The Tigers were almost at full strength in terms of injury last Friday night against Quitman. With playoff position on the line the Tigers took the field looking to lock up the second seed. Quitman was perceived to be one of their tougher opponents entering the season by many of the returning seniors. Their perception soon became reality.
Zay Duckworth returned as the featured back for the Tigers, and was doing a great job of moving the chains. He received good blocking up front from his linemen and did an excellent job of finding running room to start the game. The drive was progressing with little resistance until the Tigers moved within the Quitman’s 10 yard line. Quitman embodied the “bend but don’t break” philosophy and forced back to back negative plays for the Tigers. An errant pass on 3rd and goal quickly brought the Tigers to fourth down. The drive ended with Christian Allen being sacked on fourth down.
Senior middle linebacker Fred Tanner led the defense onto the field and set the tone early. The Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage early and forced a punt. The game was tied through one quarter of play with neither team finding the end zone. Defensively both sides were rising to the challenge. Christian Allen and the offense were able to move the ball but repeatedly met with struggles in the red zone.
Quitman lit up the scoreboard first late in the second quarter. The Panthers found some success with read options and jet sweeps. The Tigers struggled to contain outside runs, which led to chunk plays and eventually a touchdown. The extra point was good and the Panthers took a 7-0 lead. The Tigers displayed a strategy change late in the second quarter and began pounding the ball between the tackles. The Panthers were helpless, and Coach Chuckie Allen began working in Reggie McLaurin, who had a breakout game the previous week against Northeast Jones where he rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers failed to score in the first half of the game, but found a weakness heading into the break.
The Panthers possessed the ball to start the second half and were forced to punt. The offense picked up where they left off and resumed their physical running game. McLaurin continued to carry the momentum. Manager Rashawn Barnes summed it up best. He said, “That boy from Pinola! His feet hot!” McLaurin continued to barrel his way through the heart of the Panther defense until he found the end zone. McLaurin also punched in the 2-point conversion to give his team an 8-7 lead.
However the Panthers responded immediately with a big a kick return that brought them to the Tiger 15 yard line. The drive ended after three plays and the Panthers took a 15-8 lead following a two point conversion. The Tigers were able to move the ball within striking distance on their next drive, but the red zone woes appeared again.
The Panthers held the lead to start the fourth quarter and moved the ball to the Tiger 32 yard line before being forced into a fourth down situation. Brushawn Gardner made a crucial tackle on fourth down to give his team a chance to tie the game. With 7:42 left in the game the Tigers needed a play. It was Senior Night and the seniors stepped up. Zay Duckworth began running like a man possessed. He brought the crown to its feet after a taking a handoff up the middle and breaking several arm tackles in route to a big gain. Duckworth’s run set up a Michael Simmons touchdown from the 4 yard line. BoBo Walker made a difficult catch between two defenders for the two point conversion. The Tiger seniors rose to the challenge and gave their team a 16-15 lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers again remained calm and methodically marched down the field and took the lead. Their two point conversion was no good, and the Panthers led 21-16. Quitman went with an onside kick which was recovered by Fred Tanner. An excellent play call by Head Coach Chuckie Allen saw Duckworth open in the middle of the field to move the Tigers within scoring distance. The kid from Pinola, Reggie McLaurin, had his number called again. McLaurin took over the game, pounded the ball inside, and crossed the goal line to give his team the lead. The 2-point conversion was no good, and the Tigers led 22-21.
The Tigers had been getting out-performed on special teams, but in a high pressure late game situation they stepped up. The Tigers’ kickoff team was able to pin the Panthers deep in their own territory. With little time remaining, the game would depend on the Tiger defense that was playing a solid game and was one stop away from victory. Two short throws and an incomplete pass by the Pathers brought up fourth and short. The Panthers elected to run with their quarterback, a choice which had been successful all game. But Fred Tanner had other plans and diagnosed the play quickly. Tanner stopped the ball carrier short of the first down marker and sealed the game. The Tigers won 22-21.
With the win the Tigers advanced to 9-1 on the regular season and clinched a second seed playoff berth. Over the final two games the Tigers were able to add another weapon to their high powered offense in the form of sophomore running back Reggie McLaurin. McLaurin finished the game with 106 yards and two touchdowns. Zay Duckworth had 14 carries for 102 yards, and a single reception for 30 yards. Duckworth was imperative to the victory and provided a spark when the Tigers needed it most.
Defensive Coordinator Derrick Jenkins said, “This was a tough one. We had to fight to get it. It was a hard fight but we’ll take it.” Jenkins explained that the majority of the mistakes made on defense were effort based and remembering to do the small things. All of which can be fixed. He said, “We’re in the dance and all we need is a chance. It’s win or go home, and we’re ready. Let’s try to go get this gold ball.”
Head Coach Chuckie Allen said, “The kids fought hard. Quitman threw a wrinkle at us and did some things we weren’t prepared for.” Allen was pleased with how his team responded to the pressure of being down late in the game and was able to score when needed. He said, “We will be ready to go full speed next week. We’ll be 95 percent healthy for the first time since playing Purvis.” Allen believes his team is ready for a playoff run and was especially proud of how his younger players have stepped up to give the Tigers much needed depth.
The Tigers are entering the final stretch of the season, and will open the playoffs at home against Moss Point.
