Friday was Cabot High School’s senior night, and the Panthers went head to head against the Little Rock Central Tigers in the Panther’s last home game of the season. The Panthers mauled the Tigers, winning the game 47-7.
The game opened with Cabot on their own 32-yard line. It quickly became the Keegan Vest show as he had seven runs, including a touchdown rush from about the three-inch line. With a good extra point, the Panther led 7-0 and never looked back.
being good the score began as 7-0, Panther’s leading.
For the rest of the first quarter, the two teams were kept at a stalemate, but as the quarter ended the Panthers were knocking on the door from the four-yard line.
At the start of the second quarter, Vest rushed for his second touchdown, this time from the four-yard line, and with the extra point being good the Panthers stretched their lead 14-0.
The Tigers quickly responded with a one-handed grab of a pass by wide receiver Kaleb Flemming, good for 45 yards and a touchdown, 14-7
The Panthers wouldn’t back down though as Panther sophomore Aeneas Arnold took the kick off about 80 yards to the endzone for another Cabot touchdown. An extra point made it 21-7 at the 10:02 mark of the second quarter.
With just 4 minutes left in the quarter, the Panthers drive stalled and Dean Heyer kicked a 31-yard field goal, moving ahead 24-7.
But Cabot wasn’t through yet. They held the Tigers to a three-and-out and took possession on the 33-yard line. On second down, Cabot ran a reverse that fooled everyone and allowed Arnold to race down the visitor’s sideline for 62 yards, getting tripped up at the one-yard line.
Vest finished the job with his third touchdown run. Heyer’s extra point kick was good and the first half ended 31-7.
The third quarter began with another Panther touchdown. A pair of runs by Vest and then a 29-yard touchdown pass from Maddox McCrory to Domonic De La Torro moved the score to 38-7, with another good kick from Heyer.
The Tigers only had the ball for three plays when David Forte intercepted a deep pass – his first interception of the year.
It looked like Cabot was going to score again when Tiger safety Justin Foster stripped the ball from Vest at the Tigers’ 35-yard line. A bad snap pushed the Tigers back to the 15-yard line and then another bad snap had the ball rolling in the endzone. Offensive lineman Joey Bartlett was the first one there and made sure the ball bounced out of bounds for a safety, 40-7, with 9 minutes left in the third quarter.
Moments later, Panther Arnold took the Tiger kickoff 63 yards for a touchdown. With the extra point, it was Cabot up 47-7.
Coach Scott Reed started substitutions, playing second and third string in what was the Panthers’ last home game of the season.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the mercy rule was initiated, causing the clock not to stop and both teams held each other at a stalemate for the rest of the night.
To end senior night, the Panthers won the conference matchup 47-7. Friday, the Panthers will take on the North Little Rock Wildcats on their home turf.
