Panthers break tie with two late TDs
By CHRIS JOHNSON
cjohnson@ledger -enquirer.com
AMERICUS, Ga. — The Harris County Tigers lost a golden opportunity to seize the third seed in Region 1-AAAA as they were upset 40-28 by Americus-Sumter on Friday night.
Despite their 13-3 loss to top-seeded Thomas County-Central, Bainbridge will enter the playoffs as the region’s No. 3 seed by virtue of their head-to-head wins over Harris County and Hardaway earlier in the season. Harris County earns the fourth seed with its win over Hardaway. The Tigers will travel to face Region 4 champion Griffin next week in the first round of the state playoffs.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter on a pair of fumble returns for touchdowns by Americus-Sumter, the Tigers rallied to tie the game at 28-28 in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run by Calvin Franklin with 7:51 to play. But Americus-Sumter scored two touchdowns in the final 2:33 to seal the game.
After Panthers quarterback Shawn Robinson made it 34-28 on a 1-yard sneak at the 2:33 mark of the fourth, the Tigers tried to mount a response, but their inability to pass the ball effectively was never more evident as Detavis Buggs threw his second interception of the game to the Panthers’ Marcus Wise, ending any hopes of a comeback. Sean Stewart’s 16-yard run stretched the final margin to 40-28.
Franklin led Harris with 119 yards rushing, while Sean Jeppesen added 118 yards on the ground. But it was the one completion for minus-1 yards that ultimately did in the Tigers.
The game got off to an inauspicious start for Harris County as Franklin fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, and the Panthers’ Tyran Goober recovered and raced 35 yards to put Americus up 7-0 just 19 seconds into the game after Adam Heath’s extra point.
After the two squads swapped punts on the their next possessions, Harris County had a first down at its own 44-yard line when lightning struck again. Franklin couldn’t find the handle on a pitch from quarterback Detavis Buggs, and Goober picked up the loose ball after a scramble and scored on a 33-yard return to make it 14-0 Americus-Sumter at the 4:23 mark of the first period, boasting a two-touchdown lead with not a single yard of offense to that point.
The Tigers, however, moved the ball efficiently when they held on it. On their ensuing drive, they ground out 74 yards in 13 plays, capping off the drive on Sean Jeppessen’s 1-yard plunge at the 10:13 mark of the second quarter, making it 14-7 after Julian Acevedo’s extra point.
The Panthers were a little luckier on their only fumble of the half as Sean Stewart was stripped of the ball after breaking away on a 33-yard run but Americus-Sumter managed to recover at the Harris 1-yard line. Stewart then scored from 1 yard out for a 21-7 lead.
The Tigers tacked on a 2-yard touchdown by Jeppesen to cap an eight-play, 61-yard drive and make it 21-14 with 3:18 left before the Panthers once again stretched it to two touchdowns on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Shawn Robinson to James Burton with 11.2 seconds left before halftime.
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Friday at Americus-Sumter
Harris County 0 14 7 7—28
Americus-Sumter 14 14 0 12—40
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:First Quarter
A—Tyran Goober 35 fumble return (Adam Heath kick), 11:42
A—Goober 33 fumble return (Heath kick), 4:23
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Second Quarter
H—Sean Jeppesen 1 run (Julian Acevedo kick) 10:13
A—Sean Stewart 1 run (Heath kick), 7:30
H—Jeppeson 2 run (Acevedo kick), 3:18
A—James Burton 31 pass from Malik Thomas (Heath kick), 11.2
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Third Quarter
H—Calvin Franklin 19 run (Acevedo kick), 1:37
@z-BR Agate Bold Centered:Fourth Quarter
H—Franklin 10 run (Acevedo kick), 7:51
A—Shawn Robinson 1 run (kick failed), 2:33
A—Stewart 16 run (run failed), 1:37
Team records: Harris County 5-5 (4-4 Region 1-AAAA); Americus-Sumter 4-6 (2-6). Next: Harris County in 1st round state playoffs, Friday; Americus-Sumter season over.
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