First win still eludes CC
For most of the first half, Charles City’s Panthers stayed even with Surry’s invading Cougars as the hosts searched for that elusive first football win of the season. But the Cougars scored a pair of late second quarter touchdowns to break a 6-6 deadlock and head for a 26-6 Tri-Rivers District decision last Friday.
The loss dropped Charles City to 0-4 in the district and 0-9 overall. The Panthers get one last shot to break into the win column as they visit Chincoteague this Friday for their final game of the season.
By halftime Friday night, the contest was almost a statistical tie with Surry holding a slight edge in total yards, 174-167. Charles City registered three more first downs than their opponent, but the Cougars held a 20-6 lead on the scoreboard.
Charles City got off to a bad start as quarterback Trevor Jones fumbled the ball away on the game’s third play from scrimmage. The Cougars recovered on the Panther 40 yard line.
Two plays and a Surry motion infraction later, Cougar quarterback Montel White hooked up with wide receiver Vincent Batten, who got open behind Panther defender Michael Jefferson, for 33-yard touchdown play.
Charles City, however, retaliated with a 68-yard scoring drive on its next series, overcoming a trio of illegal procedure penalties along the way. From the midfield stripe, Jones connected with wide receiver Gregory Cotman on a 27-yard pass play to the Cougar 23.
On the next play, Jefferson made up for losing Batten on the Cougar touchdown. Jefferson slanted in to an open spot in the middle of the Cougar secondary to grab a TD strike from Jones and tie the contest at 6-6 with 7:10 left in the opening quarter.
The deadlock remained until a second quarter Surry drive covered 69 yards in just seven plays to put the visitors ahead to stay. Running back Tevin Johnson inflicted the most damage on a 46-yard scamper to the Panther 12 yard line. From there and a play later, Johnson slipped through tacklers around the right side to help create a 14-6 lead.
Late in the second quarter, Jefferson stopped a Surry drive on an interception at the Panther five-yard line. Moments later, however, the Cougars’ Damien Savedge picked off a Panther pass at the hosts’ 35 and returned the ball to the 11.
On fourth and one from the Panther two, White kept the ball on a quarterback sneak to create the Cougar halftime advantage.