South Panola High School junior quarterback Patrick Shegog was in a familiar position.
“We just feel like we need a play,” Shegog said. “With our defense, if we can do one thing right, we have a chance. We really aren’t going to beat ourselves. You have to take it from us.”
Columbus tried but couldn’t do just that.
Shegog’s 2-yard quarterback sneak on fourth down on the opening possession lifted South Panola to a 6-0 victory against Columbus in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A, Region 1 game at Falcon Field.
It was the latest heartbreak in a series of bizarre, gut-wrenching losses at home for the Falcons. Once a top-10 team, Columbus is 1-4 at home this season.
“We had our chances,” Columbus coach Randal Montgomery said. “We asked our kids to play hard for four quarters. I don’t think there is any doubt we did that. We competed on every snap. It hurts. They all hurt. This is what the season has been like. You want answers. They aren’t easy to find.”
South Panola improved to 6-5 and 5-1 in region play. After a 1-4 start, the Tigers have battled back to clinch the No. 2 seed in the region. Columbus fell to 5-5 and 3-3.
To qualify for the playoffs, Columbus must beat Hernando on Friday at home. If Horn Lake defeats Southaven, Columbus will have to beat Hernando by seven or more points to qualify for the playoffs. Winning by seven or more would earn the region’s No. 4 seed, while winning by 11 or more points would earn the region’s No. 3 seed.
If Southaven defeats Horn Lake, all Columbus has to do is win to qualify for the postseason as the No. 3 seed.
“It comes down to one game for us, and that hurts because we are better than that,” Columbus senior defensive lineman Tahj Sykes said. “We allowed one score and the offense struggled to come along with us. It has been a strange year. We really compete hard. You couldn’t be more proud of how that game went. You wouldn’t think one drive would do it.”
South Panola took the opening kickoff and possessed the ball for 21 straight plays. The Tigers had six first downs and converted three third downs and two fourth downs. The drive lasted into the opening play of the second quarter.
On the touchdown, the ball was mishandled and the give to the running back didn’t happen. Shegog kept the ball and fell forward. It was a freak play, but on this night it was enough.
“Never seen a drive take an entire quarter,” South Panola coach Lance Pogue said. “That’s a first for me. It may have been our best drive of the season.”
Sykes said the Falcons weren’t caught off guard by anything the Tigers tried. After earning 85 yards on that drive, the Tigers were held to 75 yards the rest of the night.
“We played our tails off,” Sykes said. “It was an incredible defensive effort. We just needed something good to happen. It never did.”
Once Columbus finally possessed the ball, the going was tough against the best defense in Class 6A. Columbus finished with 174 yards, including a 16-rush, 80-yard night by Kylin Hill.
In the second half, Columbus missed two field goals — 47- and 36-yarders by Chris Taylor that sailed under the crossbar.
The two biggest drives of the second half took place in the fourth quarter,
Sykes busted through and blocked a punt around midfield. Levorn Williams had the recovery. That play set the Falcons up on the Tigers’ 33-yard line. A 22-yard run by Kylin Hill moved the ball to the 9. Hill was then stopped for a 6-yard loss on an end-around and a passing play netted minus-4 yards.
The second missed field goal try followed.
“The punt block was great,” Sykes said. “We felt like we could get a kick. Their guy had gotten me the last couple of times. I just felt like I could go under him. … We got the block, but we just couldn’t get the bounce. You never know where the ball will go when it is deflected. That was a big play. It could have been bigger.”
Columbus then got the ball back on its 44 with 3 minutes, 48 seconds left. C.J. Gholar hit Hill for 18 yards and Michael McCloud for 22 yards. A roughing the passer penalty moved the ball to the 8.
Gholar appeared to have thrown the tying touchdown on second down, but Morris House stripped McCloud of the ball. On third down, Gholar kept to the 3. Hill was stuffed on fourth down.
“We were right there but couldn’t get it done,” Montgomery said. “That is more a credit to the South Panola defense than anything else.”
Shegog felt the Tigers were in their comfort zone after experiencing a 3-0 loss to Tupelo and a 7-0 victory against Horn Lake.
“This is what we do,” Shegog said. “I am really proud of the guys for hanging tough. I think a lot of people doubted us, but we kept going.”
Columbus needs to beat Hernando to keep going. To review the bizarre twists and turns of this season would do no good.
“It’s a one-game season,” Montgomery said. “Hard to believe this is where we are, but it is where we are. I just know we will show up and play hard and compete. We do that every week.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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