West Lowndes football coach Anthony King knows his players need a break.
This year, the Panthers might just catch one.
As a Class 1A program in the Mississippi High School Activities Association, West Lowndes has never had rosters large enough to go three or four deep at every position. The team usually hovers around 30 players; this year’s sits at 34.
That always meant most of West Lowndes’ starters played on both offense and defense with little rest during each contest.
But thanks to a solid crop of ninth graders poised to make an impact, King’s team is prepared to give its stars much-needed breathers when they need them this fall.
“Our depth level is a lot better than it was last year,” King said. “We should be able to play four quarters now.”
After an 8-3 regular season in 2019 on the heels of a 2-9 campaign in 2018, the breather West Lowndes will be able to give its key players could hint at even more improvement to come. The Panthers broke a long postseason drought before losing to Biggersville in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs, and King expects more progress this fall.
“We should do exactly what we did last year and be a little bit better,” he said.
That improvement must come without standout Jherquaveus “Qua” Sanders, who graduated and committed to play at Jones College. King said he didn’t realize how much Sanders brought to the team until he rewatched game tapes and saw the dynamic playmaker flying all over the field at running back, wide receiver and quarterback.
“Qua Sanders will be a tough replacement because he did a lot for us last year,” King said.
Junior Marquez Shelton will be this year’s version of a do-it-all player for the Panthers, able to line up at wideout and defensive back.
He’ll also play the role of backup quarterback, slotting in behind returning starter Melvin Crawford at the position.
“Melvin’s got three years of experience, so we’re hoping that will pay off big time this year,” King said.
The Panthers also return running back Marcquez Holliday and a veteran offensive line of Royquavious Williams, Jeremiah Harris, Fredrick Rice, Cameron Brooks and Victor Barnett.
“The line pretty much consists of all juniors and seniors, so I think we’re going to have a pretty good offensive line,” King said. “I think we could be one of the biggest offensive lines, like we were last year.”
Barnett, the team’s right tackle, said West Lowndes still needs to shore up its second-team offensive line, but the Panthers’ experience is driving the starting lineman to work hard.
“With the seniors coming in, we’re going to get even better, put more effort forth,” he said.
King brought in former Noxubee County and Louisville head coach M.C. Miller as defensive coordinator this year, a huge addition for West Lowndes. Miller said at Monday’s practice that it’s his first time coaching Class 1A football and that he was still taking a “wait and see” approach with the team.
“They’re looking better and better, but we still have a long way to go,” Miller said.
Friday’s two-quarter home scrimmage against McAdams should help West Lowndes evaluate where it stands. King said he’ll pore over the game film to see how his offensive and defensive linemen are coming off the ball and make any necessary adjustments before the Panthers’ Sept. 4 season opener at Class 3A Kemper County.
King said he expects a close game against McAdams, which West Lowndes beat 12-8 on the road last season. He remembers a well-prepared team with plenty of success running the ball, though the Bulldogs’ roster might be depleted with many students doing virtual learning because of COVID-19.
“We’ll have to see what they have on Friday,” King said.
But despite the uncertainty of how they’ll look in the scrimmage, the Panthers feel pretty confident that with their strong offense and a veteran coach leading their defense they’ll be able to make strides from last year’s excellent season.
“I think we’re in good shape,” Miller said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
