How Pascagoula football went from 1-2 to two wins away from a state title
In his two seasons as the Pascagoula quarterback, Keilon Parnell has proven himself to be a game-changer with the ability to break big gainers on the ground, but it’s his improvement in the passing game that’s helped take the Panthers to a new level.
Pascagoula (8-4) plays host to West Jones (11-2) at 7 p.m. on Friday in the Class 5A South State title game with a spot in the Dec. 5 state championship contest on the line.
Many consider West Jones the favorite to earn a trip to the title game, but the Panthers are playing their best ball of the season with Parnell showing significant improvement behind center.
Always a threat to take it the distance on any given play, Parnell has run 107 times for 753 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the passing game, he has been connecting with his receivers at a much higher rate than he was previously. He hit 51 percent of his passes a year ago, a respectable number for a freshman in his first season on the varsity level.
To start this season, he got off to a promising start with a 7-of-10 showing against George County in the season opener, but that completion percentage took a hit when he completed just 43 of his next 115 tries.
Over the last three contests, his accuracy has been much improved. He has converted 23 of his last 26 attempts for 494 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Panthers turn the corner
It was in a 44-30 loss to East Central on Oct. 30 that Parnell began to make strides in the passing game. He was shy of a 50 completion percentage, but he threw for for 294 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 15-of-32 passing.
“We really found ourselves in the second quarter against East Central,” Pascagoula coach Lewis Sims said. “We realized we can play this game, we can do this pretty well.”
The next game, Parnell hit 12 of 14 passes for 291 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the Panthers to a 42-35 victory over defending 5A South State champion Picayune on Oct. 30.
Parnell, a Mississippi State baseball commit as a speedy centerfielder, believes his receivers have played with much more confidence ever since.
“They got way better,” he said. “Ever since the Picayune game, we’ve had that spark. They’ve got more confidence in themselves.
“Terrance Goodwin has gotten more confident and he came over from quarterback. He had never played receiver, but now he’s got confidence. Ever since the Picayune game, all our receivers have gone up. (Brennen) Grubbs has been way better.”
Houston Johnson emerges for Pascagoula
Houston Johnson, a 5-foot-6, 175-pound junior, has been the leader of the receivers this season, catching 37 passes for 680 yards and six touchdowns.
Senior Jaylan Thompson has contributed 14 receptions for 344 yards and five scores.
In Johnson, Parnell has an ideal slot receiver who is a combination of hands, speed and elusiveness.
“He’s got talent and he knows how to use his talent,” Parnell said. “Some people say he’s small, but he knows how to find the holes where I can see him. He’s got amazing hands and he’s definitely got speed.”
Pascagoula’s improvement in the passing game hasn’t come by accident.
After dropping to 1-2 following a 38-14 loss at Ocean Springs on Sept. 18, Sims and his staff had a discussion about putting more emphasis on the passing game in practice.
“We really started to spend more time on it, but the benefits of that work didn’t start until the middle of October,” Sims said. “Previously, we were spending about 10 out of 120 minutes on a true passing game. We went from spending 10 minutes a day to spending about 30 a day. In a four-day stretch, we went from 40 minutes to 120 minutes.
“That’s really been the key factor, making sure we get enough touches and are throwing it more. We’re better for it offensively and defensively.”
Not only has Parnell done a better job of throwing with accuracy, but the staff has done a better job of calling plays and choosing moments to go with the pass.
“We’ve been able to pick and choose when we throw,” Sims said. “When we have thrown it, we’ve been successful at completing the passes we need to complete.
“Keilon has done a good job of distributing the ball and our receivers have been catching it when they have opportunities.”
All the skill players on offense have been helped out by the improved play of the offensive line late in the season.
“The offensive line’s improvement of the year has been critical to our being successful,” Smith said. “We started out with one starter back, and those guys have done a great job meshing together.”
If the Panthers win on Friday, they will earn their first trip to the 5A title game since 2012.
South State schedule
Class 6A — Northwest Rankin at Oak Grove
Class 5A — West Jones at Pascagoula
Class 4A — Mendenhall at Poplarville
Class 3A — Columbia at Magee
Class 2A — Enterprise-Clarke at Taylorsville
Class 1A — Simmons at Lumberton
This story was originally published November 26, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
