The Quinlan Ford Panthers whittled 10 minutes off the clock to drive 80 yards in 18 plays to take a brief 6-0 lead over the Paris Wildcats Thursday night at Hobart Lytle Memorial Stadium. While the Panthers controlled the clock, the quick-strike Paris offense controlled the scoreboard in a 35-6 win that ended the Cats’ 4-game losing streak.
Paris now heads into the regular season finale against North Lamar with the same scenario they shared last season: The winner of next Friday’s Crosstown Showdown at Wildcat Stadium will punch a playoff ticket as the District 7-4A-1 No. 4 seed. The loser will have to buy a ticket to see the playoffs.
Both teams have hit a skid after promising 4-0 starts to the season and will bring identical 5-4 overall records and 1-3 district marks into the annual Lamar County rivalry. One team will leave with the district’s consolation prize and a bi-district playoff date against the District 8 champion (probably Kaufman).
Meanwhile, Liberty-Eylau (4-0) is perched to defend its district football title after beating North Lamar, 47-29, on Thursday. The Leopards host Princeton (3-1) next Friday. Princeton fell into a second-place tie with Pittsburg (3-1) after a 49-39 loss to the Pirates. but the Panthers could create a 3-way tiebreaker scenario for the top spot if they can upset the state-ranked Leopards.
All District 7 games were moved up 24 hours to avoid potential storms that were scheduled to move through the region this weekend. Fortunately, the Cats were able to weather the grinding, old-style, Wing-T offense that Ford has built.
Although the Panthers owned a hefty advantage in offensive plays (67 to 39), the Paris defense was able to hold Ford to 170 rushing yards on 56 carries (a 3.0 yards average). After the opening drive, the Panthers managed to find the red zone (inside the Paris 20) just one other time all night.
True to form, Ford attempted just 11 passes, competing 4 for 47 yards. When Paris scored on all three of its first-half possessions to take a 21-6 lead into halftime, the Panthers’ Senior Night party was over.
The Cats were efficient with their limited possessions and needed to punt just once. Two other Paris series ended on downs at midfield.
Senior quarterback Quez Allen completed 8 of 14 passes for 132 yards and 3 TDs. He rushed for just 23 yards on 6 carries, well below his previous season low mark of 83 rushing yards vs. Palestine.
Senior Treavon Sims caught 2 of Allen’s TD passes among his 3 receptions for 62 yards. Junior Jalon Pipkins had the other TD reception, his 11th of the season.
Sophomore Donovan Williams had 85 of Paris’ 172 yards gained on the ground. He scored once, as did senior Dren Rollerson.
Junior JaKerion Brown had two of the night’s biggest highlight plays: A 46-yard run that set up one score and an 80-yard screen pass and run that was negated by offsetting personal foul penalties.
Scoring Summary:
- Quinlan Ford 6, Paris 0. Blane Burch 4 run (run failed), 2:02, 2q. Panthers eat 10 minutes off the clock on an 18-play, 80-yard opening possession that features just one pass and a pair of fourth-down conversions.
- Paris 7, QF 6. Traveon Sims 41 pass from Quez Allen (Zach Lamb kick), 0:58, 1 q. The home crowd’s elation doesn’t last long, as 64 seconds and 5 plays later, the Cats take the lead for good on a fourth-down completion to Sims on a crossing route. Sims hauls in Allen’s pass at the QF 25, jukes a defender, and sprints into the end zone.
- Paris 14, QF 6. Donovan Williams 5 run (Lamb kick), 6:01, 2q. Williams carries 4 times on this 78-yard, 8-play drive, including a 48-yarder. Cats convert a fourth-and-3 to set up the TD clincher.
- Paris 21, QF 6. Dren Rollerson 8 run (Lamb kick), 4:34, 2q. Vershaud Richardson recovers a muffed QF handoff on a counter play at the QF 19. Four plays later, the Cats’ O-line opens a hole in the middle wide enough to drive a truck through.
- Paris 28, QF 6. Sims 14 pass from Allen (Lamb kick), 9:23, 4q. After making a goalline stand, Cats put the game away on a 5-play, 84-yard series. JaKerion Brown gets them in position with a 46-yard carry to the QF 14, and Allen finds Sims on a short post pattern for the score.
- Paris 35, QF 6. Jalon Pipkins 8 pass from Allen (Lamb), 5:15, 4q. The Panthers turn the ball over to Paris on downs at the QF 35. Five plays later, Paris ends the evening’s scoring when Allen hits Pipkins on a look-in route for his 11th receiving TD of the season.
How Wildcat Opponents Fared:
- Mount Pleasant (2-6), plays Marshall Friday
- Melissa (1-8), lost to Bullard, 47-9
- Tyler Chapel Hill (2-6), plays Henderson Friday
- Palestine (187), lost to Carthage, 48-14
- Argyle (8-1), beat Dallas Pinkston, 70-0
- Liberty-Eylau (8-1), beat North Lamar, 47-29
- Princeton (7-2), lost to Pittsburg, 49-39
- Pittsburg (8-1), beat Princeton, 49-39
- Quinlan Ford (1-8), lost to Paris, 35-6
- North Lamar (5-4), lost to L-E, 47-29