The Pascagoula Panthers triumphed over the Long Beach Bearcats with a commanding 50-21 victory on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium.
This marked the 18th meeting between the two schools, further solidifying the Panthers’ dominance in the series with their 16th win.
The game kicked off with excitement as Pascagoula’s Sebastian Ford recovered a fumble and swiftly returned it into the red zone. Just moments later, quarterback Silas Corder connected with Christian Campbell for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Long Beach responded with determination as quarterback William Brady dashed 20 yards for a touchdown, tying the score at 7-7 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
However, the Panthers quickly regained momentum after Tylan Wilson fielded an onside kick cleanly and returned it for a touchdown, putting Pascagoula ahead 14-7.
The back-and-forth continued as the Bearcats answered with a drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Taj Aubert, tying the game once more, this time at 14-14.
But the Panthers refused to be outdone. On their next drive, Amarie Jackson scored on a 13-yard run to give Pascagoula a 21-14 lead with 6:57 left in the first half.
In a stunning turn, a squib kick from Mason Cramer took an unexpected bounce, allowing the Panthers to recover and quickly extend their lead with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Campbell.
Jackson then electrified the crowd with a 72-yard touchdown run just before halftime for a 35-14 Pascagoula lead.
The second half saw Long Beach struggling to regain control. After Long Beach’s failed fourth-down attempt inside the Pascagoula 10-yard line, the Panthers offense capitalized. Caleb Culberson scored on a touchdown run, making it 42-14 with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Pascagoula continued to dominate, with Sean Norvel adding a touchdown shortly after, and the Panthers finished the third quarter with a 50-14 lead.
Despite the tough loss, the Bearcats showed resilience and managed to score again in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. The final whistle blew, sealing Pascagoula’s decisive victory at 50-21.
After the game, Pascagoula coach Lewis Sims praised his team’s effort, saying, “Last year, Long Beach took us to the brink, so we knew how hard and tough they play. They are well-coached and play extremely hard. They created several extra offensive possessions by utilizing different kinds of kicks.
“Coach Massey took me to school, so we have worked really hard on varying our kickoffs. Skunk Cramer has a great leg and can kick it deep. He also has the ability to kick different types of onsides with varying degrees of spin.
“He is a golfer, so he applies golf strategy to kicking. He creates so many chances to recover kicks and puts the opposition in an unenviable position, needing to field an oblong ball that is spinning like crazy.”
“We took advantage of our possessions on offense this week and were able to create a lead and play loose by being special on special teams. Our defense stood firm and did a good job of playing disciplined football.”
As the Panthers celebrate this significant win, Pascagoula is eager to build on its success. Long Beach, meanwhile, is determined to regroup and come back stronger.
The Panthers will travel to Hancock next week and Long Beach will play at Picayune.
