The second official season of girls flag football in Mississippi is well underway, and South Pike and McComb's squads braved some rainy conditions to square off in a rivalry clash Thursday.
With both teams claiming a 1-0 record coming into this matchup, the Lady Tigers remained unbeaten by using a suffocating defense and a handful of explosive plays to grind out a 12-0 win.
The Lady Eagles set the tone first, as they came up with a tackle for loss on the first snap of the game before eventually forcing a punt.
McComb's defense answered in kind with a stop, highlighted by a pass breakup from senior Traviona Cyprian.
She then hauled in a first-down pass during the Lady Tigers' next possession, but Cyprian's efforts were in vain as the home side turned the ball over on downs soon after.
After the rivals felt each other out through the first couple of drives, the ensuing South Pike possession was when momentum began to shift.
Junior Shalia Johnson sparked the Lady Eagle offense with an explosive catch-and-run to set her team up in the red zone. But just two plays later, McComb's Camari Evans intercepted a pass over the middle, and the junior raced down the sideline for a game-changing pick-six.
That pivotal score occurred with just over two minutes left before halftime, and the margin remained 6-0 heading into the break.
The second half began in similar fashion to how the first concluded.
Senior Gabrielle Poole came up with an interception in the middle of the field to end South Pike's opening drive, and head coach Marquis McFarland's offense went to work after that.
McFarland acts as the offensive coordinator for the Tigers' football team, and thus he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve for this matchup. McComb methodically worked down the field in large part thanks to a flurry of swing passes that sometimes turned into trick plays.
And to put the cherry on top, Poole hauled in a pass over the middle before juking her way past multiple defenders for a touchdown that brought the home crowd to its feet.
Having just pushed her team's lead to 12-0 with under 14 minutes left in the game, Poole proceeded to intercept another pass during the Lady Eagles' ensuing possession.
The Lady Tigers turned the ball over on downs soon after, and South Pike created some positive momentum when senior Anyah Jones snagged a tipped pass to move into opposing territory.
But the Lady Eagles were stopped soon after, and after McComb gave the ball back, Cyprian fittingly ended the game with another interception.
South Pike will next hit the road to face Gentry at 5 p.m. on April 16, while McComb will host Wilkinson County at 6 p.m. next Thursday.
For more background information on girls flag football in the state, visit this link which references an introductory article the EJ wrote last year.
