There wasn’t much room to sit Friday Night at Hornet Field and not much room to run for Quitman as the Poplarville Hornet Defense suffocated the Panthers in a 33-12 2nd Round Playoff win. The Panthers could only manage to reach the endzone twice Friday night, once on a ball that was nearly intercepted in the 1st quarter and again on a long run in the 3rd quarter. The Hornet Defense played with an intensity that the Quitman Panthers had not yet seen. Peyton Graham led the team in tackles, tallying 10 solos and 2 assists. Seniors Chad Hart and Turan Smith combined for 17 tackles to aid in the Defenses impressive effort. The Hornets would lead Quitman going in at halftime by a score of 7-6 as Austin Bolton capped off a 93 yard 20 play drive with a 1 yard TD plunge into the checkerboards. Austin would find the endzone once more and finish the night with 137 yards on 26 carries and 2 TDs. The second half started off great for the Hornets as QB Antonio Barnes found WR Canaan Ray for a 51 yard TD pass on the second play. Sophomore Canaan Ray would add to his total with another TD catch in the 4th quarter that ultimately sealed the deal for the Hornets. Barnes would finish the night with 102 yards on 4 completions and 2 TDs. The Hornets were led once again in rushing by Senior Captain Jesse Pernell. Pernell amassed 157 yards on 22 carries and found the endzone once. The Hornets will travel to Mendenhall to take on the Tigers in 3rd Round action on Friday, November 18. Kickoff is set for 7:00. Come out and support your Hornets.
