Veterans looks to put an end to losing streak at Perry tonight while Panthers attempt to end 4-game losing streak to Warhawks.

The

stands should be packed at Herb St. John Stadium on Friday night when either

the host Perry Panthers or the visiting Veterans Warhawks will end a losing

streak. The Panthers have lost the last four meetings to Veterans including a

one-possession game at Freedom Field last season. The Warhawks have lost their

last two games -to Houston County and most recently on Friday to Howard by 20

points. Adding to that, both of those losses have come on their home field. The

game in Perry will be the first on the road for head coach David Bruce and his

team this season. [The game against Houston County was counted as a “road” game

despite being played at Freedom Field.] A win over a much-improved Perry team

would do a lot to get Veterans back on track before the start of the 1-AAAAA

season. “Coach Smith has done a great job with those kids, you can tell they

are playing with some confidence,” said Bruce earlier this week. “We have to do

a great job of bottling guys up and not letting guys get free.”

One of those

guys that the Warhawks defense will have to “bottle up” in order to keep the

Panther out of the end zone will be sophomore Tyrell Owens. Time after time

against Harris County last week the Panthers offense took advantage of great

field position and ran the ball, rather than risk turning it over by passing.

Perry started a new quarterback for the past few weeks and their running attack

and special teams play were the keys to victory last Friday.

The streak is

something that Veterans players are looking to keep going. “I’m very excited,”

says senior quarterback Leyton Pinckney. “They are a very athletic football

team with a lot good players. [The Panthers] are a tough team to beat

especially on the road but no one on this team has ever lost to Perry and I

feel that if we play to our full capability this week then we have a good

chance for this game to end the way that we want it to.”

Horton Out For

Two Weeks

Veterans

senior receiver and someone who Bruce calls “our playmaker” will be out for the

game against Perry due to an injury suffered during the Warhawks loss to

Houston County. Horton has been the spark plug for the Warhawks this season. In

four games he has 17 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns to go along

with over 230 yards and another two touchdowns on the ground. To say that he

will be missed on Friday night will be an understatement. “I hate for him to

miss that one,” said Bruce. “We have to execute and can’t make mistakes on

offense. We have to do everything right without Jeremy.”

“It’s a ‘next

man up’ mentality for us to finish out this non-region schedule and a lot of

guys are stepping up and making some plays,” says Pinckney.

Horton is

expected to be back on the field for the region opener against Bainbridge on

October 6 at Freedom Field.

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