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10B WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2007 PANTHERS From page jB progress with a right hook or flat out knocked themselves senseless with an uppercut. As Scott said, it should never have come down to him having to carry the weight of the team on his southpaw leg. All told, Perry lost a fumble and gave it up via an intercep tion in the first half and then coughed it up twice - losing one of those - in the second half, and with yet another interception. The game itself started out as if scripted for the visitors. The Panthers won the coin toss, deferred to the second half so the Trojans could see a bit of their vaunted defense. It worked. Brandon Smith’s big stop on a third-and-five silenced the home crowd - which boasted its 574 points scored up until that point on its banner - a bit, and more importantly, forced North Clayton to' punt. Perry took it on its own 25 and then commenced to reel off eight plays - one of those being a 38-yard run by Jacorey Lane, who finished with 133 yards rushing - that put the ball on the Trojans’ 22. The drive took a hit when the offense moved and was penalized. That was in turn followed by two runs that netted all of two yards and a pass to Akeen Felder that was broken up in the end zone. And that brought on Freeman who put it through uprights to put the Panthers up 3-0 - with 6:18 to go in the quarter. A 50-yard touchdown run by Dylon Wolf - that following three runs and a pass - two first downs total - enabled North Clayton to jump on top on its very next possession. The good news in that, and in the end it turned out to be “necessary” news - was that Kanorris Davis blocked the PAT. Then on the Trojans’ touchdown later, he did it again. Needless to say, if he hadn’t Perry would never have had a chance to win on a field goal, anyway. The Panthers’ second pos session of the evening car ried things into the second quarter. They started on their own 20 and ended eight plays later on the Trojans’ 42 with a punt. In between, a literal shoestring tackle on Lane probably saved a touchdown. North Clayton took over on .its own 17, and after picking !up a pair of first downs was ! forced to punt, again. Or, so it !appeared. ! The Trojans instead resort <ed to cleverness. The ball jwas snapped to Hunter Wolf *- Dylon Wolfs twin brother j- instead. He initially ran it | down inside the 10, but a hold ; brought it back out to the 21. ; That only delayed what was ;to come, however, as Hunter ; Wolf got the call again - back ; to-back-back Perry/North HL Jr ' sdPs^ 1 _ - ? r| / A wu^wrmm p k. jX& A } JmP|. jfe^j 3f*T ||if| 'v-il** Jfft s •ITf, «ar .> Z 1; t B m wm Wife'..' —"•■ .A?* ■» ■BaHHi ':.%! , • , ,iV ' '- .- -' 1 " •*- *'*"■" %v - - Journal/Don Moncrief Bill Freeman connects on a 28-yard field goal. DONATE TO goodwill, y/yj ♦ i A ♦ M www.goodwillworks.org Building lives, families, Clayton timeouts made it interesting - and ran it in from seven yards out. Again, Davis rejected the PAT. Now, with the score 12-3 and with just over five min utes before the half, begins the shadowboxing era. The Panthers, following the kickoff, started on their own 21. They then, on three plays, took it to the Trojans’ 3. A false start set them back to the 8 and on the next play the ball was fumbled over to North Clayton. It was a far cry from being as good as a touchdown, but the defense held, forc ing three plays and a punt - from the back of their own endzone to boot. Perry then took over on the Trojans’ 38. Hayward completed a pass to J.R. Lasseter - tipped by the defender but he never gave up on it - that put it on the 9. Another false start moved it out to the 15 before Hayward, who first had to overcome a very high snap and then the rush, threw an interception into the middle of the end zone. That came with less than a minute before the break. The Trojans ran out the clock from there. The first play of the third quarter gave the impression the Panthers were through beating themselves up, and in fact, it should be noted - despite events - they were clearly the more determined bunch most of the night. Hayward, on special teams, took the kickoff from his own endzone and ran it all the way to North Clayton’s 41. But on the first play from scrim mage, it happened again. The ball squirmed loose and again it was turned over. The Trojans drove a bit from there, but on fourth and-four from the 20, Perry held. The Panthers took over on the 18 but we’re still not done folks. They still had