Perry dismantles West Laurens, improves win streak to 9 games

DEXTER, Ga. — After clinching the region title for the second straight season, the Perry Panthers travelled to Dexter to take on the West Laurens Raiders for the last game of the regular season. From the opening kickoff, the Panthers dominated the game, shutting down West Laurens’ offense on their way to a 34-0 victory on the road.

Perry put up seven points in the first quarter, but then their offense exploded in the second, putting up 21 points. Armar Gordon Jr. was on point as usual, and he went 15-20, with 197 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with a 145.2 quarterback rating, and it doesn’t get much better than that. Although Gordon can make big plays with his feet and his arm, he is very efficient, and he makes good decisions with the ball, rarely attempting to force the play.

Dakarai Anderson, currently ranked eighth in the state in receiving yards (1,028), had a huge game, racking up 149 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns. The Perry Panthers have a ton of team speed, and they can put up a lot of points in a hurry. With several backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield, as well as a great wide receiving core, Perry has plenty of options, and Coach Smith has no problem utilizing all of his weapons, as we have seen all season. Tray Wright also had a receiving touchdown.

In the second half, Perry’s defense took over, and De’Untae Kendrick, currently ranked seventh in the state in interceptions (7), picked off a pass and took it all the way back to the house for the pick-six. Perry’s defense has also been playing lights out—they have only given up 21 points in their last six games, which averages out to around three and a half points per game. If they can keep that up, they shouldn’t have any problems in the post season.

Up 34-0, Perry cruised to victory, saving their strength for the post season. The Perry Panthers will host the first round of the playoffs against Shaw Friday. Shaw has a good running attack, led by senior Jayln Bass, and they will come into the Panther Pit and try to establish the run. Perry’s defense should be able to deal with Bass, and if they force Shaw to pass, their stingy defensive backs can take over the game. Coach Smith usually tries to stay pretty balanced, so I’m sure we will see a steady dose of Demetrious Carter, who can wear down opponents, despite his smaller size.

It will be interesting to see how far Perry can go in the playoffs this season, as they have one of the best teams they have had in years. Will this be the year Perry brings home the state title? A lot of people, including myself, think they have what it takes to get it done—they just have to execute and implement their game plan. The fans are hyped, and I’m sure the Panther Pit will be rocking Friday night. We will see if Perry can get it done and take another step closer to a state title.

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