Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
Ramsay possessed a little too much firepower for Southside to handle on November 4.
The No. 4 Rams built a 34-13 halftime lead en route to a 61-25 victory over the Panthers in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs in Birmingham.
Southside ended the season at 5-6, while Ramsay won its fifth straight game to improve to 9-2.
With the Panthers trailing 14-0 after the first quarter, Southside drew within seven points with Gauge Nesmith’s six-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Bryan and Abdullah Allabassi’s extra point four seconds into the second period.
Ramsay then scored three straight touchdowns before Nesmith and Bryan hooked up for an 11-yard touchdown with less than a minute remaining before halftime.
Nesmith’s 10-yard TD pass to Cayden McMichael with 4:29 left in the third quarter cut the deficit to 48-19. Mason Teague ran in a 14-yard touchdown with 24 seconds remaining in the game.
Nesmith (pictured above) was 23 for 31 in passing for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Scotty Motes had eight receptions for 103 yards, followed by Bryan with seven catches for 64 yards and McMichael with six receptions for 63 yards.
Teague rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries.