After a strong start to the season, which saw three consecutive victories, the Jackson County Panthers found themselves in the midst of a six game losing streak in region play for the year when they traveled to Stephens County Friday.
But strong play by the Panthers allowed them to end their season on a very high note with a victory over the Stephens County Indians.
It’s the first region victory for the Panthers since September of 2006, when they defeated Winder-Barrow.
It’s also the first time the Panthers had defeated Stephens County in six tries. In those previous five meetings, the Panthers had scored only three points against the Indians.
“It was a huge win for my football program,” said coach Billy Kirk. “To go to The Reservation and win is a large step in the right direction for us and will springboard us into the off-season.”
It also means the best football record for the Panthers since 1997. Jackson County went 4-6 on the year, and easily could have been 5-5 if not for a missed field goal against Elbert County on Oct. 23 that resulted in a 28-27 loss.
“We had opportunities to win at least two more,” Kirk added.
Friday’s game at Stephens County would see surges by both teams, with the lead changing hands five times between the two.
In just his fourth start since taking over for the ailing Alex Crawford, quarterback Jalen Banks connected with Darion Rollins for a 32-yard touchdown. Banks also passed to Jonathan Holton to add to the Panthers’ points tally.
Zach Sticher also scored a rushing touchdown.
The breakthrough moment of the game came in the third quarter, when Rollins tossed a reverse pass to Charlie Waycaster that turned into a 79-yard touchdown.
A 17-yard pass late in the fourth quarter from Jalen Banks to Zach Sticher would result in a touchdown that would give the Panthers the 26-23 lead.
The Indians would mount a last, late drive, but could gain no traction against the Panthers’ defense. Jackson County stopped Stephens on downs at their own 23-yard line with just over a minute left to go.
The Panthers ran down the clock to take the 26-23 victory.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald or The Braselton News.
Cant wait to see the rivalries that build with all 3 schools( jefferson, jackson, and east) in the same region. WOW, i guess we will finally see if Jackson can hang with schools there size. GO PANTHERS!!!!