Panthers win battle of the little league undefeateds
The Tiny Indians return man gets flipped upside down during the opening kickoff of the game.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The buildup to the 10 and under Division 1 championship between the Southfork Panthers and the Winston-Salem Tiny Indians was one for the ages. All throughout the season there seemed to be a collision course in the championship game for the two teams as they have been dominating their respective opponents all year.
Both teams came into the game undefeated and supremely confident. To start the game, the defenses of both teams set the tone for the game. Behind the two touchdown runs by Marcus Aikens Jr. and their stifling defense, the Panthers took home the championship by the score of 12-0.
The Indians started off the game with a penalty riddled first possession and was forced to punt. The Panthers did not fare any better with their first drive as they went three and out as well. Both defenses held the other’s offense off of the scoreboard as the first quarter ended with a 0-0 score.
The second quarter was a mirror image of the first. Neither offense was able to get on track and sustain a drive. The half ended with a scoreless tie.
During the third quarter, the Panthers seemed to gain a little momentum on offense. Quarterback Jacob Smith connected with DeMarlo Linville for a 20-yard gain, putting them deep inside Indian territory. A few plays later, Smith threw an interception that gave possession to the Indians. The Panther defense was up to the task and stopped the Indians and forced yet another punt.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Aikens Jr. took the hand off and ran off tackle. He outran everyone to the corner and tip toed down the sideline for a touchdown from 47 yards out.
The Indians still could not muster any offense and went three and out. On the Panthers next drive, Aikens made three defenders miss and scores from 40 yards out this time. His second touchdown effectively put the game out of reach as the Panther defense held the Indians scoreless on the day.
Panther defensive back Alphonso Abbott III said, “It felt really good to win, and I’m very happy that we won because we played really hard.”
Abbott’s father, Alphonso Abbott Jr., added, “I’m excited for them. They played hard and came a long way this season. They deserved to be champions.”
