The Panthers have had a tremendous season, and it’s not over yet. They are 10-1, with their only loss coming against Northgate. They have a win against crosstown rival McIntosh, and two victories over Dutchtown, one of which put the Panthers into the state playoffs. However, the Panthers will face their biggest test to date in the second round of the state playoffs.

Last week, the Panthers picked up their first playoff win in five years, as they defeated the Northside Patriots 49-0. The Panthers were dominant in the ground attack, rushing for 469 yards. The defense also held their ground, as they only allowed 82 total yards against the Patriots, the lowest total by an opponent this year. The win put the Panthers into the tenth spot in the state rankings.

“We were well prepared. We came out and attacked early,” head coach Chad Phillips said. “I think it goes to show the strength of our schedule, and our region. We play good competition every Friday, and it puts us in a good position for the state playoffs.”  

This week, the Panthers face a new test as they face the sixth-ranked team in classification AAAAA, the Allatoona Buccaneers. Allatoona has the same record as the Panthers this season at 10-1, with their only loss coming to East Paulding in the season opener by a score of 17-10.

“We watched the East Paulding film,” Phillips said. “They throw it all over the place, like most of the teams from that region, while we are more of a run-based team. It’s going to be harder for them to prepare for us, because they haven’t seen an offense like ours.”

Last year, the Buccaneers finished the regular season undefeated, and made it to state semifinals. However, they lost to the eventual state champion, Northside-Warner Robins. They returned most of their players this season, including Arizona running back commit Russell Halimon. They also return most of their offensive line, which helps with Halimon’s success.

“They have a huge offensive line,” Phillips said. “They are all big, and very athletic, but the main thing is their running back is committed to Arizona. He’s good, but we have played some good running backs all year, like Quarterman Sloan from Drew, and Ton Evans from Northgate. It’s not like we haven’t faced a good back all year long.”

After watching the game film of Allatoona, the team has drawn comparisons to another Fayette County team that has shared similar success that the Buccaneers have faced recently.

“This team is very similar to Sandy Creek’s offense,” Phillips said. “Instead of spreading the ball out, and running side-to-side, they run it down your throat. We have to stop the inside run game first and play very disciplined.”

The Panthers have a good plan in place for this week, and Phillips has a good feeling about how to stop the Buccaneers offense.

“We have to play together,” Phillips said. “On offense, we have to control the clock and keep the ball away from them. We need to string first downs together, and we need to score on most of our series. If we can get a lead on them, they do not throw the ball well, and that will put them in position where they don’t like to play from behind.”

In addition to strategizing for the game, Phillips has made the team aware of the recent stabbings in the Allatoona area. He has even used the tragedy as a life lesson for his team.

“We talked to the team Tuesday about the situation,” Phillips said. “We used it to let the team know to make good decisions. In the game of life, if you make one bad decision, it could cost you your life. You usually get to play another game if you make a mistake in football, while in the game of life, you don’t get any mulligans.”

With this in mind, the players will take the field tomorrow night, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. from Allatoona. If the Panthers win, they would face the winner of Mays, who was last years state runner up, or Houston County in the state quarterfinals.