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The Georgiana Panthers experienced their first loss of the season against the W.S. Neal Eagles Friday night, leaving the field after a 22-12 defeat. 

Georgiana head coach Berry Bess said he is proud of the Panther’s effort they gave Friday night. 

“We played a very competitive game versus a good, and well-coached W.S. Neal team,” Bess said. “Overall, I was pleased with the toughness & effort of our team.” 

The game remained scoreless for the entire first quarter. W.S. Neal put points on the scoreboard near the end of the first half with a one-yard quarterback sneak followed with a two point conversion, leading into halftime 8-0. 

The Eagles gained another seven points before the Panthers finally got on the board again with a minute left in the third quarter. Leading 15-6, W.S. Neal earned another touchdown and field goal kick with less than a minute on the board. The Eagles led 22-6 going into the fourth quarter. 

Georgiana fought for the final touchdown of the night with a 26-yard pass from Jacobie Morgan to Fred Curry. W.S. Neal prevailed then at 22-12. 

“We just came up short on the scoreboard,” Bess said. “We will watch this film and correct some mistakes on both sides of the ball. We will focus on staying locked in the game and expect a hard fought rivalry game against McKenzie at home. It should be a great atmosphere for our home opener.”

The two Butler County teams, McKenzie and Georgiana, will play each other at the Panther’s field on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.