On Friday, September 12^th, Paint Branch High School’s Varsity Football team travelled to Blake High School to take on the Bengals in both teams’ second game of the season.

Paint Branch went into the game with a record of 1-0, while Blake’s record was 0-1. Paint Branch defeated Springbrook in their first game of the season, while Blake started off their season with a loss to Whitman. Paint Branch beat Blake in their rivalry matchup 21-8, improving their record 2-0, which gives PB a good start to trying on match their record last year, which was 11-2.

The first quarter was scoreless up until the last two minutes of play when Blake sacked PB junior quarterback Danon Davis Cray in the end zone, causing a safety. The second quarter of play was slow, with neither PB nor Blake scoring, and the game remained at 2-0, Blake at the half.

With 11:40 left in the third quarter, PB fumbled the ball and Blake scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown making the score 8-0 Blake’s way. However, only two minutes later, Davis Cray faked a handoff and raced into the end zone for PB’s first touchdown of the game. The score now stood at 8-6 before Davis Cray found senior Ryan Stango in the end zone for the extra points, tying up the game.

Junior guard Brian Ly stated, “It was a great game. We started slow in the first half, but we picked it up after they scored their only points. We executed coach’s plan and came up with 21 unanswered points to get the victory.”

A key change in the momentum in the game allowed PB to come up with an important win to improve their record. Later in the third quarter, PB shut down Blake’s offense, leaving Blake with no choice but to go for a field goal. Blake’s field goal attempt, though, took a bad turn as it hit their own offensive lineman and fell into the hands of PB senior Darryl Hill, who ran it all the way back the other way for a touchdown.  With the extra point the Panthers had a 15-8 lead at the end of the third.  Midway through the fourth quarter, Davis Cray dove into the end zone for the dagger, leaving the game at 21-8 in PB’s favor.