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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL PANTHERS From page iB nine passes for 138 yards. In this offensive show, Perry just edged Southwest in total first downs, 19 to 17. The Panthers had a sig nificant advantage in terms of big plays as 19 snaps resulted in 10 yards or more. Turnovers, though, were on the even side with two apiece. In fact, Perry’s opening drive of the night ended on a lost fumble at the Patriot 19-yard-line. The series started on the Panther 28 and featured a 34-yard run by Lane. Jecavesia Hayward and Garrett Stokeling on the line worked to push Southwest back and force a punt to the 37. Perry looked to be in some trouble with a holding call and a stuffed option result ing in 3rd-and-goal at the 21. Hayward would find Trey Smith all alone at the back of the end zone, the touch down coming at 5:48 of the first quarter. Bill Freeman was perfect in PAT kicking his six attempts. Southwest, at 1-6 on the season but under former Daugherty High head coach Carror Wright, used its ath leticism on offense to stay in the game early. A little luck helped as well. Alexander, on lst-and-10 from his 36, lost a fumble running up to the 42. The football bounced loose for ward, and stayed loose up to the Perry 42. That’s when Josh Rousseau of the Patriots picked it up and sprinted all the way to the end zone. That tied the game 7-7 with just under four minutes left in the quarter. Perry’s offense simply out manned the Patriot defense WBmmmmm BBjr i k ***-*' ■«* iiw' \ |H [jWh. «^K^MaBBS|HHB^BTOaIIK^^ ? ' 1S& 'V ' /^«y|jk v W%f ’ %, ' j pl \ h w % jlj^™ BU T" OTHBIP^F j||j|jßg: : :Jajp. i *|K| |i%&. j|B BKlm 4i|fe, • 3&|f§ffii|& I —III V" ■ -flliP S /MgailSllgg i , —— W 1 ENI/Gary Harmon Jacorey Lane shakes loose of a Southwest player after breaking into the open. Blue Devils upend Demons ByJOESERSEY Journal Correspondent As porous as the Warner Robins High defense was in its 41-38 loss to Coffee County last week, that’s how strong the Demon defense was for three quar ters against Tift County Friday at McConnell-Talbert Stadium. But Tift County escaped with a 20-13 win. Leading 13-6 going into the fourth quarter, Tift quarterback Nick Prostko hit two touchdown passes of 19 and 33 yards that, com bined with the two kicks for extra points, jeopardized Warner Robins’ hopes for a playoff spot in 1-AAAAA. With the loss, the Demons fell to 1-3 in the region, 2-6 overall. Tift County evened its region record at 2-2 and improved to 5-3 on the sea son with two games left to play in the season. The game was a true defensive struggle in the first half. Warner Robins dominated offensively, amassing 162 yards to Tift County’s 87 yards. Unfortunately, the Demons put only three points on the board in the first half on a David Clark 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. Tift County marched 67 yards on nine plays before it was forced to settle of a 20-yard field goal to tie the score. Warner Robins moved at will during the first 12 in scoring touchdowns on the next three possessions. Smith, with his 6-4 frame, had to reach down for a reception of 19 yards for first down on the Pantehr 45. Akeen Felder, with tight coverage on him, gave Perry another first on a 12-yard catch on the Patriot 42. Four plays later, on the second play of the second period. Hayward (maybe on necessity due to a high shot gun snap, ran a keeper to his left for a six-yard touchdown at 11:27. The lead went to 14-7 to 21-7 no sooner after Perry’s defense forced a punt Brandon Grace returned 25 yards to midfield. Felder, wide open, caught a Hayward pass at 9:56. But the route was not on, for Southwest’s 26-yard kickoff return had the home team operating from the Perry 49. Johnson scram bled to convert 3rd-and-9 on the 36 and completed a 3rd and-9 pass on the 5 with end Tony Davis hot on his heels. In the power I set, Alexander scored a three yard touchdoiyn at 5:50 until halftime. Southwest missed the PAT, so Perry’s lead was 21-13. But it only took three plays and 30 seconds of the next drive to get seven more. Lane was yet another receiv er left open for his one catch of 51 yards up to the SW 15. Hayward, on second down, scrambled inside to score his second rushing touchdown. The Patriots still made it a one-touchdown game, 28-21, at the half as Johnson contin ued to elude the Perry rush and make plays. J. Hayward squashed him, but Johnson already made the handoff to Alexander to gain 14 yards to his 49. J. Hayward gave more chase on the next snap, minutes of the game, but in the second quarter, Tift County’s defense allowed 10 rushing yards on 11 tries. In an unusual turn of events for the Demons, they became the passing team with the feared aerial attack that resulted in 57 yards as the Demons’ W J. McCallister completed four of seven passes. The Demons were in posi tion to add another field goal but Clark’s 36-yard attempt sailed wide right. The third quarter belonged to the Blue Devils. They took the opening kick off at their own 20 and used six minutes and 45 seconds of the clock to get their kicker close enough for a 31-yard field goal to put it up 6-3. Warner Robins responded with Clark’s sec ond field goal from 35 yards out with 1:59 left in the third quarter. The Demons scored again when McCallister hit Rashad Wynes for a 