Southampton’s fast start too much for Panthers to overcome

Charles City Panther linebacker Richard Adkins corrals Southampton tailback Harrison Erenzeller while teammate Brian Hicks (9) cuts off the running lane.

Andre' Jones photo

Charles City’s Panthers played on even terms with the hosting Southampton Indians for three quarters during a Sept. 4 football contest. Unfortunately for the visiting Panthers, a first quarter marred by ineffective execution on both sides of the ball was enough to keep them out the win column.

The host Indians jumped out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter and held on for a 20-8 win, sending the Panthers to their second consecutive loss to open the season.

Southampton took command on the opening drive of the game. Running back Harrison Erenzeller would gash the visitors’ defense with a 47-yard run. A few plays later, he would add an additional carry of 22 yards, taking it into the end zone to put the Indians ahead 6-0.

After both teams exchanged possessions on turnovers on downs, Charles City halfback Cecil Tyler would be stripped at the Panthers’ 29 yard line, with Southampton’s Kavonta Johnson recovering the loose ball. On the very next play, Indian quarterback Andrew Blunt would scramble out the pocket on an intended pass play and coast down the hosts’ sideline into the end zone for a touchdown, upping the lead to 12-0.

With the offense sputtering, Charles City’s special teams pinned the hosts inside their own 20-yard line in an effort to swing field position. Unfortunately, the first play from scrimmage resulted in Blunt connecting with Rakuan Briggs on an 82-yard pass for the team’s third trip into the end zone of the quarter. Erenzeller’s conversion run gave Southampton a 20-0 lead heading into quarter two.

Charles City started finding success in quarter two, thanks to a combination of ball control and Southampton penalties. With less than a minute remaining until halftime, quarterback Troy Crawley connected with wide receiver Kyle Jones on fourth and goal from the seven to put the visitors on the scoreboard. Mason Jefferson’s two-point run trimmed the deficit back to 12 for the visitors (20-8).

After intermission, neither team put on an offensive showing, with the game resulting in a stalemate on the scoreboard. Southampton was able to control most of the clock in the final quarter to seal the win.

Charles City head coach Steward Greene offered words of encouragement and praise after a valiant effort against Southampton, a 3A school.

“We didn’t look bad at all,” Greene said. “We moved the ball and played well against a bigger and formidable school.

“Tonight, we just broke down in the first quarter,” he said. “Their big plays hurt us because we were not breaking down and tackling like we needed to.

“If we would have been as fundamentally sound in the first quarter as the rest of the game the scoreboard could have been different,” Greene added. “On offense we weren’t sustaining blocks and the running backs were doing a lot of starting and stopping. Overall though, I liked the effort and it gives us something to build towards for next week.”

Charles City (0-2) will host Sussex Central next Friday.

1st Quarter
S (8:09)- Ehrenzeller 22 yard run (run fail) 6-0
S (3:15)- Blunt 29 yard run (run fail) 12-0
S (2:14)- Briggs 82 yard pass from Blunt (Ehrenzeller run) 20-0
2nd Quarter
CC (0:35)- K. Jones 7 yard pass from Crawley (Jefferson run) 22-8

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
CC- Troy Crawley 7/22/45, 1 TD.
S- Andrew Blunt 4/5/154, 1 TD.

Rushing (attempts/yards)
CC- Jefferson 15/62, Crawley 14/28, Tyler 12/15, K. Jones 2/9.
S- Ehrenzeller 22/126, 1 TD; Blunt 6/30, 1 TD; Maxon 4/7, Newsome 1/-2.

Receiving (receptions/yards)
CC- Tyler 2/16, K. Jones 2/13, 1 TD; C. Jones 1/8, Hicks 1/8, Jefferson 1/0.
S- Briggs 2/118, 1 TD; Bell 2/36.