TIFTON — Coach Marvin Barton’s Tiftarea Academy Panther football team will attempt to go to 1-1 on the year tonight when they take the trek down to Camilla to face the Westwood School Wildcats.
While Tiftarea was falling at Southland, 27-7, last week, the Wildcats were in Damascus losing to Southwest Georgia Academy, 28-0.
It will be an unusual situation for the Panthers as Tiftarea will go into tonight’s game with a numbers advantage. Barton’s Tiftarea squad is dressing out over 40 players this year, while Westwood has around 25.
That means several of the Wildcats will not get much of a break tonight.
All six of the team’s returning starters on offense are also returning starters on defense.
The Wildcats should have a veteran offensive line with three returning starters, Dustin Harrell, Mitch Bernier and Tyler Foster. Other returnees on offense are quarterback Andrew Stargel, fullback Taylor Boone and running back Jake Edore.
All six of those players are also starters on defense. They are joined on that side of the ball by returning starters Colin Enfinger and Daniel Hays.
Slade Ellis, Tay Mallory and Wes Carter will be among the offensive leaders that Barton will count on tonight for the Panthers.
Up in Ashburn, the Turner County Rebels will attempt to get back on the winning track when they host the Seminole County Indians.
Last week, coach Erik Soliday’s squad fell 34-12 to Class AAA Worth County.
The Class A Rebels had trouble containing Worth’s All-State defensive end Meshack Williams as Turner quarterback Kenveyon Newberry ended the game with minus -67 yards rushing, due to a number of sacks.
Newberry did throw for 211 yards and a pair of scores. Lester Green had four receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown, and Hiawatha Parker added five catches for 58 yards and a score.
In their opener, the Seminole County Indians fell by a 40-0 score to Wilcox County. Wilcox is also a member of Region 2-A with Turner.
A renewal of an old rivalry will take place in Ocilla as the Clinch County Panthers will be at Indian Field to face the homestanding Irwin County squad.
The two schools have not played each other since 1999, but played each other several times in the 1980s and 1990s when both schools were in the same region.
One of the leaders for Clinch is junior quarterback Vintavious Cooper, who threw for 1,971 yards last season. Cooper’s father, A.C., was a major athlete for the Panthers in the 1980s, as he helped Clinch win state titles in several different sports.
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Panthers on the road at Camilla
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