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On Friday night, Sept. 13, the Georgiana Panthers faced off against the McKenzie Tigers in a thrilling match up that lit up the McKenzie home field. In a high-energy contest, the Panthers came out on top with a 48-24 victory.

“We were just really prepared for this game and wanted it a little bit more,” said Georgiana head coach Berry Bess. “McKenzie has some really good players and they were coached really well.”

Just one minute into the game, Georgiana’s Bernard McCaster set the tone, scoring a quick touchdown and securing an 8-0 lead. The Tigers responded late in the first quarter, with Quay Jackson finding Jay Jackson for a touchdown, leveling the score at 8-8.

McCaster continued his standout performance in the second quarter, scoring another touchdown to push the Panthers ahead, 16-8. 

McKenzie fought back in the third, as Jackson connected with Skylar Sanders for a touchdown, cutting the Panthers’ lead to 24-16. However, Georgiana quickly regained momentum. With under two minutes left in the third quarter, Kaveon Miles added to the Panthers’ lead, making it 32-16.

In the final quarter, McCaster found Fred Curry for a touchdown, extending the Panthers’ lead to 40-16. Although McKenzie responded with another touchdown by Jackson to make it 40-24, Georgiana sealed the win with Curry’s second touchdown, bringing the final score to 48-24.

McKenzie Coach Brian Bradford said although it’s always disappointing to lose, it helps to understand where the team needs work.

“Coach Bess is outstanding and they were just really well prepared,” Bradford said. “They played a very disciplined game and made the plays every time they had a chance. I hate that we didn’t handle things the way we should have but hats off to them. They just executed it better than us.”