By Ricky Smith/For Sand Mountain Reporter
Dantley Coker and Blake Devine combined to rush for 286 yards and four touchdowns to lead Class 5A, No. 10 Southside to a 31-6 win over Boaz on Friday (Oct. 11).
Coker rushed for 179 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown, while Devine ran for 107 on 12 carries and scored three touchdowns.
The Panthers improved to 7-0 overall for the first time since 1993 and are 5-0 in Region 7. Boaz fell to 1-6 overall and 1-4 in region play.
Southside finished the game with 418 total yards, including 353 on the ground.
The Panthers marched 64 yards on the opening kickoff, using eight plays. Devine scored the touchdown on a 26-yard run with 8:16 left in the first quarter. Carter West kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
Devine scored his second touchdown of the game on a 13-yard run with 11:16 left in the first half. West again added the point-after to increase Southside’s lead to 14-0.
Boaz took the ensuing kickoff and drove 76 yards in 11 plays for its lone touchdown.
A big play in the drive came on fourth-and-nine at the Southside 39-yard line, when quarterback Matthew Smith heaved a pass that Trey Willoughby made a leaping, one-handed catch of at the 13.
Three plays later, Smith threw to Willoughby for a 6-yard touchdown pass.
The point-after was wide, leaving the score at 14-6 with 6:25 left in the first half.
Southside answered on its next possession, driving 79 yards to push the advantage back to 15.
Devine scored the touchdown from six yards out. He took the pitch from quarterback Greyson Daughtery and fumbled, only to see the ball bounce back to him and went in for the score.
West added the PAT with 2:06 remaining, increasing the lead to 21-6.
Coker scored on a 5-yard run with 7:13 left in the third quarter to cap a 10-play, 73-yard drive. West kicked the extra point for a 28-6 margin.
West added the final points of the game on a 36-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
Southside hosts Etowah on Friday in a game that could decide the region championship.