Panthers take another heartbreaking defeat
On Sept. 3, Lakeside held a late lead against Thomson before the Bulldogs knocked down a last-second field goal in a 10-9 victory.
//
On Friday night, it was more of the same for the Panthers.
After Alex Pritchard made what appeared to be a game-winning play, Statesboro drove down the field. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Caleb Brown made a 36- yard field goal to give the Blue Devils a 26-24 win.
The Panthers had rallied to take back the lead in the Region 2B-AAAA opener for both teams.
"It doesn't surprise me because this Lakeside team fights. We know how to fight through adversity," Lakeside coach Jarrett Troxler said. "Stuff like that doesn't get us down."
Lakeside (1-4, 0-1) took a 16-6 lead into halftime thanks to a pair of touchdown runs from quarterback Ben Wilson.
He opened the scoring with a 4-yard run. Late in the first quarter, he produced his longest run of the season, a 60-yard jaunt that put the Panthers up 14-7.
As the second half opened, Statesboro took control. The Blue Devils' first drive after halftime saw them methodically drive for a score, capped off by a 3-yard scamper by Dequan Daniels.
After a Lakeside three-and-out, Statesboro blocked a punt. It took two plays to produce another score, as Daniels ran it in from 26 yards out to put his team up 20-16.
After Statesboro added another field goal, the Panthers produced a gutsy drive that put them ahead.
Down 23-16 with 8:16 remaining, Lakeside needed nine plays on its 71-yard scoring drive. Wilson accounted for 69 of those yards, and he finished with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Leonard.
Lakeside lined up for the tying extra point, but when the snap rolled to Pritchard, the holder, he used some quick thinking.
Pritchard picked up the ball and looked for a receiver. With nobody open, he took off toward the pylon and dove for a 2-point conversion that put Lakeside up by a point.
Brown then buried the Panthers to cap off Statesboro's final drive.
"It's great to put drives like that together, but we didn't step up as a team," said Wilson, who finished 130 passing yards and 77 rushing. "When you let them have the third quarter, executing in the fourth quarter doesn't mean much."
While Pritchard's tackle-breaking 2-point run didn't turn out to be the winning score, Troxler said it exemplifies the type of players the Panthers have on their roster.
"It's just the will, the effort, and the kind of kids we have at Lakeside," he said. "They fight. They work hard."
Knights suffer first loss
In a matchup of unbeaten squads from opposite sides of the Savannah River, Evans fell behind early in a 23-10 loss to visiting North Augusta.
The Yellow Jackets led 16-3 at halftime.
Quarterback Glenn Cassedy finished 14-for-25 passing for 213 yards for Evans (3-1). He was intercepted twice.
Running back Will Scott carried 14 times for 60 yards.
Jamie Galvin had a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter, and Brent Freeman completed the scoring with a fourth-quarter fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.
Bulldogs earn first win
Harlem scored two first-half touchdowns to take a double-digit lead, then held on through a scoreless second half in a 14-7 win over Cross Creek.
The Bulldogs moved to 1-3 on the season.
Taylor Mills opened the scoring, picking up a fumble and running 6 yards for a touchdown. Mike McIntire later scored from 4 yards out to put Harlem up 14-0.
Attempting to tie the game, the Razorbacks got to the 2-yard line late, but the clock ran out before they were able to run another play.
Warriors fail to hold lead in defeat
Grovetown led into the fourth quarter, but Butler scored to go ahead late and earned a 26-21 victory.
D.J. Tyson scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, and Xavier Crain also ran for a score.
Crain led the way with 106 rushing yards on 19 carries. He finished 2-for-9 passing with an interception for 25 yards.
Grovetown was the first team to score a point against undefeated Butler this season; the Bulldogs had outscored their opponents 100-0.
Lions keep winning ways
Augusta Christian stormed ahead early en route to a 27-19 victory over Hilton Head Christian.
It was the Lions' second win in a row.
Quarterback Tyler Roberson got the scoring started with a 1-yard run, then William Banks scored on a 4-yard run to go up 14-0 in the first quarter.
Matt Rogers caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Roberson in the second quarter for a 21-0 halftime lead.
Christian Croft scored on a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Roberson had 150 passing yards -- going 11-for-19 with an interception -- and 22 rushing yards.