By DAVID MILLER
Special to The Dispatch
STARKVILLE – With just under a minute left in the first half of the Starkville Academy-French Camp Friday, the Panthers were marching the field and prepared to close SA’s once 21-point lead to just one score.
French Camp quarterback Holman Edwards overthrew a wide-open receiver in the end zone on first down from the SA 35. Then, SA senior Torin Hamilton showed up. The senior defensive tackle sacked Edwards on the next play and then crushed delivered a backbreaking hit on the quarterback to end the first half and French Camp’s last realistic chance to score a touchdown.
The Volunteers cruised in the second half en route to a 28-9 win.
“It was a big hit, and got us momentum going into halftime,” Hamilton said. “But we knew (the Panthers) weren’t gonna lay down for us. We came out with that momentum and fought for the second half.”
The Vols (5-2) were just one-week removed from a deflating 26-17 loss at rival Heritage Academy, a game in which the Patriots turned a pair of Vols’ turnovers into defensive scores. Its defense, which played its part last week, was expected to hold French Camp at the half, said Chase Nicholson, SA coach.
“Defense made big plays, had some big hits – they do that week in and week out,” Nicholson said. “We called a couple of timeouts (before the final two plays of the half) because we needed to make something happen – they’re too good of a team, too well coached, (and) they fight too hard. Those two plays took the air out of their balloon. Most people that don’t know football don’t realize how huge that was.”
The Volunteers raced to a 19-0 lead in just 18 minutes of play, powered by short running touchdowns by Dalton Dempsey, Will Miller and Noah Methvin. SA’s defense forced a pair of three-and-outs during the stretch.
French Camp freshman running back Kendall Coleman resurrected the Panthers (2-5) with an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Panthers were feeling it, too, even in the face of a three-and-out on its next possession.
French Camp, at its own 25, gained 48 yards on a fake-punt run by up-back Braxton Bright. The Panthers managed a field goal out of the drive to pull within 13, 22-9.
“When we didn’t score on that third drive, they got hope and momentum going,” Hamilton said. “(The Panthers) have a lot of fight in them.”
Hamilton’s two plays to end the half led to an energetic start to the third quarter, as the Volunteers forced a three-and-out and forced a turnover on French Camp’s first two possessions.
“We were in coverage, and we both had hashes,” said SA’s Codie Futral, who picked off a pass on the drive. “I saw (Edwards) drop back to throw it deep, so I started running back and thought ‘that’s over my head.’ My boy (Carter) Roach tipped it up, so it was right there, and I grabbed it. I tried to take it back to the house.”
Futral returned it 40 yards and the Vols offense turned it into the final score of the game.
SA’s defense was dominant through the second half, outside of runs of 25 and 40 yards by Coleman. Both runs came on one drive, which ended in a missed 37-yard field goal.
“We switched to a different defense,” said SA linebacker Drew Jackson. “They widened their fullback out pretty wide, so we put our ends out wide to squeeze it down. It made it easier for us to contain the run.”
The Volunteers gave up just seven first downs and held Edwards to 21 yards passing, the pick and no scores. Edwards completed just 4-of-14 passes. Though Edwards had the arm to power the ball downfield, the Panthers couldn’t keep SA out of the backfield, often rolling Edwards to his right and thus shrinking the field for him.
“He has a great arm,” Nicholson said of Edwards. “He’s a young guy who’ll be a good one in the future for them.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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