the gloves off but they were still aiming at their own chin. They moved it to the 38 before Hayward was inter cepted again. It should also be noted at this point that yes, Hayward threw two intercep tions. But, some of the things he did on the field - like rush ing for 106 yards, throwing for 168 and more importantly, making things happen when ■ 4. JraBsNEROTt' . / % / - , jMflLtpjPPB if hHB HfIKXL 9BL h / Wwjp B| JB, , r 4| jSB Hi .’’at® 'SSKvi''?; jt'C -?V. V . h ~i 1 iHHI mam Miß <t> i ifl wL Journal/Don Moncrief Band members celebrate following Perry’s score. there was nothing there to happen to begin with - far outweighed both. The good news was as before. The defense, which by this time had really begun to assert itself, forced the Trojans to punt again follow ing a three-and-out. “The defense did a great job,” said Scott. “Our defense has taken a backseat to our offense during these playoffs, but our defense has continued to do good things. They’re a good defense - not good enough to win tonight, how ever.” Probably because they felt eventually the offense was going to get it right. But they still had one more turnover to get out of their system. This one came on the North Clayton 48, following a drive that started on their own 6 and went 12 plays. They didn’t lose it but it served its purpose: forced a punt. Finally, after forcing the Trojans to punt again - and by then early into the fourth quarter, Perry acknowledged the bell had rung for the final round. It was now or never. The Panthers took the ball on their own 30 and went the distance. Hayward hit three passes along the way. The last of those was 14 yards to Trey Smith for the score. Freeman’s PAT made it 12- 10 with 7:11 to play. North Clayton then set out to run out the clock but after picking up a couple of first downs were far from success ful. They punted with 4:28 left to play. With the ball being on the Perry half of the field, it was a good one, settling in on the 18. Hayward ran it to the 31 for a first down on the first play. Then he hit Smith with a rifle for six more. Then he called his own number again - or got it called - but gained little. That is until a facemask penalty was tacked on. That put it on the 49. A pass to Felder put it on the 45 of the Trojans. Hayward again ran - twice, over the course of the next two plays - to push it to the 35. Then he hit Felder at the 28 and ran it to the 20. He spiked the ball to stop the clock with 44 seconds, then when play returned was run out of bounds at the 22. A false start pushed it back to the 27. And it was there SPORTS Hi Eff 'Mji ■ H Hk 1 9V ▼ ' vVHr . .' 4 r'm i i—lech — itii ■—■ Journal/Don Moncrief Panther defenders close in on North Hall’s signal caller Friday in Gainesville. If bsbeSf ; flj! ' .-'-s« _ * * 1 ' \ A- " / ‘i Journal/Don Moncrief Panther quarterback Casey Hayward hands off to Jacorey Lane (22) as Brandon Golden looks to lead the charge. the Panthers, a team that ciaU y something like this.” had accomplished more than any other in school history, a team that had known the thrill - more than once - of snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat, missed. “It’s been a good year,” Scott said, his voice at that time filled with exhaustion and enough regret to fill the Georgia Dome he so longed to visit. “It’s just where you don’t want it to end ... espe- .V.. , f b ~ T "' r Tw ' '*• ’ -^v rr §& Aa? >n 4 $ ® ■iR - *—' 'y* . „.. ; \ . /"3 ", - M~ '' " v . /fyMffftfhrf *PtettseptiM thwh Baby’s Full Name: Baby’s Date of Birth: Parent’s Name(s): Non-published material: Purchaser’s Name: Daytime Phone: WAkg ALL ENTREES MUST BE RECEIVED BY W* lff£k DECEMBER 12, 2007, BY SPM : JrKs ( '''PLjnk a v BHHH . v»jnp **r vv- *"' *" ' v ' ‘ ‘^KrJ f forru above dropoff or woiU your baby's ; 'pK*fo, CkUtwq with a 4 3 000 MCck/ruo**y o rcte r to: ff uuston Pome Journal iai<s street, Perry, C^A All photos will bo available for pick-up at our Perry office after January 2.2008, or include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for photo return. Please include the child’s name on the back of the photo prior to drop off/mailing. The Houston Home Journal is not liable for lost or damaged photos/mail. "Have Cameras, Will Travel" VX x TURNER VvA PHOTOGRAPHY Aerial Phofo&rapliy J Brad Turner • 478-922-1(33 er 47Me4-CB€l ra p rIKLCIM/LCIS U/f rrl i i m |ji £"4 O HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Wr HR Nicholas Krissmas April 5. 2007 Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Krissmas L2422L 56673