Two missed extra points, a field goal that went wide left, and a slew of fumbles spoiled the homecoming party for Chattahoochee County as the Panthers (1-7) lost to Taylor County 28-27 Friday at Panther Stadium.
With the Vikings leading 20-19, Eric Zeigler, who is Chattco’s fullback, defensive end and place-kicker, gave the Panthers the lead after rumbling for a 33-yard touchdown run with 9:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. A two-point conversion made the score 27-20.
However, the Vikings responded and slowly marched down the field on a 14-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up 7:30 and saw three fourth-down conversions. Quarterback Bodarius Johnson completed a pass to receiver Senquavious Johnson on a corner post route from the slot for a 26-yard score with 1:34 remaining.
“If we could have just got the ball back, we were prepared to come back out in a slowdown offense, get two first downs and run the clock out,” Panthers head coach Russell Morgan said.
Vikings head coach Chris Kirksey would not settle for a tie and sent his offense back out to go for two. Bodarius Johnson rolled out right and, with his receivers covered, tucked the ball and sprinted for the corner pylon for the game-winning two-point conversion.
“There was nothing to lose,” Kirksey said. “I’m just glad my kids fought back the way they did. We had lost four in a row, so it was good to see them fight.
“I told Bo, ‘If you get the edge, go ahead and take it,’ and that’s what he did.”
Still, the Panthers had the opportunity to win. Quarterback Malcom Anderson hit senior Marquis Thorton for a 25-yard pass. Anderson looked for Thorton again down the middle inside the Vikings’ 10-yard line and pass interference was called against Taylor County.
With 13 seconds remaining, the Panthers faced a fourth-down situation and opted for Zeigler to attempt a 42-yard field goal. Zeigler, who had already missed two extra points, kicked it low and left.
“We’re not very good at kicking,” Morgan said. “That’s not the situation we wanted to be there at the end, having to kick a long field goal.
Everything fell Chattco’s way in the first half as the Panthers recovered a fumble by the Vikings on the opening kickoff and Zeigler cashed in from 2 yards away just 54 seconds into regulation.
Leading 7-6, the Panthers ran a trick play in which running back Chris Askew, lined up in the slot, took a reverse and threw a pass to a wide-open Jamaris Jones for a 66-yard touchdown.
Thorton, also a linebacker, made one of the biggest defensive plays in the game as he hit a receiver over the middle and caused a fumble, which was picked up by Askew and returned to the Taylor County 13. Anderson snuck into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 to make it 19-6.
Morgan said the one mistake by the Vikings his team didn’t capitalize on, another fumble recovered by the Panthers deep in Vikings territory, was one of the key reasons the Panthers didn’t win. The Vikings made a goal-line stand and forced a turnover on downs.
“With the ball on the 5-yard line, we’ve got to score,” Morgan said. “In that series, they just beat us up front.”
With a 19-13 lead going into the third quarter, the Panthers hit a snag offensively. Zeigler went out of the game with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and didn’t return until the fourth. Thorton and Askew were also banged up on a couple of plays and Anderson, still only a sophomore, fumbled three times.
“It looked like we had things going, but then we start turning the ball over,” Morgan said.
Friday’s game marked the last home game for nine seniors, including Thorton and Zeigler. The Panthers will play Schley County on the road Friday and finish the season at Pacelli.
“We’ve been talking to the seniors about how they want to be remembered,” Morgan said. “Right now, I would say they’ll be remembered as a team that never quit and kept fighting.”
