With a 3-0 record going into week four, the Liberty County High School Panthers hit the road Saturday to take on the Red Terrors of Glynn Academy in Brunswick.
The 0-3 Red Terrors are looking to end their losing streak and squash the Panthers’ perfect record. Kick-off for Saturday’s game is set for 5 p.m.
Panther head coach Kirk Warner said his team can’t take Glynn lightly or base their style of play solely on their record.
"We’ve watched them on film and they are athletic," he said.
The coach said the losses Glynn suffered were due to minor errors in close games. By the same token, he said the Panthers are working on their own mistakes as they try to stay in the winner’s circle.
"We can’t worry too much about their errors," the coach said. "We have to worry about our own."
The Panther defense has allowed only 18 points against them, while the offense has racked up 69 points.The Red Terrors, on the other hand, have given up 71 points. They held off the Panthers last season to win by 2 (16-14). For both teams it’s their last opportunity to iron out kinks before region play starts.
The Panther offensive line is getting more experience each game, so quarterback Julian Stokes said he is getting more time and is more comfortable in the pocket.
Against Effingham County last week the Panther offense ran for 222 yards in 45 carries and was 5 of 8 passes for 118 yards.
Stokes ran the ball 11 times for 119 yards and completed 4 of 6 passes before he injured his elbow and Matt Desbiens was brought in as quarterback. Stokes said his elbow is fine and plans to start on Saturday. But the coach said expect to see both quarterbacks in on plays from here on out.
"We want Matt (Desbiens) to see a little more time behind the ball because he is only an injury away from being the starter," Warner said.
Continuing to impress the coaching staff and racking up yards is sophomore Shadrach Thornton. He had a pass reception for 11 yards and ran 22 times for a total of 105 yards last week. The Panthers’ receiver core are starting to get more action with Sinjin Mullis getting a reception for 25 yards and Kris Crawford catching two passes, each for 11 yards.
Even senior punter/kicker Eddie Chipple completed a pass for 60 yards to Byron Johnson and a touchdown when he saw the right side open and opted for the toss instead of a punt on fourth down against Effingham.
Stokes said his focus is to get another victory, especially against Glynn.
"They came to us last year and gave us our first loss at our new stadium," Stokes said. "I definitely want to take a win at their house."