It was a great half of football. When the lights went out at R.L. Mattox Stadium in Paris last Friday night, the North Lamar Panthers and Mineola Yellowjackets were engaged in one heck of a game. 

With two seconds left before the half, the Panthers led 35-24, when the transformer blew. 

As it was the last non-district game and the possible duration of repairs, the game was ceased.

From the perspective of playing the last warm-up game before district, the Yellowjackets have much to be encouraged about. Mineola produced 258 yards from scrimmage in two quarters.

The offensive line had, by far its best outing of the season. They moved together as a unit and were able to reach many combination blocks required to stoke the running game.  

From the backfield, the ability of the Jackets to count on hard yardage from Aidan Shepherd, but also Braelyn Geremonte and Eduardo Guerra while mixing in jet sweeps from Colton McMahon gives the team much flexibility.  

Defensively, there remains a lot of work to be done in defending the edge. The inability to make secure tackles continues to plague the defense and allowed four Panther scoring plays.

While the defense was improved over previous outings, basic tackling fundamentals remain an issue. 

The Jackets moved 75 yards with the opening possession with military precision to take a 7-0 lead. They averaged 5.4 yards per carry, slicing through the right side to score from five yards.

North Lamar registered the next two scores, capped with mid-range post route pass completions. The routes split the cornerback and safety coverage with perfectly thrown passes. 

Disaster struck just before the turn of the quarter. On a 4th down from the Mineola 30, quarterback Zane Phillips launched a deep go route in the middle of the field, intercepted at the North Lamar 37.

Six Yellowjackets had a legitimate shot at a tackle on the return, but it went 63 yards for the score. North Lamar led 21-7.

The Jackets stormed back, moving 60 yards in four plays, breaking long runs with draw plays. Shepherd scored over the right side on a direct snap. Score 21-14.

The Panthers exploited the defense with a long scoring drive to take a 28-14 lead.

After exchanging possessions, the Jackets stopped the Panthers, forcing a punt. The snap sailed high above the punter, covered by North Lamar in the end zone for a safety. Score 28-16.

Riding a wave of emotion, Mineola drove 50 yards in four plays. Shepherd ripped his way through the middle of the defense for 20 yards and a score. He bullied his way into the end zone for the 2-point conversion. Score 28-24. 

With only a minute left in the half, North Lamar took the air out of the Yellowjackets with a 66-yard score on a quick pitch around the right end. 

Mineola was forced to punt in their last possession of the night, and North Lamar was driving when the transformer blew. 

The Mount Vernon Tigers come to Meredith Memorial Stadium Friday to open district play. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.