Panthers outlast Prattville Christian
Published 10:28 pm Friday, August 23, 2013
Georgiana School junior Alen Smith (3) throws a block to spring sophomore Jacquez Payton (10) during Georgiana’s 25-12 win over Prattville Christian Friday night. (Advocate Staff/Jonathan Bryant)
It was lights out for the Prattville Christian Panthers as Georgiana proved to be the toughest cats around with a 25-12 victory over their preseason opponent.
First-year Georgiana head coach Ezell Powell spoke earlier this summer about emphasizing a run-oriented offense, and his team answered the challenge.
Senior running back Latrell Seals and sophomore quarterback Jacquez Payton posed a dual-threat in the Georgiana backfield as Seals’ first breakout run from half-field to the red zone easily set up Payton for a six-yard keeper up the middle for the first score of the game.
Not long after, a 65-yard tip-toe down the sidelines from Payton gave Georgiana a comfortable 13-0 lead.
But while Georgiana was firing on all cylinders for much of the first quarter, that all came to a screeching halt in the second when several key defensive meltdowns in the Georgiana secondary led to two quick Prattville Christian touchdowns.
“They were momentum changes for us, and we’ve got to get to where we can eliminate stuff like that in order for us to be a good defense and a good football team,” Powell said.
Though much of their success came from the ground assault, it was a pass that ultimately proved the final nail in the coffin for Prattville Christian.
Just as quickly as it had changed before, momentum would once again swing in Georgiana’s favor when backup quarterback Alen Smith connected with receiver Marvin Posey on a deep pass across the middle. Posey then shrugged off a handful of defenders for the biggest score of the game.
Though a problem with the transformers darkened the stadium and prevented the preseason game from continuing into the second half, Powell said that he was pleased with the way his team executed early in the ballgame.
“I really wanted to see them in the second half because it’s like I preach all the time — everybody can do this when you’re fresh, but it’s when you start to get fatigued and you have to push through those tough moments in the second half that matters,” Powell said.“That’s the growth we need as a team.”
