The Woodlawn Panthers bounced back at home with a huge offensive showing against the Brusly Panthers, taking them down 43–40. The Woodlawn offense was firing on all cylinders; despite being down 32–19 in the second quarter, the Panthers rallied behind their playmakers and pulled off the comeback.
Woodlawn came out of the gates strong, stopping Brusly in the red zone, and wasted no time getting into the end zone as junior quarterback for Woodlawn #17 Ricky Mitchell found #11 Omar Morehouse to go up 7–0 in the first quarter. Brusly responded quickly on their second offensive drive with a deep pass over the middle from senior quarterback #9 Reggie Riley to #3 Jamar McDowell, but their drive stalled in the red zone after Woodlawn recorded a big sack on third down. Brusly’s defense settled in on Woodlawn’s third offensive drive, forcing a three‑and‑out, which led to a fumbled snap by Woodlawn that set up Brusly’s high‑powered offense in Panther territory once again. Three plays later, Riley found McDowell again for the touchdown.
Momentum didn’t stay on Brusly’s sideline for long. With a minute left in the first quarter, #1 Jaylen Knox took the Brusly kickoff to the house for a touchdown. The fireworks didn’t end there—Brusly went right back to work on offense, and on the first play of the drive, #9 Reggie Riley connected on a deep ball to #1 Camron Carter for a touchdown, giving Brusly a 19–14 lead early in the second quarter. Woodlawn methodically moved the ball down the field on their next drive behind big runs from #4 Brian Carter and key catches from Morehouse and #0 Jordan Knox, setting up a rushing touchdown by Carter to swing momentum once again.
The momentum for Woodlawn only grew from there. The Panthers’ defense quickly forced a three‑and‑out, shifting the offense into full gear as Mitchell found Jordan Knox on a deep ball to set up Woodlawn in the red zone. However, Brusly’s defense held strong, forcing a huge sack on third down to halt Woodlawn’s surge.
Brusly desperately needed a big play before halftime, and with all momentum favoring Woodlawn, they hit the Panthers with some trickery—a reverse double pass from Camron Carter to #18 Tremon Lamar to retake the lead late in the first half. After that swing, Brusly created another huge play on special teams. As Jaylen Knox returned the kick for Woodlawn, #13 Trey Arvie ripped the ball loose and returned it for a Brusly touchdown, extending the lead to 32–19 with under a minute left in the half. That mistake didn’t slow down Woodlawn’s high‑flying offense at all. On the very next play, Mitchell connected with Jordan Knox for another touchdown, and Brusly had no answers for the Knox brothers all night.
Woodlawn received the ball to start the second half, looking to regain the lead after a strong finish to the first half. On the fourth play of the drive, a pass intended for #15 Troy Ramos was tipped and intercepted by Brusly cornerback #14 Devin Ricard. Brusly looked to build on their lead, but on 4th‑and‑1 they chose to be aggressive, and Woodlawn’s defense responded with a tackle for loss and a huge turnover on downs. Mitchell didn’t let the earlier mistake rattle him—he orchestrated a two‑play drive capped by a strike down the middle to #2 Austin Primus for a touchdown, putting Woodlawn ahead 35–32. Brusly’s next possession was short-lived as the Woodlawn defense stuffed them once again.
Brusly’s defense was now tasked with slowing down Woodlawn’s high‑powered offense, and they rose to the occasion, forcing a three‑and‑out and giving their offense a chance to mount a late comeback. Riley opened the drive with a couple of big passes and a scramble to get Brusly into the red zone, where he later scored on a rushing attempt to take the lead in the fourth quarter. But Woodlawn refused to back down. On the ensuing kickoff, Jaylen Knox delivered another huge return, setting up a Mitchell‑to‑Primus connection for the duo’s second touchdown of the night.
Brusly once again looked for an answer to Woodlawn’s quick‑strike ability. As they approached the red zone, Riley targeted his big‑play receiver Carter, but the pass was tipped, and Jordan Knox came diving in to make the interception, sealing Woodlawn’s 43–40 victory.
Both offenses were electric, but in the end, Woodlawn’s determination to fight and claw their way back made the ultimate difference. The Panthers move to 1–1 on the season and will take on Denham Springs at home next Friday.