In a steady drizzle Head Coach Chris Parker’s Panther’s concluded the 10-day Spring session Friday evening with the annual Purple & White game.  With the 85 players equally divided and with 3 quaterbacks running both offenses, the White squad earned a 17-7 decision over the Purple squad in front of an extimated crowd of 250 fans.

Coach Parker aired his satisfaction with his squad’s collective effort over the past 2 weeks but stressed to the players afterward the work for next Fall has just begun.  “Winning next Fall starts on June 1″ declared the 2nd year coach referring to the Panthers upcoming summer workout season. 

Both offenses were able to move the football successfully at different times during the contest and projected starting quarterback, senior Trent White logged his first extensive game-type action at the new position.

The White squad opened the evening’s scoring in the first quater as White found rising junior wideout Tory Slater with a high arching pass down the right sideline.  Slater’s run after the catch and crafty lung to the goal line pylon earned the score as junior kicker, James Harris’ PAT made the score 7-0. 

Momentum seemed to change sidelines quickly as the Purple squad mounted their own ensuing 75 yard march.  A spectacular fingertip catch by rising senior Andre Dawson of a Trent White pass on a croosing route set the Purple squad up first-& goal a the 7.  Two plays later a sweep by rising senior Jonathan Parks found the endzone and rising sophomore Blake Butler’s PAT knotted the game at 7.  A 50-yard fieldgoal attempt for the Purple squad late in the 2nd quarter by Harris had plenty of length but sailed just wide to the left as the game remained tied at intermission.

The White squad opened the 3rd quarter with a splash as rising junior Malachi Evans took  a handoff for QB Chris Andrews and scampered approximately 70 yards down the right sideline for the opening score of the half.  Butler’s PAT gave the lead back to the White squad at 14-7.  Transferring junior QB D’Shawn Abercrombie then took the helm for the Purple team and guided the 2nd teamers on a solid drive.  On the heels of several runs by Abercrombie and rising sophomore running back Broderick the Purple squad marched 78 yards to the 2.   But a 4th down goal line stand led by rising seniors  A.J. Williams and Dee Jefferies stopped Broderick short of the goal line and the ball went over on downs.  The White squad then proceeded to run down the clock in the 4th quarter and capped the evening’s scoring on a 36 yard Butler field goal. 

But the evening was not completed.  When it appered the game had reached conclusion, Coach Parker exercised his authority and gave the ball to the Purple squad on their own 20 for one final opportunity to earn the winning 11 points by driving for a touchdown.  Inspite of one first down, compliments of the elusive run by QB White, the Purple squad was stopped by the White squad defense and the game was declared over by Parker.

“We learned we could take either of these 2 squads out here tonight and compete in the Fall,” Parker told his players afterward.  “The good news is from this point forward we come together as a single team ready to kick some butt starting in August”.  Parker went on to praise the efforts of rising sophomores who, in his opinion more than held their own throughout the evening against what the coaches presently project as the team’s frontline starters.