Ethel ran into a buzz saw in Region 3-1A champion West Lowndes, which defeated the Tigers 42-2. The Panthers have won all six region games, outscoring their opponents 244-48.
Ethel Coach Adam Smith was duly impressed.
“We got into the red zone a couple of times, but we couldn't punch it in. They are just so fast. They're well coached. They have great kids. They had a great attitude all night. They are the epitome of sportsmanship,” Smith said of West Lowndes.
Ethel had two good scoring opportunities, but turned the ball over on downs after reaching the 13 and the 3-yard lines
The Tigers' only score came when the defense sacked the quarterback in the end zone.
“Cyrus (Rone) was the first one there and everybody else kind of jumped on it,” Smith said.
Ethel had 226 yards on the ground, led by Rone with 20 carries for 93 yards and Brent Bell with seven carries for 50 yards. Defensive end Walter Wilkerson had seven tackles and half a sack, linebacker Tyler Weaver six tackles and one sack, and linebacker Ladarris Hubbert six tackles and half a sack.
“We didn't give up. Sometimes you run into a team that is just better than you. I knew they were going to be good, but I didn't know they would be that good,” Smith said. “They're really talented. They run the same stuff as we do, but with their speed and athleticism they do it a lot better.”
West Lowndes was led by Fred Rice who threw for 233 yard and three touchdowns and ran for a TD.
The defeat left Ethel third in the region with a 3-2 record (4-2 overall) heading into the final two games against Vardaman Friday and Noxapater next Thursday. Both will be home games. The losses came against West Lowndes and French Camp, which is second at 4-1.
Right behind the Tigers are Vardaman, Sebastopol, and Hamilton, each 2-3. Leake County is 1-4 and Noxapater 1-5. Ethel has wins against Sebastopol, Hamilton and Leake County. A victory against Vardaman would assure Ethel making the 1A playoffs, probably as the region's number three seed.
Vardaman, 3-4 overall, has region wins against Noxapater and Leake County and losses to Sebastopol, French Camp and Hamilton. Smith is concerned about the Rams' passing attack and said his team will work on pass defense leading up to the game.
3-1A will be matched up against 4-1A when the 1A playoffs begin November 12. That region includes two defending state champions. Lumberton won 1A last year and Taylorsville won 2A before dropping down under an MHSAA reclassification. Taylorsville and Bay Springs are 5-0 in region play and Lumberton is 3-2.
