LCMS Panthers

The Lewis County Middle School Panthers hosted the East Hickman Eagles on Thursday, August 31, for Homecoming at A.B. Sisco Athletic Field.

In a back-and-forth opening quarter, the Panther offense struggled to find its footing until a drive late in the period. The Panthers struck first on the final play of the first quarter as quarterback Brody Clayton connected with Anthony Garcia for a 10-yard touchdown and hit Gavin Coker for the two-point conversion to stake Lewis County to an 8-0 lead.

The teams played scoreless in the second until late in the quarter when the Panther defense made a stand deep in their own territory that gave Lewis County the ball inside their own ten-yard line. After a huge touchdown run from Gavin Coker was negated by a penalty, East Hickman tackled the Panthers in the endzone for a safety on the final play of the first half to make it an 8-2 game with the Panthers on top.

The third quarter was a defensive quarter by both teams, and it would be in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter before either team found paydirt.

East Hickman scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes to play but failed on the conversion and the game was tied. Less than a minute later, Lewis County's Gavin Coker sprung free on a 54-yard touchdown run and Clayton hit Garcia on the conversion that put the Panthers up 16-8, and that score would hold until the end of regulation as Lewis County escaped with a 16-8 win on Homecoming.

Brody Clayton was 7-12 passing for 139 yards and a touchdown. Eli Chapin had 107 yards receiving on 4 catches, Gavin Coker 2 receptions for 22 yards, and Anthony Garcia 1 reception for 10 yards and a touchdown. Coker had 47 yards on the ground on 5 carries and a touchdown, Garrett Reeves 2 yards on one carry, and Clayton 1 carry for 1 yard.