COLUMBUS — Last Friday was must-win football for West Lowndes.
The Panthers, coming into their homecoming week game against Byhalia, were riding a three-game losing streak, desperate for some positive vibes to kickstart district play in the coming weeks.
Playing a 4A school in Byhalia meant a complete performance was needed from West Lowndes, and it got just that, dominating in a 42-6 victory.
Now 2-3 on the season, West Lowndes is right where it wants to be with as it hosts another 4A opponent, North Pontotoc, on Friday.
“We’ve been out of school, so practice has been different,” West Lowndes head coach Anthony King said. “The guys have been able to just focus on practice right now, which has been good, and we played pretty good ball last Friday and we’re back on the winning track.”
It’s been a rocky start for the Panthers after a thrilling 42-40 win over French Camp Academy in their season opener.
The next three games resulted in three-straight losses, each by at least three touchdowns.
West Lowndes scored 26 total points during that skid, allowing 38.3 points a game to opponents as their record quickly dropped to 1-3.
“We’re getting better every week,” senior running back Gary Brewer said. “… Everyone is really feeling good about themselves.”
There’s been plenty of change within West Lowndes’s schemes this season, with King openly talking about changing up offensive and defensive lineups week-to-week to give his team the best chance to win.
It’s worked 40 percent of the time so far, but earning a win during homecoming week is something he hopes will snowball into a run of success.
“They’re going to give us a good battle,” King said. “If we can execute against them, a 4A school, then we can execute against a 1A school.”
West Lowndes has just three district games, fewer than in previous years, to secure itself a spot in the playoffs.
Last season, the Panthers were one of the highest scoring teams among Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A schools, and went toe-to-toe with the better teams in their district and within the classification.
The same can’t be said for 2023 so far, but a second-straight win against a 4A school, while a tough task to ask for any 1A school, could potentially turn West Lowndes’s season around.
“If we can get all the guys to buy in and come to practice ready, we should have no problem,” Brewer said.
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