Taras Woodson and Lavante Porter have been waiting for this moment.
As the only two seniors who have been on the West Lowndes High School football team for the last four years, a home playoff game has remained an elusive reward for all of the Panthers’ hard work.
That will change at 7 tonight when West Lowndes (8-4) plays host to Ray Brooks in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Class 1A playoffs.
West Lowndes earned the right to play at home in the first round thanks to a second-place finish behind Smithville in Region 1. It enters tonight’s game on a four-game winning streak. It also kicks off what it hopes will be a long postseason run with its most wins in a season since West Lowndes went 9-1 in 1995 under coach Felix Wicks. The Panthers won seven games three times since that season.
Woodson, who has been an anchor on the offensive line, doesn’t remember those teams. He recalls teams from the past few years that had the talent but, for whatever reason, didn’t come together. He said this season has been different because what the players agreed to unite behind a goal to get to the playoffs and to play at home for as long as they can.
“We all got together one day, the seniors, and said this is our last year, so we might as well finish it with a bang, and this is our bang,” Woodson said. “This is the first time we have been the playoffs in four or five years. We have come together. A lot of the seniors have encouraged the younger players to pick themselves up and not to fall into the same West Lowndes mentality where you play four or five games and you’re done.”
Earlier in the season, West Lowndes put itself in position to earn its first playoff berth since 2012 with a four-game winning streak. The streak was the program’s longest since 2010. A victory tonight would help the Panthers win five games in a row for the first time since 2001.
Woodson credits the discipline that head coach Anthony King and assistant coaches Todd Stanley and Joe Bafford established in the offseason for setting the tone. He said the discipline was there in previous years but not to the extent of this season. As a result, West Lowndes has been able to overcome injuries and to use a variety of weapons that includes junior quarterback Lemerrius Fair, senior running back Syborris Pippins, sophomore running back Jerry Anderson, and junior wide receiver Marcus Farmer.
Woodson said it is special to know he will get at least one more game at home as a senior. He hopes the Panthers are able to extend their run and earn a rematch against Smithville. On Oct. 9, West Lowndes lost at Smithville 20-6 on a rain-soaked field. West Lowndes will have to win tonight and then get past the winner of the Simmons-Coldwater game to make that happen.
King is excited to be a part of one of the biggest games in school history in recent memory. He said the team’s move from Region 3 to Region 1 helped it have more success, which enabled the players to build more confidence.
“They all want the ball,” King said. “That is a good problem to have. When it is the fourth quarter and the game is tight, they are all asking for the ball. We have gotten healthy at the right time.”
Woodson believes the Panthers are ready for the challenge.
“It is a great feeling to know this came from the whole team,” Woodson said. “Everybody has put into this, even the water boys.”
Basketball
n Meridian 62, Starkville 57: At Meridian, LeDarius Brewer had 19 points and Jay Malone added 17 to lead the No. 5 team in the Clarion-Ledger’s Super 10 poll past the Yellow Jackets, the No. 1 team.
Tyson Carter had a game-high 24 points for Starkville.
n In the girls game, Kelsey Jones had 14 points to lead Starkville to a 70-40 victory against Meridian.
Eryka Williams had 13 points and Tanita Thompson added 10 for the Lady Yellow Jackets.
n Choctaw County (boys) 62, Starkville Academy 49: Codie Futral had 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals for the Volunteers.
Reid Stevens had 12 points and seven rebounds, Carter Roach had 10 points and four rebounds, Ade Amura had six rebounds, and Colt Chrestman had four rebounds and three steals for Starkville Academy.
n In the girls game, Adrienne Futral had six points and three rebounds in Starkville Academy’s 35-30 loss to Choctaw County.
Sarah Pellum had five points, eight rebounds, and four steals, Bonner Hughes had five points, Kacey Faver and Sydney Passons had six rebounds, and Hannah Cuevas had eight rebounds.
n Caledonia (boys) 61, Columbus Christian Academy 56, OT: At Steens, RJ Deloach had 17 points for the Rams (1-2) in their loss to the Lowndes County public school rivals.
Kimarri Whitfield had 16 points and Aaron Meek added 12 for Columbus Christian, which will play next Friday at Starkville Academy.
Soccer
n Caledonia (boys) 3, Columbus 0: Garrett Parish had a goal and an assist Thursday night to lead the Confederates.
Will Rollins and Brandon Kidd also had goals. Eli Hemphill had four saves for his first shutout of the season.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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