Georgiana blanks both opponents in jamboree
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 17, 2006
TROY - Behind the strength of a stingy defense the Georgiana Panthers shutout both opponents during their jamboree games Saturday at Troy Stadium to cap a productive spring practice, beating Pleasant Home 14-0 in the first game and Goshen 8-0 in the nightcap.
“They definitely had fun playing at Troy Stadium,” said interim head coach Donald Ray Mixon, who led the Panthers through spring practice after Greg Ennis resigned last month. “Anytime you can get two wins and travel to a pretty place like Troy, it's a good day.”
In the first game Georgiana's defense set the tone.
“There were some hard licks passed on defense and we got all 11 (players) to the football and that's a good sign,” Mixon said. “One thing about Georgiana is that they love hitting people.”
And hit people they did, forcing four Pleasant Home fumbles.
“I think we did really good defensively, but when you put your defense on the field four more times then you're supposed to they're going to get worn down,” said Pleasant Home coach Robert Bradford, who was filling in for head coach Jimmy Reeves.
Bradford said much of his team's offensive inefficiency stemmed from the installation of a new offense.
“We ran a four wide shotgun last year and we went under center this year and we're running the ball,” he said.
For the Panthers, Andre Paige was everywhere running and passing for a touchdown in the Pleasant Home game and catching a 50-yard touchdown pass from Zebbie Mitchell in the Goshen game. In the first game Paige connected with Damien McIntosh from 15 yards out for the Panthers' first TD, and then bootlegged in from 10 yards out for the second score.
“(Andre) is going to be some really special,” said Mixon.
Paige will have a lot of help up front come fall with an experienced offensive line that Mixon said will set the tone offensively.
“The offensive line did a great job opening up holes and that's what's going to be our strength for the year,” he said. “We have four seniors up there and they did a good job Saturday. We made a few mistakes blocking wise, but all that can be corrected this summer.”
Defensively Mixon singled out his nose tackle.
“Donald Scott played some good defense and he had several tackles for a loss,” said Mixon of Scott (5-foot-9, 250). “He had two good games on the defensive side of the ball.”