BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION — The Central-Phenix City Red Devils defeated the Smiths Station Panthers by a score of 56-20 on Friday, extending its winning streak to 17 over its crosstown rival. Smiths Station last defeated Central in 2008.
With the win at Garrett-Harrison Stadium, Central has won every matchup with its 7A Region 2 foe at home since 1999. After its 44th meeting on Friday, Central leads the series 29-5 dating back to 1992.
Despite the continued dominance by the Red Devils, the Panthers continue to see progress in year one under head coach Blair Harrison. Smiths Station totaled over 300 yards of total offense and 36 points is the lowest margin of victory for Central in this matchup since 2020.
“We know we’ve got a long way to go, but it was a heck of an effort by [us] — an undersized, less talented, slower team,” Harrison said. “When you put up over 300 yards of offense on a team like that, it makes us excited for the future.”
The offense, led by junior tailback Trevon Kee, was the highlight of the night for the Panthers. No. 2 rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 63 yards and a score. Junior quarterback Cohen Thomas completed four out of eight passes for 108 yards and a TD.
However, Central had their way with a young Smiths Station defense that only got one stop — a fumble recovery by junior Luke Sexton. The Panthers have now allowed 50 or more points to Central for the third consecutive year.
For Central, senior running back Donovan Crow rushed for three TDs and recorded at least 120 yards total. Junior RB Jayshaun Woodhouse also had a strong performance, beginning with a 56-yard TD reception on a screen pass on the opening play of the game. Junior QB BJ Coleman threw for two scores in the first half to take a 42-6 lead to halftime.
Senior QB Abe Hatmaker took over in the second half and threw a 30-plus yard dime for a TD to sophomore receiver Octavius Slaton. Freshman receiver Braylen Averett and senior Zion James also had a TD each.
“We didn’t execute well on defense, but we know we have work to do. We started two freshman and five sophomores [defensively],” Harrison said. “I’d like to tackle better and run to the ball quicker.”
The Red Devils also outdueled the Panthers on special teams. Central kicker Jack Ciancio went 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts, while Smiths Station kicker Ethan Monka went zero-for-two on such kicks. The Panthers converted one two-point conversion after the holder recovered a bad snap and threw it into the end zone for a completion.
Before halftime, Central junior Branden Brown also returned a punt 70 yards for a TD.
“Special teams was not good for us last night. We lost our long snapper on Friday morning, so that took us for a bit of a tailspin,” Harrison added. “We went one-for-three on phases of the game. You can’t do that and beat great teams.”
Despite falling to 1-2 on the year, Harrison acknowledged that their record is already a step forward from a winless season in 2024 before he took over at Smiths Station. The Panthers won its season opener over Shaw (Georgia) before falling to Valley of the 5A classification, 37-21.
Looking for its first multi-win season since 2021, Smiths Station will go on the road to continue region play with Carver Montgomery. Carver is 2-1 after defeating JAG on Friday, 34-6.
“I love the way this team is growing every week,” Harrison said. “The atmosphere in the field house and in the locker room has just gotten so much better. The guys are starting to learn how to be leaders. I’m proud of them.”
The future is bright with Harrison leading a young team, and the improvement against Central was proof. Smiths Station has 12 seniors, but it’s junior class of 29 looks promising.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re so far behind, but we’re closing the gap — slowly but surely,” Harrison said. “I’m excited to play out the rest of this year and see what happens because I think some good things can happen with this bunch.”
On the other hand, Central is 3-0 and aiming for its second consecutive appearance in the 7A state championship after losing to Thompson in last year’s title game. It will continue region play with another home game against Dothan next week. Dothan is also 3-0 after defeating Enterprise on Friday, 69-28.
Central takes down improved Panthers
