Football Game Preview: Independence Wildcats vs. Coahoma County Red Panthers + How To Watch

The Independence Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Coahoma County Red Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 42-9, which was the final score in Independence's tilt against Magnolia Heights on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked 210th, while the Chiefs are ranked 42nd).

Meanwhile, while Coahoma County put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Holly Springs. The Red Panthers breezed past the Hawks to the tune of 52-0. The game marked the Red Panthers' most dominant victory of the season.

Special teams played a big role in the game for Coahoma County, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Radarius Crawford, who ran a punt back for a touchdown. Another bright spot was a kickoff return touchdown from him.

One reason for the win was Coahoma County's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Holly Springs' QB won't forget Zechariah Smith anytime soon given he sacked him 2.5 times. Coahoma County received some extra help from Terry Thomas, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Coahoma County's win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-5. As for Independence, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-4.

Independence strolled past Coahoma County when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 28-14. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.