#HSFT18: Stop No. 33 – South Pontotoc Cougars

PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) — A new season begins for the South Pontotoc Cougars.

The Cougars bring back fifteen starters, including senior running back Eddie Ivy and tight end Brett Riley.

“We are kind of looking forward to this it this year,” said head coach Michael Bradley. “We got a good group of seniors coming back. We’ve got seventeen seniors. Six of these seniors have been starting since the very first game of their freshmen year. The last two years we’ve kind of turned the tables a little bit and these guys are seniors this year, and we are excited about the prospects for a good season.”

“We’ve got most of our team back,” said senior lineman John Barnes. “We had a few key players on offense and defense leave with being a senior, and I just think we are going to be good this year.”

The team says it’s gearing up for a big year to have another winning season.

“I’m looking forward to coming back out here and doing what I love,” said senior running back Eddie Ivy. “Playing with teammates that I’ve been playing with all these years since the seventh grade. I’m trying to break two thousand yards this year.”

“I think we are going to do really good this season,” said senior lineman Noah Wortham. “I’ve been trying to work hard and push in the weight room to get better and stronger for this year. I plan on trying to show out and try to give my brothers what they deserve.”

Last season, South Pontotoc started the season 7-0 before losing four out of their last five games.

With a new season looming, the Cougars are putting the past behind them and moving forward.

“We got to let the past be in the past,” Ivy said. “We’ve got to try to work hard in the weight room and get better, and not make the same mistake next year.”

“We can’t just let it effect us,” Wortham said. “The past is in the past. We’ve got to keep looking towards the future.”

Expectations are high once again this season for the Cougars.

Something that hasn’t been done in over three decades is hosting a playoff game.

“It would be really good if we could be up there and do that,” Bradley said. “That’s one of our goals. We’ve got to work towards those goals, and we’ve got to take it one step at a time.”

“It would be a lot of fun to host a playoff game,” Wortham said. “It would be really good for the school and for all of us to host one and show what we can do.”

South Pontotoc will open the season on Thursday, Aug 16th with a road trip to Vardaman.