Eagle miscues lead to narrow Panther win
Photo by Doug Stuart
Jordan Jackson cuts his way through the Mabank Panther defense for a second half Eagle touchdown.
The Mabank Panthers capitalized on several Canton missteps on Friday night, exorcising some personal demons by recording a 35-34 win over the Eagles at Norris Birdwell Stadium. The win marked the first time the Panthers had recorded a win over a Robert Ivey-led Eagle squad.
Canton started off the game on offense, benefitting from a big return by Logan Nace. The Eagles picked up a first down, before eventually turning the ball over on downs to the Panthers.
Mabank, taking possession on their own 39-yard line, relied heavily on its rushing attack to churn out first downs and flip the field position battle in their favor. Running back Clay Carson did most of the damage, picking up runs of 20, 10 and 9-yards on the drive.
On a second down and goal from the one, Mabank quarterback Adrien Higginbotham scored on a keeper to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
After another big return by Logan Nace, the Eagles offense found its footing. Quarterback Hunter Moore completed passes to Nace, Tanner Moore and Jordan Jackson to push into Panther territory. Runs by Hunter Moore and Jordan Jackson eventually pushed the Eagles down to the Panther 19-yard line. Facing a 2nd and 10, Moore broke through the Panther defense to cut the lead to 7-6. The ensuing PAT was missed, keeping the Eagles down a point with just under a minute to play in the first quarter.
Mabank went back to the ground game on its second drive of the night, driving 70 yards in 12 plays for another touchdown. With the PAT, Mabank held a 14-6 advantage with 7:23 in the half.
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