By Stan Veitch/Sports Correspondent
Hokes Bluff High now knows how it feels to wake a sleeping giant.
Thursday night (Aug. 27), the host Eagles held Southside to an opening three-and-out, then drove the field scoring on a Bradley Pruett 3-yard run at the 6:20 mark of the first quarter.
That series woke up Southside (1-1). Beginning with Alaric Williams’ 65-yard touchdown run three play after Pruett’s TD, the Panthers scored game’s next 49 points en route to a 49-14 victory. It was Southside’s fifth straight win in the series.
“I felt like I did okay,” said Williams, who ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. “Without my team and especially the offensive line, I couldn’t do anything. After (Hokes Bluff) held us on that opening possession, the coaches came over and told us what we did wrong.”
Williams carried only one time in the second half for 25 yards.
Following a Hokes Bluff three-and-out, Southside used only four plays to score again, this time on a 1-yard Baylon Fry run. The drive was set up by a 30-yard punt return by Fry. The Panthers had to go only 34 yards for the score.
Fry scored twice, rushing for 30 yards on five carries. Beau McConnell and Tristan Shaw scored one time each.
The Southside defense and special teams also played big parts in the victor, as tThe Eagles (0-1) were held to 161 total yards compared to 331 for the Panthers.
“Our defense is really hard-nosed and they get after it,” SHS coach Ron Daugherty said. “We keep telling special teams that if each man will just do his job, we have people back there that can make a play. Our kickers are putting it really close to the end zone or in the end zone, and I’m really proud of them.”
Six times Southside started drives in Hokes Bluff territory. Dakota Duncan partially blocked a punt.
With 6:40 left to play, the Eagles scored the final touchdown of the evening with Cam Dowdy doing the honors from a yard away.
“I’m proud that the guys never quit,” said Hokes Bluff coach Mike Robertson. “They were playing as hard at the end as at the start. Southside is just that good and they have too much speed for us to handle. We’ve got to regroup and get ready for region play.”
The Eagles travel to White Plains Friday in a Class 4A, Region 6 game, while Southside hosts Chelsea.