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Greatest Single Season Football team in State History


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South Panola steamrolled its way to the Class 6A state title in 2010 and became the first and only national champion from Mississippi. How South Panola did it was pretty remarkable.

They trounced Meridian in the state championship game and were at No. 2 in the national rankings for one week before No. 1 team Euless (Texas) Trinity High lost in the state championship game, and South Panola moved up. 

South Panola only gave up more than 13 points in a game once in 2010, in a 65-35 win over Georgia powerhouse Colquitt County in the second game of the season, and averaged 48.5 points per game. 

Running back Qyen Griffin had one of the all-time great seasons in Mississippi history, rushing for 2,670 yards and 37 touchdowns, but remarkably, no player from South Panola's national title team made it to the NFL.

 

 

 

I stole this from somewhere!

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Very hard to argue with that 2010 Panola squad, but for the sake of playing devil's advocate, I will take 1987 Pascagoula. Defense gave up an average of 6 points per game and also recorded 6 shutouts. Only surrendered 84 points all season long. The offense was averaging 28 points a game as well. They had many division 1 football stars and several of them played in the NFL as well. I remember the beating they put on my older brother and Gulfport that year. Still is the best high school football team I have seen in person. 

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A few South Panola teams in this discussion so their fans can weigh in. 

 

I'm a Pascagoula graduate so, yes, our 1987 team is in the discussion.  Shane Matthews and Terrell Buckley both finished in the top ten in Heisman balloting in 1991.  Shane also won SEC Player of the Year '90 and '91.  Buckley won the Thorpe Award in '91.  Center Frank Godfrey started multiple years at LSU, DL Keith Joseph played at MSU, LB Rickey Alexander played at LSU, DB Carl Tart played at Jackson State, RB Donald Moffett had a great career at the University of Houston, and Kez McCorvey was an All-America at FSU.  John Grant, who played tight end, may still hold the state record for receptions in a single season.  I won't elaborate on the troubles of Eddie Flora but he may have been the most naturally gifted athlete on that team as a 6'4" defensive lineman who was coveted by many schools. 

 

The offense was a single back/run & shoot and averaged 28 points a game.  The defense (when adjusted for points not scored against) surrendered 4.4 points per game and pitched 6 shutouts.  In the playoffs, the Pascagoula defense allowed only two touchdowns, one being from inside the ten yard line following an interception at Warren Central.

 

One more thing ... South 5A was absolutely stacked that year with Hattiesburg (Greg Plump), Warren Central (William Prince and Tony Smith), and Clinton (Tony James and Phillip Johnson) so running through that gauntlet was no small task.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Archer
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2010 South Panola team was great. Meridian was 14-0 coming in to that game and we were really good that year. They beat us 28-7. 
 

The 2005 SP team was also great. Steam rolled us 52-14 in the championship game. 
 

Amory had a really great team I think in 1995. 
 

The 1985 Meridian defense has to be the best defense in the history of Mississippi High School football (at least among the large 5A-6A schools). Outscored the opposing team offenses 37-34 for the season. 9 shutouts on the season.  Held opposing teams to an average of 2.5 points per game. Held David Fair RB for Starkville to under 100 yards both games (regular season and championship game). Fair was a great RB in HS who later suffered a career ending knee injury. 
Defense was led by Demetrius Hill & Company. He was a MAN among boys. Hill is absolutely the defensive player that I have ever seen on the HS level. He was a DT with an amazing combination of strength, quickness and agility. 
 

But it is difficult to pick one team. Goula in 1987 was really good as well. But it is fun to share opinions and memories. 

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