When Brookwood and Starr’s Mill last met on the girdiron, Aug. 30, 2003, the Broncos emerged the victors in a 30-0 shutout. The Panthers are hoping for a better result tonight and if they win they will be making a trip to the Georgia Dome to compete in the AAAAA state semi-finals.

They must survive what is likely to be their toughest game all season though as they host an undefeated Brookwood team.

Starr’s Mill (10-2) has won four consecutive games since being upset by Mundy’s Mill on Oct. 7. In three of those wins, the Panthers have given up 14 points, while the other game was a 48-0 shutout over the Fayette County Tigers. Starr’s Mill defeated Colquitt County 16-14 last week on the strength of three Keegan Hanie field goals and a touchdown run from Antonio Brown.

“Keegan has been a real weapon for us in the last four games or so,” said Coach Mike Earwood of his kicker. “He has been very accurate and his output really made the difference in last week’s game.”

The Panthers have also been getting a huge boost from their defense all season long and last week saw another solid team effort. Daniel Beaman had 11 tackles to lead the team, while Austin Watts had nine, Chad Gloer had eight and Brandon Lewis added seven. Andrew Thompson had a sack and caused a fumble, while Jeff Partlow had a sack and recovered a fumble and Bradley Conner forced a fumble and recovered another. Ryan Willis broke up four passes and blocked a field goal.

Defensive coordinator Glen Griffin cited good play from Phillip Fevella, who had five total tackles on the night and played what the coaches considered his best game of the season.

The defense will have their hands full tonight as they face off against one of the better tailbacks in the state, Cameron Smith, a transfer from Meadowcreek, who many feel has made the difference in the team’s performance this year. While Brookwood does pass occasionally, they focus on their running game more, which controls the clock and forces their opponents to try to do too much when they do get the ball.

"Teams feel like they have to make every posession count against Brookwood because they may not get it back for awhile,” said Earwood, who will try to have his team stick to the game plan and keep themselves collected and patient.

The Broncos have a lot of size on both sides of the ball and their defense is especially stingy, allowing an average of 11 points per game. One defensive player to look out for in particular is junior linebacker Rennie Curran.

“They have a lot of mass,’ said Earwood of the Broncos. “We need to come up with some answers for them.”

Make no mistake about it, this is the biggest game that Starr’s Mill has hosted ever. They have added seats to the visiting bleachers section to accomodate the Brookwood fans and the stadium will likely be filled to capacity. Get there early, bundle up and help cheer the Panthers on to the dome.

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