Lanett is headed to the Super 7
BY ROB DAVIS
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LANETT — Lanett quarterback Fred Broughton passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more as the Panthers rolled over defending state champions Reeltown 35-19 Friday night at Morgan-Washburn stadium in Lanett to advance to the 2A state championship game.
The Panther defense played lights out for three quarters, forcing seven Reeltown turnovers and holding the visitors scoreless until the final quarter when the game was already out of reach for the Rebels.
Lanett, 12-2 on the season and undefeated in 2A play, will face Coosa Christian of Gadsden Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. central time at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham.
“I’m just so proud of these young men,” Lanett head coach R.J. McDonald said. “They fought hard all season and earned their chance to play for a state championship. Thank you to our fans for coming out to support us all season and I hope some of them can make the trip up to Birmingham.”
On possibly the coldest night of the season, the Panthers offense was on fire. Midway through the first quarter Broughton began the onslaught with a 64-yard touchdown strike to Ja’Quez Johnson. Facing third and 19, Broughton connected with Johnson who broke two tackles before racing down the middle of the field for the game’s first score. Jever Valbuena added the extra point kick to make the score 7-0.
Lanett added their second score of the first quarter when Broughton capped a 55-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown burst straight through the Reeltown defensive front. Valbuena added his second PAT and was perfect on the night.
After Panther linebacker T.J. Brooks recovered a Reeltown fumble, the Broughton to Johnson air attack struck again. Facing second and 10, Broughton floated a 40-yard pass to Johnson, who caught the ball at the Reeltown 20 and raced to the end zone. Once again the PAT by Valbuena was true, giving the Panthers a 21-0 lead at the half.
“Our defense showed how good they are tonight,” McDonald said. “They are the main reason we’ve come this far. The difference tonight was our offense was clicking on all cylinders.”
On the Panther’s first possession of the second half Broughton found his favorite target once again. Facing third and three from their own 28-yard line, Broughton found Johnson open in the left flat. Shaking three defenders, Johnson sprinted down the left sideline for a 73-yard touchdown. Broughton added another touchdown on a 50-yard run midway through the third quarter, and the Panthers began the final quarter with a 35-0 lead over the defending state champions.
Trailing by five touchdowns and facing a shutout, the visitors from Reeltown never quit. The Rebels began the final quarter with a 42-yard passplay for a touchdown. Less than a minute later Reeltown scored again when a Panther fumble was returned for a score.
The furious comeback attempt by the Rebels continued after recovering an onside kick and driving 48 yards to make the score 35-19. But with just 4:25 remaining in the game it would be as close as they would get to the Panthers.
