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By STEPHEN DAWKINS | Special to the Selma Times-Journal

SELMA – With yet another dominant effort on Friday, Oct. 3, the Southside Selma Panthers are off to their best start since the 1989 season, improving to 6-0 with a 36-14 win over visiting Hale County.

Coach Charles Moody Jr. said Hale County (3-3 overall, 2-2 in Class 3A, Region 3) was effective at controlling time of possession, but his team was still able to make the necessary plays early to build a comfortable lead to work with.

“We were very efficient when we did have the ball,” Moody Jr. said.

That efficiency led to a 24-0 halftime lead over the visiting Wildcats.

Some lapses in focus by the Southside defense allowed a couple of big plays by Hale County in the second half, but the Wildcats could not threaten the Southside lead.

Quarterback Kole Moody threw for three touchdowns in the game—one each to Derrick Surles, Ar’mari Towns and Michael Hosea.

Jaibrien Gresham rushed for the other two Panther scores in the victory, as the offense continued an impressive season, scoring 36 or more in five of their six games so far this season.

Defensively, however, is where Southside continues to dominant and it showed throughout the night with big plays.

Camarion Allen had an interception for the Southside defense, while Gresham and Hosea teamed up to put pressure on the opposing quarterback and recorded several sacks.

The Panthers have now given up 15 or less in every game so far this season for an average of 7.8 points per game.

With three region games remaining, and four overall, the Panthers, now 4-0 in region play, look primed to earn an advantageous playoff spot and try for a repeat of last season’s deep playoff run, which lasted all the way until the semifinals.

The Panthers next face two winless squads in Sumter Central at home on Oct. 9 and Wilcox Central on the road on Oct. 17.

Then looms a date with fellow unbeaten Thorsby, at Memorial Stadium in Selma on Oct. 24, in the final region game of the season that could determine the top playoff seed.

Moody Jr. said the Panthers will need to keep their focus on continuing to improve if they want to reach their goals.

“Just the mental side of the game,” he said. “We’re pretty good on the physical side, but we have to focus on the mental side.”