Scoreboard: Perry dominates Veterans 37-6, Howard and HoCo stay undefeated
With the first cool clouds of the season hanging over the Panther Pit and the players’ bright yellow helmets gleaming, the Perry Panthers took down the Veterans Warhawks in a 37-6 rout Friday night.
It was a blackout game in the stands for the Perry fans, and the Panthers defense nearly blacked out the Warhawks on the scoreboard as well thanks to four turnovers in the second half, including a pick six in the third quarter.
“That was huge, and that was a big part, we’re starting to learn how to finish games now, and finish halves,” said Perry head coach Kevin Smith. “I’m real proud of our guys, we had a lot of adversity tonight… but we didn’t get down. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of.”
The defense resulted in Perry’s second win of the season after they took down Jones County in Week 3. The blowout was the Warhawks’ first loss this season.
Perry running back Demetrious Carter dominated on the field and rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns on just 18 touches. Carter barreled his way to the endzone on two highlight reel runs of 60 and 47 yards, the latter of which saw the quick back literally run out of his shoes and lose a cleat on the way to paydirt.
“He was great all game, and we needed it,” Smith said of Carter’s game on the ground. “We had some trouble moving the ball, we were losing at the line of scrimmage.”
Perry controlled the game in the first half despite some issues in the trenches with penalties, with Carter leading the offense. Carter rushed for 79 yards on just eight carries in the first half, including the 60-yard score that gave Perry a 7-0 lead. Carter had another long touchdown run called back thanks to a Panthers holding penalty, but the back still led a solid Perry attack in the first half.
A 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Armar Gordon Jr. gave Perry their other first half touchdown and a 14-0 lead going into the half.
Veterans’ offense was consistent enough in the first half to move the sticks a few times each possession, but never got a truly big play to get them into the endzone. Quarterback Jake Maxwell had 76 yards passing in the first half, mostly coming from screens, but the Perry defensive line stepped up when they needed to and kept the Warhawks scoreless in the first half.
The Panthers cemented their grasp on the contest in the second half thanks to two interceptions on the first two Veterans drives. Maxwell was once again consistent on his short passes and moved the Warhawks up the field in spurts, but was picked off twice looking for deep balls. One of the picks led to a Perry field goal to make it 17-0.
Maxwell’s third interception of the game proved to be lethal, as it was returned for a touchdown by Perry’s Traveon Wright and made it a 24-0 ballgame.
The Panthers locked it up from there, with Carter striking for two more scores, though a missed PAT made it 37-0. Veterans managed to score a touchdown on the final play of the game, but the blowout was set in stone and ended with a final score of 37-6.
Other scores:
- Valdosta 25, Warner Robins 0
- Peach County 35, Jones County 3
- Houston County 68, Locust Grove 12
- Westside 51, Rutland 7
- Howard 16, Harris County 7
- Worth County 32, Central 7
- ACE 57, Jordan 0
- Northeast 26, Carver 8
- Mary Persons 38, Haralson County 17
- Swainsboro 35, Dodge County 0
- Bleckley County 17, Schley County 0
- Stratford 42, Brookwood 20
- Laney 26, FPD 14
- St. Anne-Pacelli 38, Mount De Sales 0
This story was originally published September 9, 2022 at 11:17 PM.