PINETOWN — Kyle Hill rushed 19 times for 143 yards to spearhead a 22-6 win for Southside in the 2016 Anchor Bowl. The Seahawks topped rival Northside on the road to even their 1-A Coastal Plains Conference record at 1-1 and spoil the Panthers’ league debut.

 

Southside took advantage of a flat start from the hosting Panthers. The Seahawks scored all three of their touchdowns in the first half. After sputtering out on their first drive, Hill took off on runs of 38 and 23 yards to help set up Trajan Rhome for a 1-yard touchdown run.

The Panthers went three-and-out on their ensuing drive, but bounced back defensively. They held Southside on a three-and-8 at its own 29-yard line to force a punt. The play broke down, leaving senior punter Scott Ringlien with no other choice to run the ball, which he did for a big gain and the first down.

“They remembered us beating them and they didn’t want to see that happen again,” Northside coach Keith Boyd said. “The biggest difference was the punt. They lined up to punt down there and we had the chance to tackle him. It was only 6-0. He picks it up and makes a play. To me, that was the one that was a big momentum shifter.”

Southside coach Jeff Carrow added, “Fortunately, the ball went our way. We got the first down out of it and kept momentum going. We had momentum going there and plays like that happen.”

Zikijah Crawford made another big play for the Seahawks by converting on fourth-and-4. Facing third-and-12 from Northside’s 25-yard line, quarterback Marshall Medlock hit Demetrius Ebron in the end zone. Hill ran in the 2-point conversion to push Southside’s lead to 14-0.

Southside’s defense again held, forcing a Northside punt that couldn’t clear its side of the field. Hill took off along the right side for a 40-yard gain on the second play of the next series. That set up the Seahawks at the 5-yard line, where Crawford was able to scamper in for another Seahawks touchdown. Hill again earned the two points to extend his team’s lead to 22-0 with 3:42 left in the first half.

 

“We didn’t show up last game, and that was on us and that’s on us as coaches,” Carrow said, referring to Southside’s 23-6 loss to Northside a month ago. “We knew we had to be more focused this game. The guys came out and they were focused.”

Northside, hoping to put some points on the board before halftime, fumbled the ball away. The Panthers were able to stymie Southside’s offense when Chris Slade came up with an interception just before halftime.

The Panthers came up with another interception — this time from Johnathan Clark — on Southside’s first drive of the second half. Brandon Sullivan got the Seahawks the ball back when he picked off Jackson Midgette on a fourth-and-1 play, but Northside was bailed out when Sullivan fumbled the ball away during the return.

The home side stalled out again, but its defense continued to show the intensity it lacked in the first half by attacking the Seahawks in the backfield. The Panthers marched deep into Southside territory early in the fourth quarter, but came up empty handed when Ebron forced a fumble into the end zone that was recovered by the Seahawks.

 

Still, Northside’s defense remained stout. It forced a punt, which Midgette returned to Southside’s 20-yard line. The short field was enough to get Northside its first score of the evening. Midgette moved the chains on third-and-11 to set up James Barrow’s 9-yard touchdown run. Northside cut Southside’s lead to 22-6 with 5:15 left on the clock, but wouldn’t come any closer.

Hill capped off his stellar performance by coming up with a late interception that let the Seahawks take the field in the victory formation.

“I’m excited for my kids and excited for the seniors,” Carrow said. “We’ve been up and down all year long and we’re finally starting to get things together. Offensively and defensively, we’re trying to get the whole engine roaring.”