Lovelady Lions Deal Shutout to Normangee, 60-0
By Lawanna Monk
Special to the Messenger
LOVELADY – Brady McCullough teed the ball up to start the game. The ball went into the end zone and the Panthers took over on their own 25. First down pass fell incomplete, second down was shut down by Eric Castillo with no gain and third down pass fell incomplete due to heavy pressure by Castillo and Terrell Easterling. On fourth down, the Panthers were back to punt. A high snap went into the end zone and the Lions got a safety; Lovelady 2 – Normangee 0.
Normangee kicked from the 20 and Cortavies Whitaker returned the ball to the Panther 42. QB Lance Pierce threw a pass to Skylar Pipkin to the Panther 19. Clifton Davis rushed to the five. Pierce kept the ball on the next down and a Panther penalty put the ball on the two yard line. Dayvian Skinner took a direct snap from center Castillo and was directly in for the TD with 9:39 on the clock. Skinner drove in the 2 point conversion; Lovelady 10 – Normangee 0.
Lovelady’s next possession started near the Panther 35 thanks to the Lion defense. Whitaker scored for the Lions on first down with 6:30. A quick hand off from Pierce to Lane Wilson caught everyone off guard. Wilson was in the end zone before anyone knew it; Lovelady 18 – Normangee 0.
McCullough’s kick was returned to the Panther 22 before being taken down by Courtney Whitaker. Castello set the Panthers for a loss of two on first down. Another loss of two on second down. Pipkin intercepted a Panther pass on third down and returned it for a TD with 4:39 on the clock. Pierce connected on a pass to Travis Cook for the extra two; Lovelady 26 – Normangee 0.
Early in the second quarter, Pipkin intercepted another Panther pass and returned it to the Panther 15 yard line. Kye Terry caught a pass and made it to the six. Skinner was stopped just short of the goal line. Skinner hit the end zone on the next down with 10:15 on the clock. McCullough’s kick was good for the extra point; Lovelady 33 – Normangee 0.
The next scoring drive started on a Panther punt that rolled dead at the Lion 39. Cortavies Whitaker gained seven on first down. Skinner made it over into Panther territory to the 41. Skinner gained another seven. Pierce went to the air connecting with Pipkin for the TD with 5:34 on the clock. McCullough’s kick was good; Lovelady 40 – Normangee 0.
The Lion defense kept pressure on the Panthers on their final possession of the half. The kick was returned to the 25 before being taken down by Alan Baskin and C. J. Wiley. Alvaro Gonzales started the Lions’ defense off by setting the Panthers for a loss. Gonzales and Cameron Lovelady stopped a Panther running back just short of mid-field. Baskin and Lovelady set the Panthers for a loss of two. Wilson tackled the Panther back keeping them on their end of the field. The Panthers did complete a pass to the Lion 29. Feeling the time running out, the Panthers kept working on the passing game with no success. The Lions took over on downs with one second left on the clock.
Third quarter started off with Kye Terry fielding the kick off on the 20 and returning it 80 yards for the TD with 11;44 on the clock. McCullough’s kick was good; Lovelady 47 – Normangee 0.
Normangee had a short return to the 27 on the kick off. Tyler Gilchrist set the bar for the Lions allowing no gain for the Panthers. Gaining no yardage on second or third downs, the Panthers punted on 4th down. Pipkin returned the punt to the Panther 45. Dayion pushed forward to the 13. Cortavies Whitaker made good time carrying the ball in for the TD with 8:57 on the clock. The kick was no good; Lovelady 53 – Normangee 0.
Late in the third quarter, the Lions punted. Normangee touched the ball and C. J. Wiled covered the ball for the Lions on the Lion 46. As fourth quarter started, a high snap backed the Lions up to their 25. Pierce handed the ball off to Courtney Whitaker and he was off to the races for a 75 yard TD with 10:50 on the clock. McCullough’s kick was good; Lovelady 60 – Normangee 0.
The clock ran out with no more scoring.
