Tiftarea's Kameron Brown (with ball) attempts to twist his way out of the grasp of Frederica Academy defenders.

CHULA – Frederica Academy gambled and lost Friday night and the Tiftarea Academy Panthers turned a fourth quarter deficit into a lead and ultimately into a 21-18 homecoming victory.

Dylan Harbort threw touchdown passes to Brock Hammond at 7:35 and 3:10 in the final period to go ahead 21-10. Frederica marched down the field and scored on a 33-yard pass from Thomas Veal to Jaiden Rose, but Harbort recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt to allow the Panthers to hang on.

“We knew it was going to take some big plays against this outfit because they’re a really good football team,” said Tiftarea head coach Erik Soliday after his team improved to 2-1 on the season. “We’re very fortunate to get out of here with a win.”

The Knights were in command for much of the second half. After Jordan Triplett scored for them with 1:03 left in the second quarter, Tiftarea had watched its chances start to slip away.

Frederica recovered a fumble at its own 18 in the third quarter. Blake Holloway stole a pass from Hammond early in the fourth and it seemed like nothing was going to go right for the hosts.

Then it did.

Soliday had been concerned about his team running out of gas after Bulloch Academy dominated the second half a week ago. This time, however, they found another gear.

“Different kids stepped up,” he said. “We picked it back up. We got a little better this week and that helped us.”

Frederica immediately lost yards on a holding penalty. An incompletion and two short gains meant it was 4th and 16 at their own 39. Instead of punting, they handed it off. Tiftarea swallowed up the runner after five yards.

Kameron Brown took the initial handoff at Frederica’s 44 with 10:02 left. Harbort then hit Jayk Sailer on a 24-yard pass that saw Sailer wrest the ball from a defender’s hands.

In business at the 18, Tiftarea got two yards in two plays before Harbort threaded the needle to Hammond for a 16-yard touchdown. Sailer’s extra point kick sailed through the uprights and Tiftarea was ahead 13-10.

Already in trouble, the Knights found more of it when a hit by John Adam Copeland on the kickoff knocked the ball free and Wesley Malone recovered at the 30.

Sailer came up with a big third down catch at the 2 to keep the chains and clock moving. The line could only get one yard on two Harbort runs, but then the Panthers took a chance of their own.

Harbort rolled right out of the pocket and found Hammond in the corner of the end zone at 3:10. Soliday elected to go for two points and initially they were stopped. But Frederica was called for a penalty, nullifying the play. Copeland caught Harbort’s toss on the second try, making it 21-10.

The Knights roared back. It only took six plays and two minutes for Frederica to go 70 yards. Veal was 5-of-5 passing during the drive, the last being the 33-yard toss to Rose. Veal ran for the two-point conversion to get them back to striking distance.

Harbort caught a bouncing kickoff, then gained a first down with 47 seconds left. Frederica had only one timeout left at that point and Tiftarea knelt twice to end it.

Sailer outran the opposition on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Harbort with 1:46 in the first quarter. It was the game’s first score and one that came on the heels of Frederica missing a 44-yard field goal. The score stayed at 6-0, though, as the extra point kick was missed.

Frederica advanced quickly down the field after the touchdown, but after reaching as far as the 7, Tiftarea’s defense forced two lost-yardage plays. Colin Vinhateiro convered a 29-yard field goal at 9:44.

Neither team drove deep on the next three series before the Knights took over again. Veal shook off a sack to find Triplett on a 23-yard reception for one first down.

The Panthers had them stopped again, but on fourth down Veal hit a wide open Triplett in the middle of the field and he galloped into the end zone at 1:03.

Dylan Seagraves had a third quarter interception for Tiftarea, a fast period that saw the Panthers only have one possession.

“I gotta give my kids credit for playing hard,” said Soliday.

Harbort completed 12 of 22 passes for an unofficial 200 yards and three touchdowns. Sailer caught five balls for 135 yards and a score. Two of Hammond’s catches went for touchdowns. He had 41 yards.

Between halves, Kaitlynn Willis was named Tiftarea’s homecoming queen.

The Panthers will be at home again next week, taking on GHSA opponent Charlton County.