After surviving against the Andalusia in the first game of the Super Bowl playoffs on Saturday, the Georgiana Panthers Pee-Wees rolled through Baker on their way to a Super Bowl title.

In that championship game, the Panthers won 45-0.

“We told the team that we had to get some points in the first half, and they went out and did it,” said coach Chris Crenshaw. “We came out throwing, and I think that surprised them.”

Jacquez Payton scored the first touchdown on the opening play of the game, and it was all downhill from there.

Six other players crossed the goalline for the Panthers in the game.

On defense, Xavier Garland led the way for Georgiana in shutting down Baker.

“I’m very proud of them after bouncing back from an 8-0 loss against Evergreen,” Crenshaw said. “I know confidence was down, but they came back and had the attitude of a number-one team. When kids can do that, it’s something special.”

The road to the championship was rough, with the Panthers pulling out a 26-21 win over Andalusia.

On the opening possession, quarterback Landon Smothers connected with Ge’Ron Feagin for a 16-yard touchdown, but Andalusia responded with a drive and touchdown to tie the game at six.

The rest of the first half belonged to Georgiana, with Smothers rushing for a touchdown, Payton going 73 yards for a score and Marvin Posey scoring from 20 yards out.

Down 26-8, Andalusia got a safety and a 63-yard Hail Mary in the last 30 seconds of the half to pull to 26-15.

The Bulldogs continued to fight in the second half with a touchdown, but a fumble at Georgiana’s 10-yard line with 16 seconds left sealed the game for the Panthers.

“It was a hard-fought battle, and defense was key,” Crenshaw said. “Andalusia had more heart than we thought, and they didn’t lay down.”