The Starr’s Mill Panthers continued their recent upswing in Region 2-AAAA play with a decisive 21-0 win over the McIntosh Chiefs Friday night at McIntosh.

After losing their first two region games, the Panthers have rebounded with two straight wins and are now 4-2 overall as they challenge for a playoff spot. The Chiefs fell to 0-5 on the season.

Starr’s Mill amassed 385 yards of total offense. Robby Davis completed 16 of 26 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, one to Manny Alvarez and one to Parker DuPont.

Eric Pitts had 6 receptions for 79 yards while Dante Cheek caught 5 passes for 70 yards. DuPont led the ground game with 68 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Keenan Penson rushed 9 times for 59 yards.

McIntosh coach Dwight Jones was impressed with his team’s effort, particularly citing a reduction in turnovers.

“I think it’s the closest we’ve come to playing a full 48 minutes,” he said.

Brett Buehler led the team in rushing (15 carries for 42 yards) and receiving (3 catches, 49 yards).

“They do a great job,” Jones said of Starr’s Mill. “They have a great coaching staff. The kids play extremely well.”

The Panthers have an open week before hosting Whitewater Oct. 20. The Chiefs travel to Whitewater this week.

In another Region 2-AAAA battle, the Wildcats improved their record to 4-2 with a 7-3 win over Banneker, a game that kept the Whitewater fans in suspense “until the final minute,” according to coach Amos McCreary.

Whitewater got the winning score with a 70-yard drive in the fourth quarter, capped by a Kurdice Neal’s 4-yard touchdown run. Jay Bright threw key completions to Jordan Cooper and Joe Falkenbach, both of which covered more than 20 yards.

While noting the Wildcats’ four turnovers, McCreary also praised the play of the opposing team. “Banneker played really hard,” he said. “It was their homecoming.”

But the Whitewater defense stepped it up a notch on the road, led by Dustin Davis and Jonah Jurique.

The Landmark War Eagles moved to 3-2 overall with a 34-13 road victory over the Bowdon Red Devils, who came into the game ranked first in the state in Class A.

The War Eagle ground attack chewed up 368 yards, led by senior Brian Lee’s 214 yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries. Quarterback Matt Moody ran the ball 17 times for 120 yards and two scores.

Defensively, Landmark linebackers Strickland, Glaize and Griffith racked up more than 10 tackles apiece, and Strickland added an interception and a sack.

The War Eagles open their 5-A schedule this Friday with their homecoming game against Whitefield Academy.

The Bobcats from Our Lady of Mercy fell 45-26 Friday night to the Glascock County Panthers to fall to 1-4 on the season. The Bobcats took the early lead — really early — as Jarrell Bankhead returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. OLM also scored on a 5-yard pass from William Pearl to Jay Patterson, then capped off a 70-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run from Brett Thomas for a 20-18 halftime lead.

Glascock County scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Bobcats’ final score came when Pearl threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Will Simmons. Pearl, a sophomore, finished 10-of-16 for 63 yards through the air.

Freshman Christian Willis led the OLM ground attack with 102 yards on 12 carries, while Thomas ran 11 times for 81 yards. The team’s 26 points was its second-highest total in the past three years.

The region schedule begins for OLM this week with a road game against Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy.

The Sandy Creek Patriots lost 31-0 to Cartersville. After opening the season with three nonregion wins, the Patriots are now 0-2 in Region 6-AAA play going into this Friday’s game at home against Central of Carroll County.

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