Teams serious about practice
After the first week of preseason football, the score stands Columbia County 2, Richmond County 0.
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Lakeside's Brian Gross-Bias is tackled by a Butler defender during the scrimmage at Panther Stadium.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
The Greenbrier Wolfpack disposed of Cross Creek, 14-0, on Aug. 4.
Not to be outdone, Lakeside upset Butler Friday night, 14-7, in a game that hardly resembled an unexciting practice game.
The county tries to go perfect this week when Westside plays at Evans, the Academy of Richmond County travels to Greenbrier, and Aquinas goes to Harlem.
"We know they are practice games, but we still want to win them," Lakeside coach Randy Hill said. "For the most part, we don't get to play (Richmond County) teams so it is fun to beat them. They all have good programs."
Hill said he was surprised at his team's effort against the Bulldogs.
"The kids spend all summer hitting each other and we didn't really know how they would react when they played against another team," Hill said. "I was happy with the effort, but it was still a practice game."
The Panthers scored on an 80 yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Johnson to Carl Burrow with less than a minute remaining to win, 14-7.
Lakeside got the ball after Reggie Porter sacked the Butler quarterback, forcing a punt. On the first play after the punt, Johnson hit Burrow in stride and Burrow raced down the sideline for the score.
The Lakeside defense set the tone early in the first quarter when Paul Miller sacked the Butler quarterback on consecutive plays.
With the exception of three long runs, Lakeside shut down the Bulldogs' offense, allowing only two complete passes. The Panthers recovered two fumbles and accumulated a number of sacks.
"Defensively, we played outstandingly," Hill said. "We filtered in a number of players and everyone seemed to play good football."
Before Burrow's touchdown, the Panthers were stagnant on the offensive end. The team had a tough time getting the running game working and Johnson connected on just three passes - although two went for touchdowns.
Lakeside head coach Randy Hill watches the action during a scrimmage against Butler.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"We need to work on protecting our quarterback and opening holes for running," Hill said. "We should be ready for the opener against Washington-Wilkes."
Two nights before the Panthers win, the Wolfpack outlasted Cross Creek, 14-0.
Sean Gray, who is fighting for the quarterback job with Brandon Hicks, strengthened his case by rushing for two scores.
Hicks led the team to the Cross Creek one-yard line as time expired.
"Both quarterbacks played well and made the plays we asked," Greenbrier coach Mickey Derrick said. "We will see how they play after the second scrimmage and then make a decision.
"We played like it was a practice and had no enthusiasm. There are a lot of things we must work on to get ready for the opener."
Lakeside's #36 is tackled by a Butler defender during the scrimmage at Panther Stadium.
Photo by Jim Blaylock