By Deunte Marshall
Sports Correspondent
The
Southside Panthers (5-0, 3-0) had to use all of its weapons young and old as
they defeated the Springville Tigers (2-3, 1-2), as Hunter Armstrong finished
the charge and barreled his way into the end zone with 15 seconds to go in the
game, Armstrong had this to say after the game. “ I feel good after the score I
had faith in my teammates that we could get it done and come out with the
victory over a well balanced and well coached team”.
The
game was showing early signs of being a fight as the Tiger defense forced a
fumble, and the offense returned the favor with a 15 yard scoring pass from
Adam Smith to Jalen Ramsey with 5:24 remaining in the quarter. The Panthers
needed another stop as Springville was driving and that’s what they got as Sage
Dale forced and recovered a fumble and Dantley Coker scored his first of two
touchdowns with 10:32 of the second quarter.
A little over 5
minutes later the Panthers Blake Devine got into the scoring act with a 5 yard
scamper into the end zone making the score 14-7. Springville used their hurry
up offense and converted a Field Goal with 2:08 remaining in the half.
The
ensuing Panther drive was halted when William Foster as he intercepted a pass
and returned it to the 10-yard line, but the Panther defense stood stall as
they forced a Goal Line Stand to end the Half.
After
the half Springville came out firing as Adam Smith of the Tigers completed
three straight passes but on his fourth attempt to the end zone Southside’s
Holt Keeling stepped in front of the pass and took it back to the Panther 35,
but that didn’t matter as Southside went three and out and Springville’s
Charles Bryant hauled in a 15 yard score with 4:19 remaining to give the Tigers
their first lead of the night.
Southside
responded quickly as the Panthers’ Dantley Coker scored his second TD of the
game with 2:30 remaining in the quarter. As the ensuing kickoff the Southside
coverage team forced a safety giving them a 23-17 lead, the Panthers drove down
the field but couldn’t convert on the Field Goal try as Springville took the
ball and scored on another TD pass from Adam Smith to Mickey Turner JR for a 5
yard score give the Tigers a 24-23 lead with 7:41 remaining in the game.
Southside
received the kickoff to their 20-yard line, and on their last drive their first
two plays went backwards and on 3rd down the Panthers only mustered
up a yard but on 4th and 10, Panther QB Greg Daugherty hit Aleric
Williams for a 51 yard completion to the Tiger 29 yard line after some
confusion with the officials the play stood, and The Panthers utilized their work
horses Coker and Armstrong to go on and win the game.
After
the game head coach Ron Daugherty had this to say “I’m proud of our guys we
overcame a lot of mistakes but we fought hard against a good team, a lot of young
men stepped up and did some things they weren’t used to doing and I’m proud of
that as well”
Dantley
Coker led the Panthers with two scores and over 100 yards rushing. Southside
re-enters region play as they host Arab next week.
