It’s been four years since Zach Laskey and his fellow Panthers were one game away from being crowned state AAAAA champions. Four years later, Laskey is still making an impact on the football field. This time he is one game away from a major bowl victory.

The former Panther running back is in Miami Gardens, Fla., with his Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket teammates for an 8 p.m.  New Year’s Eve showdown on Wednesday with seventh-ranked Mississippi State in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Earlier in the season, the Bulldogs were the top-ranked team in the nation.

Laskey, the starting B-back and a four-year player, helps keep head coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense running smoothly and piling up yardage, making it one of the most efficient offenses in Division I college football.

Even though Laskey hasn’t played for the Panthers for quite a while, he kept them with him in spirit. Before every home game this season, he poured a little bottle of water from the pond at the Starr’s Mill grist mill onto Grant Field.

“Well, at Starr’s Mill we did it our senior year, so this year it seemed fitting,” Laskey said. “Once a Panther, always a Panther!”

At Tech, Laskey earned a reputation for perseverance and toughness.  Once a game started, he was difficult to bring to the ground, especially this season. His 6-foot-1-inch, 217-pound frame served him well in the backfield with fellow Yellow Jacket and senior running back Synjyn Days to create a two-headed monster that opposing defenses often could not stop.

“We are both pretty big backs,” Laskey said. “He offers a touch more power and me a bit more speed and quickness. The change in pace wears defenses down and then our O-line takes over the game. If they are playing well, then we will play well. Games are won in the trenches.”

The two backs, along with sophomore quarterback Justin Thomas, helped the Yellow Jackets average 333.6 rushing yards per game, good for third in the FBS.

Overall, Laskey helped the Yellow Jackets go 10-3 in his final season, rushing for 788 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games, nine of them starts.

Georgia Tech started the season 6-0 before losing two straight to Duke and North Carolina, their only losses in the regular season.  Division title hopes looked bleak toward the end of the season with the Jackets one game behind Duke with a key game against Clemson left to be played.  Laskey was diagnosed with a shoulder injury after the loss against North Carolina and missed the next three games. He saw limited action in the Clemson game.

“It was unfortunate, but that’s just how life is sometimes,” Laskey said. “To get to come back and play again was a blessing. I will never forget this season.”

Georgia Tech won its last four regular-season conference games and Duke lost two straight to Virginia Tech and North Carolina to send the Yellow Jackets to the ACC Championship for the second time in three years. The Jackets faced undefeated Florida State.

Before that, though, came some Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate in Athens.  “We just kept fighting,” said Laskey about the Georgia game. “We love when no one gives us any respect so we can just take it to them.”  Laskey was in the lineup for the Georgia game and left his footprints between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. After carrying the ball just four times for 13 yards against Clemson, Laskey ran for 140 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime, as the Jackets defeated the Bulldogs, 30-24.

“It was such a great feeling,” Laskey said. “I wasn’t going to leave without winning.”

The Georgia win marked the first year since Johnson became the head coach in 2007 that Georgia Tech beat Miami, Virginia Tech, and Georgia in the same season.

“That was the most special thing to me all season,” Laskey said. “I can go out and say that I’ve beaten every team on our schedule now.”

However, the Jackets didn’t have too much time to celebrate their victory. They had to prepare for Florida State, whose win streak started against the Jackets in 2012.  The Jackets looked like they were going to snap that streak but fell just short in a 37-35 loss.  Laskey’s  production dipped slightly, but he was still effective in the loss, scoring a touchdown and running for 40 yards on 11 carries.

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing,” Laskey said. “We played great, but they played a little bit better.”

Even with the loss to Florida State, the Yellow Jackets were picked to play in the Orange Bowl by the Playoff Committee to represent the ACC.

“Honestly, we already had an idea that we were going here, but to confirm it was pretty special,” said Laskey two days before the Jackets headed to Orlando.  “I’m ready. I can’t wait to get down there and prepare. It will be a big stage, and I am ready to play my final game and leave it all on the field. We are prepared for any defense they can throw at us, but we are excited for the challenge.”