Unbeaten Lake Cormorant will host South Panola on Friday, Nov. 20, in the second round of the MHSAA Class 6A football playoffs. It is a rematch of one of the Gators’ closest games of the season. The Lake Cormorant vs. South Panola game is set for 7 p.m. at Lake Cormorant, according to the SI High School stats bracket. Lake Cormorant (11-0) is now DeSoto County’s last team still playing.
Lake Cormorant vs. South Panola: The First Meeting
The two teams met at Lake Cormorant on Oct. 2. The Gators won 27-23, the only game this season that Lake Cormorant won by fewer than five points. South Panola came into that game 2-3. The Tigers have played much better since then.
South Panola (6-4) opened the playoffs with a 35-0 shutout at Neshoba Central on Nov. 13. Its regular season ended with a 30-29 loss to Center Hill, a sign of how competitive the Batesville program has been against DeSoto County teams this fall.
How the Gators Got Here
Lake Cormorant has outscored its 11 opponents 297-89, based on final scores posted by SI. The defense has posted two shutouts and has allowed more than 10 points only twice. The Gators’ path so far:
PURE Academy: W 27-8
DeSoto Central: W 14-7
Columbus: W 42-6
at Horn Lake: W 17-0
Southaven: W 20-0
South Panola: W 27-23
at Center Hill: W 14-9
at Saltillo: W 38-6
Grenada: W 14-6
at Olive Branch: W 42-14
Ridgeland (first round): W 42-10
The 42-10 first-round win over Ridgeland on Nov. 13 was the Gators’ second straight 42-point game. The other DeSoto County teams in the playoffs, Center Hill, DeSoto Central, Hernando and Horn Lake, were all eliminated that night.
The Rest of the 6A Bracket
The other second-round game on the Gators’ side of the bracket also has an unbeaten host. Canton (9-2), which beat Center Hill 21-17 in the first round, plays at Warren Central (11-0) on Friday. Warren Central shut out Grenada 36-0 in its opener.
On the southern side of the bracket, Friday’s games are:
Hancock (7-4) at Hattiesburg (8-3)
West Jones (9-3) at Picayune (8-3)
The MHSAA state championship games are scheduled for Dec. 3-5 at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville.
Before You Go
Ticket details and any change to the kickoff time are usually posted by the school during playoff week, so fans should check Lake Cormorant High School’s official athletics and social media pages before heading to the stadium.
