The Mendenhall Tigers took care of business last Friday night winning their Homecoming matchup against the Quitman Panthers 21-6.
It was an emotional game for the Tigers as they suited up without star wide receiver Walter No-No Owens, who sustained a major injury in the previous game. Owens was having a breakout year leading the Tigers in all statistical receiving categories.
The Tigers were banged up across their lineup starting with quarterback DK Jenkins, who presented a noticeable limp as he led the Tigers onto the field for their opening drive. It was evident early that Jenkins’ mobility was severely reduced after a well blocked routine play that he normally breaks for big yardage was stopped at the line of scrimmage. This opened the door for a showcase of the Tiger running back committee led by Tyler Bridges and Chance Barron.
Bridges and Barron carried the ball well throughout the game. It was a particularly great game for Barron, who displayed a physical downhill running style coupled with great vision and some elusive moves. Barron finished the game with 15 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown. Bridges has elite speed and is a big play threat on any given carry. He has been consistent throughout the season and finished the game with 21 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The offensive line performed exceptionally well against a well-coached Quitman defensive front. The line fired off the ball and got good push for most of the night to open running lanes. Jenkins was kept relatively clean for most of the night and was afforded plenty of time to complete passes on most plays.
Jenkins displayed his arm talent by completing 60 percent of his passes. He finished the game completing 12 of 20 pass attempts for 194 yards and a touchdown.
In the absence of his favorite target, Jenkins relied on the 6’4 junior receiver Nick Williams, who has had a quietly good season so far. Williams ran great routes throughout the game and stepped up into the lead receiver role nicely. He continues to show improvement and once he becomes more proficient with his opportunities will be a focal point of opposing defenses. Darius Dampier continued to perform at a high level from the slot receiver position. Dampier has scored at least one touchdown in the Tigers’ last three games. Dampier is elusive in the open field and Tigers’ offensive coordinator Darius Wren has done a great job orchestrating plays to get the ball in his hands. Dampier has made the most of his opportunities. He finished the game with four catches for 48 yards and a receiving touchdown and made several momentum shifting plays on special teams.
Defensively the Tigers were sound and opportunistic. Quitman was not proficient at throwing the ball but deployed a three- headed rushing attack. After settling into the game the Tigers found consistent success stopping the run. They were forced into some “bend but don’t break” situations in the second half but made the necessary stops to keep the Panthers out of the endzone. The Panthers’ only score came late in the second quarter on a heave-and-pray pass from their quarterback. The pass was tipped by two Tigers before falling into the hands of the Quitman receiver, who ran for a touchdown. Quitman hardly threatened to score following that sequence until later in the game from the Tigers’ 8 yard line. The Panthers quarterback threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Darius Dampier, who has replaced Owens at safety and returned to 97 yards to the 3- yard line.
Isaiah Drummond led the Tiger defense with 13 tackles followed by Chance Barron with 9 and Davin Chung with 8 tackles. Markquise King was disruptive along the defensive line and brought pressure to the Panther backfield.
Despite dealing with multiple injuries, the Tigers controlled the game from start to finish. The win put the Tigers in first place in their district and they remain undefeated in district play at 2-0.
Head Coach Chuckie Allen said, “We had to grind this one out. We’re dealing with injuries and have to get these guys healthy. We’re in one of the hardest districts and we’re trying to accomplish our first goal of winning a district championship.”
He said, “We haven’t won it since 2017, but the most important thing is to get them healthy. We’ve had a lot of guys step up like Nick, Darius and Chance and they’re playing great for us. We have a win-or-go-home mentality every week because that’s what it is for us so we’re going to play our best game and move forward.”
The Tigers will travel to face the Richland Rangers this Friday at 7 p.m. with aspirations of remaining undefeated in district play.
