The Jenkins Warriors scored three touchdowns in the first seven minutes and held on for a 28-12 win over the Liberty County Panthers at Donell Woods Stadium/Kirk Warner Field on Friday night.

The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-2 on the year and 1-1 in Region 3-AAA. Jenkins improved to 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in the region.

Liberty cut the lead to 20-12 with 5:47 to go on Jah’Barri Felix’s 20-yard fourth-down scramble for a score. The Warriors, though, held the Panthers on the two-point conversion, and Liberty could not mount another serious threat the rest of the way.

The Warriors iced the game with Ryan Scott’s 10-yard with 2:07 remaining.

Jenkins jumped on the board with Ke’von Jones’ 60-yard interception return less than two minutes into the game. There were three fumbles in the first six plays from scrimmage, in a steady rain that didn’t let up until late in the fourth quarter.

Jayaun Albert added a 14-yard run, and Demetrius Holloway found Trenton Rhodes for a 27-yard strike and a 21-0 lead.

Elijah Brown’s 5-yard run got the Panthers on the board early in the second quarter.

Behind Brown’s dazzling 48-yard run, and Aaron Brown’s sideline catch to convert a third-down pass from Felix, the Panthers had first-and-goal at the Warriors 2-yard line to open the second half. But the Panthers were knocked for a loss on the next play, and fumbled on the ensuing play.

Liberty will travel to Long County on September 13 to take on the Blue Tide, a 38-6 winner over Groves on Thursday.

For more, see the September 12 edition of the Courier.