Football Game Preview: Wilcox Central Jaguars vs. Southside Panthers

The Wilcox Central Jaguars will face off against the Southside Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wilcox Central has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with eight straight losses, while Southside will come in with seven straight victories.

Wilcox Central is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Greensboro on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Jaguars took a blow against the Raiders, falling 46-14. The Jaguars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 26-0.

Meanwhile, Southside got themselves on the board against Sumter Central on Thursday, but Sumter Central never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 66-0 win over the Jaguars. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won six games by 44 points or more so far this season.

Southside found their leader in sophomore Kole Moody, who threw for 375 yards and five touchdowns while completing 87.5% of his passes. Moody is crushing it when it comes to passing yards: he's passed for at least 305 every time he's taken the field this season. Southside's leading receiver Cedrick Simmons was Moody's top target yet again, picking up 148 receiving yards and one TD.

Southside was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 255 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.

One reason for the win was Southside's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for nine sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Michael Hosea and Toriano Grayson, who racked up four sacks between them. Grayson also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with six. Camarion Allen got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Southside's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Wilcox Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-7.

Wilcox Central was dealt a bruising 62-6 loss at the hands of Southside in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Will the Jaguars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.