Panthers shut down Red Devil offense
MAGNET COVE — Mountain Pine could not get its offense going as the Magnet Cove Panthers remained undefeated in 2A-5 conference play with a 35-26 win over the Red Devils.
Trailing by nine with over six minutes left in the game, the Red Devils (3-4, 3-1) tried multiple times to get into the end zone, but an interception with 4:48 left in the game allowed the Panthers (6-1, 4-0) to burn 3:41 off the clock and essentially secure the win, turning the ball over on the Mountain Pine 20.
The Red Devils combined on multiple plays, including a few penalties in their favor to move the ball 66 yards to the 14, but quarterback Collin Smith’s desperation pass to Kayden Anzaldua as time expired was picked off by Levi Horton.
The Panthers held a 21-14 lead at the break, and they stretched the lead out to 28-14 after Landon Stone ran the ball 40 yards to the end zone and Alex Ordonez’s kick.
The Red Devils struck back three minutes later as Smith ran the ball in from the 1 to pull within 28-20 after a failed conversion attempt.
Another quick score by the Panthers made it 35-20 after quarterback Tyler Hodges found Davis Dickinson on a short dump pass for 17 yards and another successful kick with 5:55 left in the quarter.
Smith ran the ball in from the 1 again with 6:43 left in the game, and his pass to Kayden Anzaldua was incomplete on the conversion play to set the final.
Magnet Cove got on the scoreboard first with a
30-yard pass from Hodges to Stone with 2:09 off the clock in the first period. The Red Devils struck back with 5:03 left in the period to pull within 7-6 after a failed conversion as Smith ran the ball in from the 4.
The Panthers again found the end zone on a 30yard play as Hodges tucked the ball on a busted play to score for a 14-6 lead after Ordonez’s kick.
Smith punched the ball in from the 5 with 8:10 left in the half and then ran it in on the conversion play to level the score at 14-14. Magnet Cove ended up taking the momentum into the break however, as Hodges found Horton on a 40-yard pass for the end zone to take a 21-14 lead.
Hodges was 8-for-15 passing for 104 yards and three touchdowns on the night while adding 38 yards and another touchdown on five carries. Stone had
20 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 30 yards and another score. Levi Horton led the receivers corps with three catches for
58 yards and a TD.
Stone also led the Panthers defensively with 12 tackles, and Jacob Hawthorn had 11 stops.
Smith was 5-for-16 passing for 83 yards and added
181 yards and all four of the team’s touchdowns on
37 touches. Jeremiah Walker had 30 yards on nine
carries, and Anzaldua had three catches for 69 yards.
Josiah Walpole led the Red Devils defensively with nine stops and a pass breakup, and Hayden Barnes and Chance Godwin added seven each.
Magnet Cove will travel to Bigelow next week, and Mountain Pine will host England.