Alba-Golden went to Quinlan Boles Friday and came home with a 35-12 win. It wasn’t pretty, but that’s OK. As a sport, there is much about football which requires tightening up after every game. 

There will be a ton of things which the Panthers will be looking to improve before they host Honey Grove Friday. That is rightfully so. And on the scoreboard, this past Friday, the Panthers recorded a decisive victory over a district opponent. 

Alba-Golden took the opening drive and marched methodically down the field. It looked as though they were picking up just where they left off the previous Friday. 

The drive, however, stalled on the Hornets’ 11-yard line. On a fourth-and-9, the pass attempt went incomplete. It appeared that there was confusion between two receivers running a slant and a stick route in the same vicinity.

Boles took over, and on the strength of four running plays had the ball at midfield. On consecutive plays, Tyler Perez, Braylon Moffett, Jerry Skinner and Gavin Terry, combined to end the drive. Boles punted.

The punt was downed by the Hornets at the Alba-Golden 3-yard line. A defensive surge by Boles moved the Panthers back to the 1-yard line. Two long incompletions forced a punt. The Panthers booted it out of the end zone, and Boles took over at the Alba-Golden 45-yard line. 

The Panthers rallied the defense, with Wyatt Sutton knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage. Boles was forced to turn the ball over on downs. Alba-Golden took over possession at their own 37-yard line as a scoreless first quarter expired.  

Unlike the opening quarter, events happened fast and furiously in the second quarter. Alba-Golden opened the scoring when Payton Dickinson knifed through the Hornet defense for a 39-yard gallop. With 11:08 remaining in the half, the Panthers led 6-0.

With Boles operating near midfield, Dickinson made a textbook defensive play. He undercut a post-route pass near the Panther 30-yard line and accelerated through both teams for a 67-yard interception return. It was a beautiful play. 

Alba-Golden used a full house backfield to run the 2-point conversion on a lead play: AG 14, Boles 0.

The Panthers stuffed the Hornets on their next possession with Skinner, Sutton and Jett Kruse putting in great defensive work. 

Alba-Golden next struck on a gorgeous 37-yard corner route from quarterback Easton Campbell to Luke Sutton. The play was noteworthy because Campbell took an explosive tackle just as he let go the football. The pass was on target. With 3:00 left in the half, the Panthers had a 20-0 advantage. 

Boles was obviously under pressure to generate something before the break. They attempted a halfback pass. It was ill-advised. The wobbly pass floated out of the right flat, and Kruse calmly stepped in front of it and rambled 30 yards for a score. 

A nicely-executed roll-out pass from Campbell to Carl Pendergrass made the score 28-0 at the half.

The Panthers came out with renewed vigor in the second half. They were aided by one of the best plays of the night – a short completion from Campbell to Cameron Lennon, who turned upfield and juked three defenders for a huge gain.

Unfortunately, two plays later, while under intense pressure Campbell put up an ill-advised pass which was picked near the goal line. 

Boles used the balance of the third quarter to embark on a 24-play scoring drive. The drive was a low point for the Panthers on the night, as they missed a number of tackling opportunities, including three on the scoring run.   

The teams exchanged turnovers (an Alba-Golden interception and a Boles fumble) early in the final quarter. 

Donald McVay sliced through the Boles defense from 32-yards out for the Panther’s last touchdown. A successful point after touchdown made the score 35-6 with 7 minutes to play.

The home team showed some pride and put together the last score of the night. Their 52-yard drive culminated with a score on a go route from 27 yards. Credit is due to the Boles quarterback who took a big shot from Perez just as he let the ball go.

On the night, the Panthers generated 296 yards from scrimmage and surrendered 228. The team was buoyed by the two defensive scores. They also demonstrated the ability to take control of the line of scrimmage from the offensive side of the ball.  

Uncharacteristically, Alba-Golden suffered from poor angles and tackling technique. No doubt, they will be back in textbook shape when the Warriors come to town on Friday.  

Now 5-0 on the season, the Panthers continue to play as a team, regardless of circumstance. That team discipline will likely be tested as district progresses, but if the first half of the season is an indicator, it will be an exciting and joyous second half of the season.