Fast start propels Panthers to romp
Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 28, 1999
CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake scored three touchdowns in their first 13 plays and never looked back beating Green 47-8 Friday night.
Saturday, August 28, 1999
CHESAPEAKE – Chesapeake scored three touchdowns in their first 13 plays and never looked back beating Green 47-8 Friday night.
The Panthers racked up 465 yards on offense with 364 yards coming on the ground yet no rusher totaled more than 63 yards total on the night.
"We played pretty good early and we didn’t turn the ball over as much tonight," Panthers coach Phil Davis said. "We got to look at some things tonight. I was happy with the way the kids executed."
Jeremy Estep led the Panthers rushers with 63 yards on six carries, Jason Adkins rushed for 42 yards on five tries and Marc Bracy had 40 yards on one carry.
Green was held to 36 yards on 28 carries and quarterback Alex Poe threw for 84 yards including a 73-yard touchdown.
Chesapeake took the opening kickoff and marched 62 yards in six plays and scored when Estep went off tackle for five yards. Robbie Isaacs added the point after making it 7-0.
Poe was intercepted by Isaacs on the second play giving the Panthers the ball at the Green 35-yard line. Three plays following the interception and it was Andy Clark hitting Isaacs in the end zone from 13 yards out. Isaacs bobbled the ball twice before pulling it in as he crossed the goal line making it 13-0.
Clark threw for 101 yards hitting on 7 of 12 passes with an interception and connected for a second touchdown pass when he hit Chris Dillon across the middle with 4:18 left in the first. The Panthers missed the conversion making it 19-0.
Though scoring stalled for the moment for the Panthers, their offense did not. Chesapeake drove to the seven-yard line. On second down Estep carried to the one-yard line where the ball fell free into the end zone and was recovered by Ryan Dixon for the Bobcats.
Chesapeake got the ball back and added a final score before halftime and it was one for the highlight film.
Clark let fly with a 35-yard timing pass downfield that Isaacs seemed to catch up with in stride and into the end zone. Isaacs added the point after making it 26-0.
Isaacs has a way of being involved in much of the Panthers offense and the Panthers only third quarter score came on a pass from Clark. The ball went right through Isaacs hands and into the arms of teammate Matt White for a touchdown.
The Bobcats score came quick as Poe stood in the pocket and found Nathan Floyd over the middle. Floyd outraced a couple of Panthers defenders en route to the Bobcats only score. Poe hit Josh George for the two-point conversion making it 41-8 with 11:25 left in the game.
Chesapeake had 22 turnovers and the Bobcats were held to five.
"I felt like we earned everything we got tonight," Davis said. "We want to throw the ball as much as we can, but tonight we went with a good balance of play calls."