The Leaf River Rivalry once again returns to its traditional Saturday night slot as Petal and Hattiesburg face off to begin their seasons.
Last season, the two teams renewed the rivalry on Friday after being forced to meet in the 2020 COVID season as a preseason scrimmage. Hattiesburg leads the all-time record series at 11-10, but Petal has won the last two meetings.
“We gave it the name of the Leaf River rivalry, and it’s a really friendly rivalry,” Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance said. “Our kids enjoy playing it each year. I think both teams go into it with the same mindset: ‘We are going to be better because we played this game.’ We are looking forward to getting out there and competing for four quarters against someone else for four quarters in a different uniform.”
The Panthers won last year’s game 16-10 in overtime after the Tigers turned the ball over late, which helped Petal snag the win.
Petal comes off a successful jamboree after having a 14-0 win over Harrison Central. According to Vance, the Panthers’ new starting quarterback Deljay Bailey looked to be a difference maker in the offense.
“They are definitely better than they were last year,” Vance said. “They have a move-in quarterback that’s a stud.
“Their defensive line will probably be as good as anybody we play all year. I think that the offensive line is extremely talented. They play extremely hard and don’t make many mistakes. They have a couple of guys at wideout that is able to make plays for them. So given that with the new quarterback, they definitely pose a challenge for our secondary and defense in general.”
Hattiesburg did not play in a jamboree but played Quitman in a scrimmage, in which no official score was kept.
“I think it’s a very typical Hattiesburg football team,” Petal coach Allen Glenn said. “They are very athletic and can really run. They are physical at the point of attack.
“It looks like they’ve changed a little bit offensively from what they were last year, so that’ll be a challenge for us to see something new from them. I was impressed with what I have seen on film from those guys.”
Glenn also added that the Panthers would have to stay aware of Hattiesburg linebacker/defensive end Tabias Hinton, who recently committed to Mississippi State.
“He obviously stands out,” Glenn said. “He’s a really good football player. He runs very well. He has played a lot of football and has played a lot of meaningful reps on Friday nights. As far as game planning around him, we have our hands full. He’ll be one of the top athletes that we play against all year. You try and limit what he can do, but he’s a good player as far as running things down and chasing things down. He’s just an all-around good player. We have to know where he is on the field at all times.”
For Vance, the most significant things he wants to see from his team is limiting mistakes and not turning the ball over.
“We want to go out and compete and be who we are,” Vance said. “We want to play within ourselves and play with great effort. Don’t make mental mistakes, and don’t beat ourselves. We don’t want to turn the ball over going back to that game last year.”
Hattiesburg hosts Petal at D.I. Patrick Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Glenn said. “It’s a local game for the area on a Saturday night at Hattiesburg. There will be a lot of people there. We want to be able to take in the environment.”
