The Winder-Barrow High School football team seemed well on its way to a possible victory Friday night, but old lady luck seemed to leave the Bulldogg sideline in the fourth quarter.
As a result, WBHS (0-1) fell to host Jackson County 21-10 in the season opener for both teams at Panther Stadium in Jefferson. The loss increases the Bulldoggs’ losing streak to 25 games, dating back to the 2009 season.
WBHS rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit to lead by three points after the third quarter on a 40-yard field goal by Colin Shannon and a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Christian Hodge.
The host Panthers would answer, however, on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Daniel to Ben Brissey with 8:18 left to regain the lead. That score was set up by a Winder-Barrow fumble deep in its own territory.
Jackson County (1-0) would score again after WBHS turned the football over on downs on a fourth and four from its own 43-yard line. A key third and three pass completion from Daniel to Xavier Harper gave the Panthers a first and goal at the Bulldogg 7-yard line. JCCHS would eventually score on a 4-yard run by Davion Ledford with 3:41 left to seal the deal.
The Panthers appeared to have added another late score on an interception return, but the play was called back for an illegal block. JCCHS then ran out the remaining time to begin the new season on a positive note for first-year head coach Benji Harrison.
The Panthers opened the scoring on a 16-yard pass from Daniel to Brissey with 8:50 remaining before halftime.
WBHS has not posted a victory since Oct. 9, 2009 against Monroe Area. The Bulldoggs will try again Friday against that Purple Hurricane program on the road in Monroe.
“Defensively, we played well,” WBHS coach David Wagner said. “Sometimes you have things over a course of a game that don’t go your way.”
After forcing Jackson County to go three-and-out on its first series of the game, the Bulldogg offense looked to be well on its way to the endzone. Beginning at its own 26-yard line, WBHS moved deep inside Panther territory before an interception on the team’s first pass attempt stopped the drive.
The teams were scoreless after the first quarter. The Panthers put the first points of the game on the board on a 16-yard hookup from Daniel to Brissey with 8:50 remaining before halftime. It would be the first of two touchdowns the two would connect on during the contest.
JCCHS had an opportunity for more points in the second quarter following an interception return by Keyshaun Curry. After Curry took the interception to the Bulldogg 19-yard line, the Panthers were faced with a fourth and goal at the 9. A fake field goal attempt failed, however, leaving the lead at 7-0.
WBHS took over at its own 9 and marched into scoring position as the first half began to wind down. The Bulldoggs attempted a 46-yard field goal by Shannon, but the try was just short.
In the second half, WBHS domianted the third quarter as Jackson County only ran five offensive plays. The Bulldoggs took the second half kickoff and put three points on the board after an 11-play drive. The score came at the 6:55 mark.
The Panthers went three and out on their initial series of the second half which put WBHS in position to take its only lead of the contest. The Bulldoggs moved 55 yards in six plays capped by Hodge’s run. Shannon’s extra point made the score 10-7 with just 36 seconds left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter belonged to the Panthers, however, as they rallied for 14 points and a win in the first game of the Benji Harrison era.
