By Morgan Bryce
Editor
Smiths Station’s road trip to Stanhope Elmore ended in a heartbreaking fashion Friday night, allowing the Mustangs to score 17 unanswered points and win on a 27-yard field goal as time expired.
The Panthers led 17-3 at halftime, with the two touchdowns coming from a 58-yard scoop-and-score by senior linebacker Zane Faulk and one-yard sneak for a score by junior quarterback Corey Minton. Halftime would not only mark the end of the first half but also the end of Smiths Station’s scoring for the night.
Stanhope Elmore didn’t panic when they took the opening second-half kickoff. A well-balanced offense marched down the field and ended with a one-yard sneak for a score by Mustangs quarterback Andrew Rines.
The Mustangs would tack on another score later in the quarter to tie the game 17-17.
Late in the fourth quarter, Smiths Station kicker Taylor Walker pulled a 41-yard field-goal attempt that would have given his team the lead.
Stanhope Elmore’s senior running back Tra Duncan put the team on his shoulders, helping sustain a drive deep into Panther territory to set up their game-winning field goal attempt.
Mustangs senior kicker Dylan Presciti, a member of the school’s soccer team, booted a 27-yard field goal through the middle of the uprights to clinch the victory, sending Smiths Station packing with their fourth-consecutive loss.
Smiths Station falls to 2-4 overall, 0-3 in region play. The Panthers will travel to Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl on Thursday night to face the Jefferson Davis Volunteers, who are 1-4 overall and are coming off a 17-13 victory over Sidney Lanier.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. E.S.T. Panther Stadium is behind Smiths Station Baptiast Church, which is located at 2460 Lee Road 430.