimate MUS? It was very clear that Olive Branch did last year early on and they never seemed to be able to crank it up.

 

I believe that MUS also has Olive Branch @ OB next week and then a good White Station team a week or two after that. That is a heck of a 3 game stretch.

 

I agree with the post above about the MUS defensive scheme, but this might be the first time that a very young defense gets really tested.

 

If I had to venture a guess, I would pick MUS in a close one. SP is probably better athlete for athlete, but it is easy to underestimate the Owls based on their overall size and year in and year out, MUS remains to be one of the best well coached and disciplined group of FB players I have seen at this age. Oh yeah, and bc Barry Brunetti seems to make things happen when they need it.

[USP94]

I doubt very seriously if the South Panola players will over look MUS. Let's not forget that MUS is the team with the higher national ranking according to ESPN, they are the team that won a ring last year, they are the team with the longer winning streak of the two, and they are the team who some say has the #1 dual threat QB in the entire country. This is the first game all year where I feel the South Panola players will come out focused and stay focused for the entire game. I was at the MUS/OB game last year(MUS's stadium is unreal for a high school venue) and although OB doubled MUS in total yardage and limited Brunetti(sp) to something like 20 yards passing MUS capatialized on every mistake that OB made and gutted out an impressive victory. What made it even more impressive is that OB had just knocked off Pahokee down in Florida the week prior. It's funny because i got banned from the Florida message board because i said Florida went 0-3 versus Mississippi last year when you consider that Olive Branch knocked off power Pahokee, South Panola beat 6A power Opopka, and Ole Miss was the only team that beat Florida...lol Needless to say that statement didn't sit too well with 99% of the Floridians.

[BigSneaky]

I doubt very seriously if the South Panola players will over look MUS. Let's not forget that MUS is the team with the higher national ranking according to ESPN, they are the team that won a ring last year, they are the team with the longer winning streak of the two, and they are the team who some say has the #1 dual threat QB in the entire country. This is the first game all year where I feel the South Panola players will come out focused and stay focused for the entire game. I was at the MUS/OB game last year(MUS's stadium is unreal for a high school venue) and although OB doubled MUS in total yardage and limited Brunetti(sp) to something like 20 yards passing MUS capatialized on every mistake that OB made and gutted out an impressive victory. What made it even more impressive is that OB had just knocked off Pahokee down in Florida the week prior. It's funny because i got banned from the Florida message board because i said Florida went 0-3 versus Mississippi last year when you consider that Olive Branch knocked off power Pahokee, South Panola beat 6A power Opopka, and Ole Miss was the only team that beat Florida...lol Needless to say that statement didn't sit too well with 99% of the Floridians.

 

Plus this is a national TV game, I think both teams will be fired up and ready to play. My prediction for the game is MUS to take an early lead, nothing huge maybe 10 points, and then will try to hold on against a more athletic and far larger South Panola. I just don't think the Owls will be up to it come the 4th quarter, Parker slamming into MUS's undersized line throughout the game will pay dividends late...

SP by 7.

[OmahaVol]

I doubt very seriously if the South Panola players will over look MUS. Let's not forget that MUS is the team with the higher national ranking according to ESPN, they are the team that won a ring last year, they are the team with the longer winning streak of the two, and they are the team who some say has the #1 dual threat QB in the entire country. This is the first game all year where I feel the South Panola players will come out focused and stay focused for the entire game. I was at the MUS/OB game last year(MUS's stadium is unreal for a high school venue) and although OB doubled MUS in total yardage and limited Brunetti(sp) to something like 20 yards passing MUS capatialized on every mistake that OB made and gutted out an impressive victory. What made it even more impressive is that OB had just knocked off Pahokee down in Florida the week prior. It's funny because i got banned from the Florida message board because i said Florida went 0-3 versus Mississippi last year when you consider that Olive Branch knocked off power Pahokee, South Panola beat 6A power Opopka, and Ole Miss was the only team that beat Florida...lol Needless to say that statement didn't sit too well with 99% of the Floridians.

I like the part about Mississippi beating the Gators, but S. Panola did not beat a Florida power. Teams like Miami NW, STA, and Lakeland are the real Florida powers. Apopka was probably top 30 in Florida and Pahokee was blowing OB out and got too confident in the second half. However, OB took advantage of the lackadaisical attitude Pahokee had and made a great comeback. The Tigers and Owls will have a fantastic game and I wish good luck to both teams.

[CheckerboardEndzones]

I doubt very seriously if the South Panola players will over look MUS. Let's not forget that MUS is the team with the higher national ranking according to ESPN, they are the team that won a ring last year, they are the team with the longer winning streak of the two, and they are the team who some say has the #1 dual threat QB in the entire country. This is the first game all year where I feel the South Panola players will come out focused and stay focused for the entire game. I was at the MUS/OB game last year(MUS's stadium is unreal for a high school venue) and although OB doubled MUS in total yardage and limited Brunetti(sp) to something like 20 yards passing MUS capatialized on every mistake that OB made and gutted out an impressive victory. What made it even more impressive is that OB had just knocked off Pahokee down in Florida the week prior. It's funny because i got banned from the Florida message board because i said Florida went 0-3 versus Mississippi last year when you consider that Olive Branch knocked off power Pahokee, South Panola beat 6A power Opopka, and Ole Miss was the only team that beat Florida...lol Needless to say that statement didn't sit too well with 99% of the Floridians.

I like the part about Mississippi beating the Gators, but S. Panola did not beat a Florida power. Teams like Miami NW, STA, and Lakeland are the real Florida powers. Apopka was probably top 30 in Florida and Pahokee was blowing OB out and got too confident in the second half. However, OB took advantage of the lackadaisical attitude Pahokee had and made a great comeback. The Tigers and Owls will have a fantastic game and I wish good luck to both teams.

 

And the fact that Pahokee did not have a field goal kicker, so they routinely went for 2 and on 4th down in the red zone.

[BigSneaky]

Congrats MUS, what a job by that D-Line. Respect was taken.