A game that started close and low-scoring turned into a win by a sizable margin Friday for the Russellville Panthers against a competitive Butler County team.
With the impressive 35-6 final score, Russellville improved its record to 3-0 on the young season heading into next week’s Clash of the Cats at Logan County High School.
The game was played at Rhea Stadium and began with another salute to the magnificent structure on the hill overlooking Russellville. Stars of the 1968 RHS team—Brad Watson and Toby Nichols—joined captains and coaches of both teams at midfield before the game as honorary captains.
Russellville is always quick and athletic. This Butler County team has the same attributes and appears to a little bigger than the Panthers. Both teams are well-coached with John Myers leading the Panthers and Ryan Emmick the Bears.
The Panthers’ first touchdown after a scoreless first quarter was set up by an interception of a Rex Henderson pass by Johnny Drumgole, which he returned to near midfield. The big play was a 30-yard pass from Coco Darden to Lee McMurry. Scoring machine Desmon Quarles took the ball in from the two yard line for the game’s opening score, but the conversion run failed with 10:55 remaining in the second quarter.
Henderson led the Bears on a score-tying march. In fact, Henderson had a 30-yard run before Darden pulled him down. Blake Graham scored from three yards out a minute and a half after the Panthers had scored, but the Bears’ conversion failed, too.
Josh Bigbee ran for 44 yards to put the Panthers in scoring position, and Darden hit McMurry for a 21-yard touchdown pass. Quarles’ run gave the Panthers the lead for good on the conversion with 2:51 remaining in the half.
That 14-6 score accompanied the teams into halftime.
Drumgole added an insurance touchdown on a 39-yard sprint with 9:47 remaining in the third quarter. Milam Watkins’ successful kick gave the Panthers a 21-6 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Panthers wore the Bears down. Darden and Drumgole each scored on short runs, and Drumgole added a 2-point conversion.
Quarles led the RHS attack with 120 yards on 19 carries. Drumgole totaled 56 yards on 6 rushes and scored 14 points. Darden rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown and added 83 yards and a TD in the air. That touchdown pass was caught by McMurry, who had 4 catches for 115 yards.
Butler County’s talented sophomore quarterback, Henderson, finished with 49 yards on 3 carries, and John Peyton picked up 41 yards on 8 rushes.
The Panthers played without one of their top forces on both offense and defense, senior Jacob Procter, who was injured late in the 28-26 win over Fort Campbell the week before. His dad, Eric Procter, tells The LoJo that Jacob’s ankle is neither broken nor torn and that he could return as early as this week.
After trips to Logan this week and to McCracken County next week to play Todd Central for the second straight year in the McCracken Bowl, the Panthers will return home on Sept. 26 to face archrival Franklin-Simpson.
That night is being reserved for a special celebration of the 75th anniversary of the first game having been played at Rhea Stadium in 1939. Among those to be honored are two men who played for the Panthers in that game, John Williams and William Owen Chapman, and Mac Donaldson, son of the Russellville coach in those days, El Donaldson.
Greg Owens, who is leading the planning for the season-long celebration, says one of the goals is to get as many descendants of players and cheerleaders from that team to attend as possible. Those descendants who plan to attend are asked to call Patsy Hendrick at the Russellville Schools Central Office at 270-726-8405.
For information on that 1939 event, read the story on The LoJo at http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=sports533
To learn more about the careers of Toby Nichols and Brad Watson, read the story on The LoJo at http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=sports540
Rhea Stadium has been used for many school and community events over the years. One of them is the Show of Bands. The annual musical event will be held this Saturday. For that story on The LoJo, read http://www.theloganjournal.com/Stories.aspx?Article=features237