Grizzlies can’t match up with Panthers

CABOT — Coach Scott Reed’s Cabot Panthers defeated Fort Smith Northside 24-7 Friday night in a 7A-Central game at Panther Stadium, but that was only part of the story.

“I thought we played pretty well tonight,” said Reed, whose team ended a twogame losing streak. “Other than not finishing drives.”

As well as Cabot played — outgaining Northside 519289 — the complexion of the game changed before it started.

Northside quarterback Dreyden Norwood, a fourstar recruit who is committed to Texas A&M, wasn’t in the huddle when the Grizzlies (44, 1-4) took the field after the opening kickoff.

It was a surprise to Reed, who watched him warm up in pregame.

“I thought the quarterback they played [Walker Catsavis] did well,” Reed said. “That guy, Dreyden, it’s a whole other dimension. When he gets in space, you’re not going to catch him.”

Northside Coach Mike Falleur said he’s not sure when Norwood will play again.

“Some kind of injury,” Falleur said. “Ankle, I think. I have no idea. He was hurt. I don’t know how his ankle feels, so I don’t know how bad it is.

“He’s been our starting quarterback all year. That changes things, but we’ve just got to play better.”

Cabot (6-2, 2-2) led 17-0 at the half, then went up 24-0 when it scored on its first drive of the second half, going 81 yards in nine plays in the first 3:24 of the third quarter.

The final 30 yards came on a pass from senior quarterback Tyler Gee (15 of 22, 326 yards, 2 TDs) to Trey Birdsong, with a big assist going to a crushing block by senior wide receiver Kyler Carmack (7-106 receiving) to set Birdsong free along the sideline.

Cabot, totaling more than 300 yards of first-half offense, led 17-0 at halftime.

“We didn’t get the points that we should have gotten, I didn’t think,” Reed said. “Offensively, we had big plays. Then we just stalled out for some reason.”

Northside ended the shutout by taking advantage of Cabot’s first turnover, a fumble by Mason Bell, midway in the fourth quarter to make it 24-7.

The Grizzlies drove 89 yards, the touchdown coming with 4:49 to play on a 16-yard swing pass and run from backup quarterback Catsavis to Ty Massey, who also rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries.

Reed said he wasn’t sure how things would have turned out if Norwood had played.

“Our plan would have changed,” Reed said. “But we’ve got to play anyway. At that point, we already had a plan of how we were going to play. They’re still running the same structure.”

Falleur said the most disappointing aspect of the Grizzlies’ third consecutive loss was turnovers — two interceptions in the first quarter that led to 10 Cabot points, and a fumble in the end zone that negated an apparent touchdown run by Seth Fields.

“If we get beat and play hard and play a good game, I’m OK with that,” Falleur said. “What I’m not OK with is doing what we’re doing.”

Gee was sharp, completing 9 of 14 for 226 yards in the first half, including a 38yard touchdown pass to Braden Jay, who finished with 4 catches, 111 yards and 1 touchdown.

Carmack caught 4 passes for 67 yards in the first half, his 33-yard catch in the first quarter setting up Cabot’s first touchdown, a 3-yard run by Bell.

The Panthers defense came up with two interceptions that the offense turned into 10 first-quarter points.

Cabot ended the half driving 71 yards in two plays to score with 35 seconds to play before halftime.

Bell (20-137 rushing) went for 33 yards on first down, setting the Panthers up at the Northside 38. Then, Gee found Jay open at the Northside 20, and he dodged two Grizzlies’ defenders while keeping his balance along the home sideline. He stumbled into the end zone.