69-yard pass. Clark’s extra point put Warner Robins up 13-6 with a quarter to play. But, Prostko'connected for three passes of 21,32, and 19 yards to tie the score at 13-13 in the Blue Devils opening drive of the fourth quarter. The Blue Devils took over on their next possession at their own 46-yard line. Four plays later, Prostko hit Kaream Hess on a 33-yard touchdown pass that put it up for good. but Johnson got his throw off to Ethan Reynolds on the Panther 25. On 3rd-and-6 from the 21, Alexander took the first toss sweep of the night, and with a great block he scored at 2:30. Fullback Keithan Ray caught a two-point pass. The third quarter whipped by fast with no change in the score, but Perry’s defense found a way to get to the Patriot quarterback. J. Hayward and Davis sacked Johnson on the start of a drive as star linebacker Kanorris Davis started rush ing himself from one end. K. Davis drew a double team on 3rd-and-19, and Trevor Hatcher made a leaping catch to give Southwest first down on the 44. Ray’s trap run of 14 yards had the Patriots on the PH 27, but K. Davis would run Johnson down twice - a sack coming on the 36 on third down - and T. Davis’ pressure forced intentional grounding. With the foul, Perry had the ball on the SW 36 to start the fourth quarter. Guard Johnnie Farms gave Lane a wall to run 30 yards to the six. Center Jay Golden helped Farms clear the way for Lane to score at 11:38 (35-21). J. Hayward got the defense one more sack and a punt to the SW 37. Golden took all the carries on this drive and actually took a tackier into the end zone as he scored from nine yards out (42-21). The last nine minutes of play had an exchange of turnovers. Kaderius Felder recovered an Alexander fum ble on the Panther 7. Tay Brown intercepted Johnson at his 20, but Southwest got a fumble on the ensuing snap on the 21. Alexander scored STAKE From page iB being bad. At the same time, we have to understand we are in a great situation where we control our own destiny. We don’t have to ask for any favors from anybody. If we win, we are the No. 1 seed, period.” It was the same situation Perry found itself in last week going to Henderson Stadium in Macon to face a Southwest High club strug gling in the win-loss column at 1-6. The Panthers’ big gest challenge was putting behind the high from upend ing two-time defending state champion Peach County in Ft. Valley the week before. “I think Southwest is probably the best (1-7) team in the region, or the state,” said Scott. “They have a tail back whose rushed for over 1,000 yards. They are well ~ Indian River Fruit ~ NEW CROP FRESH SHELLED PECANS ~ Old Fashioned Grits ~ Peas, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Okra, Tomatoes, Onions LiVEUNE’S PRODUCE Perry Farmer's Market v Saturday Bam-12noon SPORTS Sr % J . j’v*- ... < Akeen Felder is tackled by a Southwest player after a small gain. a four-yard touchdown and ran in for two points with 29 seconds remaining. * IB M-' - Jg|y |||; I ; Casey Hayward breaks into the open after running around the end. coached. I for one did not think they were any cre ampuff by any stretch of the imagination. They just happened to same region with Peach, us, Northeast, Central and West Laurens. “We play in a region that on any given Friday, any body can beat anybody.” Perry won the game with Southwest 42-29 (see related story) in an outcome that was typical of the other sub region contests this year. Consider the West Laurens game where the Panthers were leading all the way, but still needed a last-minute drive to get the win. “It’s really frustrating defensively, because you are in a situation to play well, but every team in our region has athletes,” said Scett. “I just thank the good Lord we do, too. Everything’s been decided late in the ball game. “I thought we played real- Perry will return to Herb St. John Stadium this com ing Friday to face Northeast ly good offensively (against Southwest). We had a couple of turnovers. Defensively I don’t think we played real well in the first half. I thought we picked it up in the second half. Regardless of where it’s at, when it’s at, you have to compare yourself to compete mentally in every competitive situation.” The north 4-AAA sub region is far from decided, except at the top where Henry County (4-0) leads Mary Persons (3-1) by one game and has the tiebreak er edge on the Bulldogs. Henry plays Ola on Friday while Mary Persons faces Spalding. Ola and Spalding are tied for third at 2-2, and Ola p : JiL~ W" 11118* ifefttatit | I 10% OFF With This Acr% I For NON Member Rentals I Good For October, November & December. ©ficA/aAafcAe# {ti/u/JuMde I \ 521 F. Satterfield Road RO. Box 74 | 0 ,?^ 3 ! 069 i (478) 224-4443 2 * 155515 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2007 ♦ High of Macon in the final sub-region game before the 4-AAA state play-in round. beat Spalding in the regular season. Jackson is not out of it at 1-3. Jackson plays last-place Eagle’s Landing, and with a win there, a Spalding win and an Ola loss, the Red Devils would be fourth by having beaten Ola in the regular season. CUSTOM CONTAINER PLANTINQ >- For full and winter color Pansies, cabbage, kale, dianthus, parsley, red giant mustard or your choice! Lewis Farms Nursery 830 Hwy. 26 • Elko, GA Call Tim Lewis at S (478)954-1507 £ 3B ENI/Gary Harmon ENI/Gary Harmon