In a season of high drama, come-from-behind wins and close losses, the Panthers were still in the running for a Class AAAAA playoff spot with two games remaining. Standing at 3-4, the Panthers needed to win their games against Northgate and Whitewater if they were going to be playoff eligible for the first time since the Dream Season of 2010 when the Panthers went undefeated until losing to Chattahoochee in the state championship game at the Georgia Dome.

The Panthers first faced division rival Northgate. Coming off one of their greatest come-from-behind wins in school history, defeating McIntosh 42-27, the Panthers looked forward to the Vikings.

“The guys looked great all week in practice. They were really focused,” said head coach Chad Phillips.  In what was a tight contest for most of the game, the Panthers couldn’t find the end zone when they needed to.  After the third quarter, they trailed 7-6.  The Panthers and Vikings traded long touchdown drives on their first possessions.  Vikings quarterback Benton Washington scored on a 30-yard run.  Panther senior running back John Smith answered with a 1-yard touchdown but junior kicker Brandon Oot missed the extra point.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. The Panthers suffered costly turnovers, however, one of which was in the red zone. They were poised to get the go-ahead touchdown with 5:20 left in the fourth quarter when senior quarterback Kyle Moseley mishandled a snap and fumbled on the 1-yard line. The Vikings recovered and eventually padded their lead to 10-6 on a 32-yard field goal.

On the Panthers’ next drive, Moseley was sacked for a seven yard loss on first down and the Panthers went three and out.  The Vikings added another touchdown on Washington’s 10-yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Teasley.

Four plays later, the Panthers pull within three points with 1:17 remaining on Smith’s 44-yard pass reception from Moseley and a successful two-point conversion.  The Panthers tried an on-side kick but the Vikings recovered and ran out the clock.

“We didn’t execute on offense and it took our focus away,” said Moseley after the game.  Smith, who scored both touchdowns, rushed for 20 yards on 15 carries and caught two passes for 49 yards, would have preferred a win, but he was just glad he played.  He missed all of last season after breaking a leg in the first practice of the year.

“My hard work and preparation carried me to where I am now. After the way last year ended, I really just go back to my grind.”

The Panthers now needed to defeat Whitewater. That turned out to be easier said than done.  A very tough Wildcat team was also looking to clinch a playoff spot. Whitewater scored the first points of the ballgame in the second quarter on a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Alexander but missed the extra point to take a 6-0 lead.

The Panthers answered with two touchdowns of their own. Senior wide receiver Patrick Mullins caught two 23-yard passes from Moseley, but Oot missed one of the extra points. Whitewater added a field goal to make it 13-9 Panthers at the half.

The second half featured more offense as the Wildcats came right out of the gate to score on a 35-yard touchdown run by standout running back Christian Wafford. Whitewater went for two and made it to take a 17-13 lead.  The Panthers responded with a 37-yard touchdown run by Smith. Down 20-17, Whitewater blew the game wide open by scoring three touchdowns on their next three possessions, running up the score and chewing time off the clock. The first two TDs were within 17 seconds of each other.  Wafford ran for all three Wildcat scores.

The Panthers trailed 38-20 with their season on the line. Smith brought the Panthers within three after scoring two touchdowns on Panther drives in the final five minutes. A failed onside kick ended the Panthers chances of a come-back win as the Wildcats ran out the final 2:36 to win 38-35.

Smith’s electric second half gave him 137 yards on 23 carries. Mullins led the offensive charge with three catches for 49 yards.

Even though the regular season was over, one game remained for the Panthers, a region play-in game against Forest Park. As Moseley, Smith, White, Mullins and others played their final game as a Panther on their home field, emotions were running high. The Panthers beat Forest Park, 31-20.

The Panthers took an early lead off a 58-yard pass from Moseley to White. Oot went 1-for-2 on field goals in the half, connecting for a 33-yarder. The defense was hard to impenetrable in the first half. The Panthers made a stop in the red zone to save a touchdown and preserve a 10-0 lead into halftime

The second half started with a four-yard touchdown run by Smith to increase the Panthers lead to 17-0. Smith also had a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 52-yard touchdown run to score his final two touchdowns as a Panther. Forest Park made a comeback attempt late in the game, scoring  two field goals and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough. The Panthers ended their year on a sweet victory.