Wayne County’s strong offensive drives in the first half Friday led to a 21-12 win over Liberty County in Jesup to put a crimp in the Panthers’ postseason hopes.
The loss places the Panthers in a rough predicament with only one Region 3A-AAAA game left on the schedule.
Sitting at 0-2 in the region, Friday’s home game against South Effingham is a must win for the Panthers. There are only four teams in the Panthers sub-region and only the top three have the opportunity to play for a postseason spot in the last regular-season game Nov. 8.
The Mustangs also are 0-2, so both teams will be vying for the win headed into the sub-region game. A loss for the Panthers means game 10 will their season finale.
On Friday, the Panthers were able to punch the ball in the end zone, but weren’t successful in scoring the extra points. The Panthers managed only one two-point conversion.
The Panthers rushed for 139 yards on 33 carries, with Trentice Williams leading with 12 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 19-yard touchdown reception.
It was The Panthers’ passing game that kept the team within reach.
Panther quarterback Jordan Waters was 13 of 27 for 301 yards, including two other touchdown passes to Richard LeCounte and Jeremy Caldwell-Fabregas.
LeCounte finished the game with four receptions for 93 yards.
Caldwell-Fabregas had four receptions for 64 yards.
Defensively, Liberty County linebacker Raekwon McMillan, a five-star rated recruit, topped the charts by netting 18 total tackles, including four tackles for loss.