French Camp Captures 1A State Title Over Smithville

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JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI Sports) – French Camp had never won on a stage like this. Facing a Smithville team that has had five undefeated seasons in the past two decades, the Panthers showed why they’re the best 1A team in Mississippi Friday.

French Camp celebrated its first ever 1A state football championship as the Panthers defeated the Seminoles 27-6 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“We really felt like it was all going to work out for good,” tenth-year French Camp head coach Nathan Wright said. “We went through about as much of an up and down experience as you can go through. The lord is going to make something good come out of that, and he did that this year and what a wonderful way he did it for us and for our program.”

After finishing as runners up in 2012, French Camp lost its first four games of the season, playing higher classification teams. The Panthers then dominated most teams in the remainder of its schedule to capture the 2013 title.

French Camp out-gained Smithville 330 yards to 130 offensively.

“Keep having faith and keep believing in ourselves, keep going after it,” senior quarterback Jesse Hosket said. “The lord blessed our work and he enabled us to come back and finish well.”

The Panthers take down a Smithville team that was looking for its first crown since 1998. Head coach Bubba Tacker’s Seminoles team finishes as the runner up with an 11-4 record.