The Mendenhall Tigers achieved a milestone last Friday in a hard fought game against the Quitman Panthers. The Tigers came into the game after suffering an unexpected loss to the Northeast Jones Tigers. The loss locked the Tigers in a 3 way tie with West Lauderdale and Quitman for first place in the district. The Tigers found themselves in a must win game on the road. Offense came early in the game for the Panthers and they were able to move the ball on the ground for a touchdown. Christian Allen returned as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.
There was some rust for Allen after missing essentially three weeks, but his teammates picked up the slack until he found his rhythm. An early interception led to a second touchdown for the Panthers who took a 12-0 lead. Jordan Willis was able to put the Tigers on the scoreboard with his first rushing touchdown followed by a Freels extra point late in the first quarter.
Both defenses were stingy in the second quarter and the Panthers took a 12-7 lead going into half time. The Tigers possessed the ball near their 35 yard line following the kickoff. A reverse to Zykiel Woodard gained a big chunk of yards and moved his team to the Panthers 40 yard line. Jordan Willis followed Woodard with a 25 yard gain setting up first and goal.
Willis capped the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game. The Tigers attempted a two point conversion but were unsuccessful and had to settle for a 1 point lead. The lead wouldn’t last long, and the Panthers returned the following kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers converted their two point conversion and led 20-13.
The teams would then swap punts before the game entered the fourth quarter. The Tigers found the spark they needed on offense with a big run from Keshun Collier that was good for 65 yards. With the ball on the Panthers 15 yard line Willis created something out of nothing. On what seemed to be a busted play, Willis started towards his right before reversing field and receiving a block from Collier that opened a crease for his third rushing touchdown of the game. The Tigers two point conversion was good and they led 21-20.
The Tigers had an answer for everything the Panthers threw at them. Stink Hobbs was able to get to the quarterback on first down and stop him in the backfield. The Panthers found themselves facing third and long. The defensive front was aggressive and Jarious Newsome got to the quarterback for a sack. A short punt on fourth down saw the Tigers offense take over at the 36 yard line. On fourth down Allen was stopped short of the first down marker.
The Tigers turned the ball over on the Panther 30 yard line with 7:14 left in the game. Panther quarterback breaks gains a big chunk of yards through the middle on first down. The Tiger defense was on their heels and the Panthers advanced the ball to the 30 yard line. The defense finally managed to string together some stops and the Panthers were facing fourth and 6 on the Tigers 12 yard line.
On a crucial fourth down play the defense relied on Tavaris Grace who has come through in big time situation all season. The Panthers dropped back to pass on fourth down and Grace found himself in perfect position and intercepted the ball. Grace returned the interception for his second pick six of the season. The Tigers’ two point conversion was no good, but the 27-20 lead would stand. The Tigers won the game and earned the title of District Champions. Coach Allen and his team celebrated their accomplishment. Allen said, “It’s been 8 or 9 years since we won a district championship. It was hard fought, but we pulled it out. These kids deserve it they’ve worked their tails off.”
Defensive coordinator Jeff Crosby said, “We had to bough our necks and play ball tonight that’s the bottom line. They were tough, fast, and big.” The Tigers found a way to win, but have a long way to go before they can rest on their laurels. This was a fact that Coach Allen was sure to remind them of. He said, “Enjoy the win, but understand that from this point forward its win or go home.”
The Tigers will be entering the playoffs as a number one seed, and have drawn the Purvis Tornadoes in the first round. The Tigers defeated the Tornadoes earlier this season 38-24. The team finished the regular season with an 8-2 record, and expectations are high as they look to go 5-0 and capture a state championship. The playoffs begin at 7 p.m. Friday in the Tiger Den.
