BY NOAH GRIFFITH
THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — The Glenwood Gators’ playoff run ended in the third round on Friday night, as they lost to the undefeated Southside-Selma Panthers by a score of 34-21.
After earning the program’s first two playoff wins as a member of the AHSAA classification over the past two weeks at home, the Gators were outmatched in its first road game of the postseason. The loss ends Glenwood’s season with a final record of 10-3.
Even in a game where Glenwood played from behind throughout the contest, the Gators fought to the end. Trailing 34-14 in the final two minutes, Zayden Hart returned a kickoff for a Glenwood touchdown, and then Nate Malone made the crowd gasp with an interception he nearly took to the house to make it a one-score game.
Instead, Selma saved a TD by chasing down Malone at the 30-yard line, and Glenwood quarterback Jalen Stanley threw an INT of his own on the next play to give the ball back to Selma. The Panthers opted to take a knee this time to run out the clock.
Eighth-grade QB Kole Moody and junior tight end Michael Hosea powered Selma’s offense, each finding the end zone multiple times. Moody flashed his big arm with three passing scores, and Hosea displayed his versatility with both a rushing and receiving TD.
Even when the Gator defense made things interesting, Moody showed maturity beyond his years to lead the Panthers through a strong second half. Glenwood senior Carter Judah intercepted Moody’s final two passes of the first half, returning the latter for six to cut Selma’s lead to 20-14 going to halftime. At that point, it appeared Glenwood had momentum in its favor to make a comeback — but the Panthers turned things around abruptly.
After the Selma defense forced a turnover on downs in Glenwood territory to start the third quarter, the Selma offense found itself facing fourth-and-12 from the Gator 23. That’s when Moody hit Hosea on a screen pass across the middle, and the tight end sprinted to the end zone for an emphatic score. The two-point attempt failed, but Selma pushed the lead to 26-14.
That score energized the Panther defense, which held Glenwood scoreless for the remainder of the night until Hart’s late kickoff return. The Gators’ lone offensive TD in the game came on a 69-yard pass from Trey Claridy to Cal Lawrence on the first play of the second quarter.
In the fourth quarter, two costly Glenwood turnovers helped Selma secure the victory.
With under three minutes remaining, a Selma pass rusher hit Stanley — who rotated with Claridy at QB — forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Panthers inside the Gator 20. Three plays later, running back Jaibrien Gresham took a direct snap and kept it for a one-yard sneak into the end zone. Moody then connected with Hosea for a two-point conversion, extending the lead to 34-14 with two minutes left.
Hart’s return TD briefly gave Glenwood life, but Selma recovered the Gators’ onside kick. But rather than running out the clock, Selma decided to throw another pass. That’s when Malone snagged Glenwood’s third INT of the game and returned it to the Selma 34.
Glenwood wasn’t able to capitalize any further, however, as the next snap gave the ball right back to the Panthers. Needing a quick score, Stanley dropped back and sent a prayer into the end zone, and it was picked off by Selma.
At that point, all it took was a Moody kneel to end Glenwood’s historic playoff run and help the Panthers stay unbeaten at 13-0. Selma will advance to take on Bayside Academy (12-1) in the Class 3A semifinals on Friday.
Though the ending wasn’t what Glenwood hoped for, the Gators’ second season since moving from the AISA to the AHSAA classification was a success. They finished 10-3 with its first two AHSAA playoff wins over Thomasville and Trinity Presbyterian by a combined score of 83-17. Glenwood also claimed its second consecutive region title with a 6-0 record in Class 3A, Region 4, and it has not lost a region matchup since joining the division last season.
Head coach Ryan Nelson and the Gators will enter next season with heads held high — albeit with hunger for the program’s first AHSAA state title still very much alive.
