Indians go out in first round

Jeremy Jackson’s first season as head coach of the Byhalia football team ended Friday night with a loss in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Offensive struggles and some injuries on the defensive side saddled the Indians with a 52-0 loss at Winona.

“We held up pretty tough early,” Jackson said.

“We had injuries already on defense and then Prince Bentley got hurt in the third, and the flood gates opened after that.

“Defense has been the heart of our team, but we certainly weren’t as strong as we normally are.

“And our offensive woes continued. We had some opportunities passing the ball but we couldn’t capitalize.”

He compared the season as a whole to a roller coaster. The Indians finished 3-7.

“It was an up-and-down season,” Jackson said. “There were some growing pains for the players and for myself, too. But I saw a lot of growth — things we can build on. It’s all part of the growing process. We have to try to build consistency and take it to the next level.”

He will return the bulk of his defense in 2022, while he will have to rebuild the offensive line.

“We have some guys coming back who can keep us moving in a positive direction,” Jackson said.

Winona (9-1) advances to meet Noxubee County in round two of the playoffs.

Coach Jackson named Leearthur Buford the most valuable player of the game last Friday versus the Tigers.

“He was the spirit of the team,” he said. “He kept everybody going. He had a good game defensively — an interception and several tackles — and he played through an injury.”