BerryBy JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

After a disappointing start to an otherwise strong 2011 season, Benton Academy worked hard in the offseason to ensure it didn’t happen again.
All that work paid off Friday night as the Raiders defeated Carroll Academy 19-8 on the road to kick off the 2012 season.
“We talked all summer about the importance of starting strong and building on the success of last season,” said Raiders head coach Wayman Grantham. “We’re where we hoped to be right now.”
Kent Manor led the Raiders offense with 20 carries for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Jason Berry led the BA defense in tackles and scored on an interception.
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Panthers quarterback Michael Collum quickly scored on the first drive of the season opener Friday night. An extended lightning delay cooled off the red hot start, however, and the Florence went on to squeeze out a 29-28 victory. By JASON PATTERSON
Editor & Publisher

Yazoo County came out with guns blazing to score on the first drive of the game, but the Panthers lost their momentum after an extended lightning delay.
The Panthers were still in position to win the season opener with less than two minutes in the game, but Florence recovered a fumble to score the game winning touchdown.
Panthers head coach Bernard Eull said the extended delay seemed to have a negative impact on his team.
“I don’t want to say it was the primary factor, but we came back flat,” Eull said. “We felt like that first drive was going to set the tone for the game, but after the long layoff we didn’t look like the same team. It’s no excuse though, because Florence had to go through the same thing that we did.”
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RichardsonBy JOFFRE WASHINGTON
For the Herald

Like the rest of the teams around the state, the Yazoo City Indians had waited nine months to play in another competitive football game. So, what was waiting another hour going to matter?
That was the approximate amount of time the Indians had to wait Friday night as their season opener against the Germantown Mavericks was halted just minutes into the first quarter due to severe lightning in the area. The delay, however, seemed to jolt the Indians as they returned to the field to score 20 unanswered points while holding off a Maverick rally to secure a 26-21 victory.
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Wister Hitt and a Benton Academy player dive after a fumble during a scrimmage game between the two rival schools. By TAYLOR MITCHELL
Sports Editor

Last week, three of the high school football teams in Yazoo County got their first taste of outside competition in preparation for the upcoming season with the annual round of Jamborees.
Manchester Academy made the short trek to Tri-County last Thursday, Benton Academy went to Deer Creek Friday night and Yazoo City traveled to Hollandale Simmons on Friday night to face Clarksdale and Indianola Gentry. Yazoo County’s jamboree at S.V. Marshall was cancelled.
The Mavericks won 7-0 in both of their games Thursday night. Josh Peaster scored the lone touchdown against Newton on a hail mary pass in the final moments of the game. Will Stonestreet scored the touchdown against Central Holmes on an option play.
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