By Deunte Marshall/Sports Correspondent
“I’m proud of our boys they fought hard as a team; I’ll take the blame there’s things we need to correct to make the adjustments so that we translate what we do in practice to the field” said Coosa Christian head coach Scott Clifton following a 34-0 to Collinsville loss in his first game as the school’s head coach.
The Conquerors (0-1, 0-1) started the game off with an onside kick, but the Panthers (1-0, 1-0) were ready for the surprise.
Coosa’s Seth Williamson recovered a fumble, but the Collinsville defense countered by forcing Coosa to punt. The Panthers completed a 77-yard pass to the Conquerors 2-yard line, where Jalyn Martin punched it in with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter.
After a 30-yard punt return, the Panthers strengthened their lead with a touchdown strike from Tanner Nelson to Malik Mathis with 4:24 to go in the quarter. On the ensuing kickoff ,a fumble by Coosa lead to another Collinsville score, in this case a 75-yard run by Martin that end the quarter.
The final score of the game came on a Nelson-to-Jordan Leath touchdown pass with 7:22 until the half.
“Our boys played hard till the very last whistle,” said Clifton. “They could have quit, but they fought hard, and that’s what I’m proud of the most.”
Coosa Christian continues region play on Friday as the Conquerors travel to Donoho (0-1, 0-1)