The Hawkins Hawks are eyeing a spot in the state playoffs after a decisive 73-40 victory over the Alba-Golden (A-G) Panthers Friday night. The win gives the Hawks a 6-2 season record and 3-1 mark in district action. The Panthers dropped to 1-8 and 0-5 in district play going into their final game at Como-Pickton this week. The Hawks will host Kerens this Friday at Lowrance Stadium.
Things happened fast and furiously Friday night at Panther Stadium. The Hawks started the scoring parade on the opening kickoff as Eli Snider took the short kick 60 yards to the house for a touchdown. The Hawks proceeded to recover an onside kick, and on the second play, running back Springer Crouch went 10 yards to make it a 14-0 lead with less than a minute played in the first quarter.
The Hawks once again recovered an onside kick. After an Eli Smith pass to Riggin Smith moved the ball to the 24-yard line, Snider scored again on a pass play. The Hawks’ lead had blossomed to 22-0 with 10:33 left in the first quarter.
Not to be silenced, Alba-Golden’s Brett Sutton took the kickoff all the way back to the Hawks’ 30-yard line. Facing third-and-11, Panther quarterback Sutton ran 31 yards for a TD and cut the lead to 22-6.
The Hawks added another score, making it 30-6, still in the first quarter. The Panthers fought back on a Sutton-to-Carson Boyd pass play, cutting the score to 30-12 with 1:37 left in the quarter. The Hawks would hit paydirt again on a 52-yard bomb from Eli Smith to Snider, and at the end of the first period, the score was 37-12 Hawkins.
The teams battled evenly for much of the rest of the way. The first half ended with Hawkins leading 44-26 over the Panthers. The second half saw the Hawks add 29 more points while the Panthers scored another 14 for the final 73-40 margin.
For the game, the Panthers’ Sutton ran for 75 yards on 20 carries and threw for another 291 yards. Samuel Leddy rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries in his final game at Panther Stadium. Boyd had six catches for 127 yards on the night. The Panthers finished with 445 yards of total offense.
For Hawkins, Eli Smith passed for seven touchdowns, completing 20 of 28 passes for 409 yards through the air. The Hawks added another 146 yards rushing, giving them 555 total offensive yards. Eli Smith also recorded five tackles on defense, including one for a loss.
Riggin Smith had a complete game with three receptions for 61 yards, but his presence on defense was remarkable. From his linebacker spot, he recorded 13 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble.
Springer Crouch rushed eight times for 102 yards and one score, while Trevin Tanner added three receptions for 73 yards and two TDs.
A-G Head Coach Drew Webster was still pleased with his young men.
“What a true show of resilience for our kids to keep battling until the end. That is a testimony to the character of our kids to play the full 48 minutes no matter the score on the scoreboard. Our seniors have led all season long and this night was no different. This also showed us what our offense can do when our younger kids play with the confidence they did on Friday. We are proud of how far they have come this year. We have one more game left this season. We want to go to Como-Pickton and pick up a win to possibly ruin their season playoff hopes as we head to the off-season. A win would leave us with a good taste in our mouth heading to next year,“ Webster said.
The Panthers could play a major role in determining the final playoff spot in District 10-2A Division I. Como-Pickton must beat A-G at home this Friday and Kerens on the road in its regular-season finale to keep its playoff hopes alive. A Panther win could derail the Eagles’ chances.
The district championship could be determined this Friday night at Frankston when Carlisle visits in a battle between Indian teams. Both teams enter the game undefeated.
Hawkins entertains Kerens this Friday and finishes the regular season at Frankston on Nov. 6. The Hawks can still finish in second place with a win at Frankston in the season finale.