In 2012, the Columbus High School football team won six games by scoring 21 or less points.
Those days are long gone for the Falcons.
This season, Columbus has used an up-tempo, high-octane offense to help it make a push for a second-straight appearance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A playoffs.
While some times have changed, others haven’t.
At 7 p.m. Friday night, South Panola again will stand in the way of Columbus achieving some lofty goals.
“It’s always a challenge to play South Panola,” Columbus senior running back Kylin Hill said. “They are one of the best teams in the state. We have some goals, though, and to reach them, we need to get this game.”
Columbus is still trying to find the win column against South Panola. A year ago, the teams met in one of the state’s premier games. In a battle of top-10 teams, South Panola stymied Columbus 35-13 in Batesville.
That game decided first place in Class 6A, Region 1. Friday night’s game features a different landscape. South Panola (5-5) is 4-1 in region play, while Columbus (5-4) is 3-2. A South Panola win would lock up second place for the Tigers. A Columbus win, along with a victory against Hernando next Friday and a Horn Lake loss at Tupelo, would give the Falcons second place for a second-straight season.
“You really want the last two weeks to be meaningful, and that is what we have here,” Columbus coach Randal Montgomery. “Win our final two games and get a little help and we are second in the region. Tupelo has proven to be the best team in the region. Second is also vitally important because it gives you a chance to host in the playoffs.”
Last season, Columbus played host to a first-round playoff game for the first time in program history. It did not go well as Clinton handed Columbus a 56-42 loss to end the season. However, the Falcons learned from the experience.
“Making the playoffs was really important because it gave us that taste and gave us that experience,” Hill said. “Even though we didn’t win the game, we grew up a lot. We learned. This year, we are fighting to get back to that point and to win some (playoff) games.”
Columbus must beat South Panola or Hernando to return to the playoffs. Most likely, the high-powered Columbus offense will have to click to give the team a chance.
South Panola lost to Tupelo (3-0) and beat Horn Lake (7-0). Columbus lost to Tupelo (43-27) and lost to Horn Lake (44-35).
Overall, the Falcons have gained 4,112 yards and scored 42 touchdowns by rush or pass. The Tigers have gained 2,571 yards and scored 24 touchdowns.
“When it’s contrasting styles, we have pretty much gotten the kind of game we wanted,” Montgomery said. “Our offense has done a great job of gaining yards and scoring points. You can’t re-invent yourself. After nine games, you are pretty much who you are. We know we have to go into stadiums having to outscore people.”
On most nights, Columbus has been able to do that. It enters the game coming off back-to-back wins — Southaven (49-33) and Olive Branch (48-35) — for the first time this season.
Hill leads the Falcons with 1,179 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. The contributions of senior Kendre Conner, senior C.J. Gholar, and junior Patrick Jackson can’t be understated. The Falcons have a hard time keeping Conner and Hill healthy at the same time. That duo appears good to go now through for the stretch run.
Gholar has completed 51.8 percent of his passes for 1,464 yards and 11 touchdowns (two interceptions). Senior Michael McCloud has 528 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
“As an offense, we take the challenge,” Jackson said. “We feel like we have to put up a lot of points to win. When we are clicking, we feel like that is not a defense that can slow us down. It’s a good feeling when everything is working at the same time.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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