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Senior linebacker/offensive lineman Gus Vansant made sure the Anchor Bowl trophy returned to Northside by opening holes for the Panthers running backs, leading the defense in tackles and snagging a game-clinching interception to claim the top performance among county players Friday night.

The Panthers (5-2, 2-0) avenged last year’s loss to Southside (1-6, 1-1) with a 34-12 Coastal Plains Conference road victory to claim the top spot in the league with two weeks left in the regular season.

Vansant and his offensive line mates helped the Panthers run for 347 yards and three touchdowns, while making 10 tackles, seven solo on defense.

His biggest play happened early in the fourth quarter after Northside was stopped on fourth down at the Seahawks 35 yard line. He stepped in front of the would-be receiver, intercepted the pass and raced into the endzone to give Northside an insurmountable advantage.

“He made a big play at the right time,” coach Keith Boyd said. ”We were ahead by 10 (22-12) and couldn’t convert on fourth down to give them the ball. His pick-six put us in a good spot with about eight minutes left.”

Other notable Panthers performers included running back Jamie Corprew with 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries, Sincere Columbus had a 40-yard scoring run, while quarterback Hunter Chrismon was 3-4 with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Holden Boykin on the opening possession. Zanek McCloud intercepted a pass and Nic Jordan recovered a fumble.

 

Southside: Senior running back/defensive back Tequon (Tater) Moore did his best to keep the Anchor Bowl in the Seahawk trophy case. He scored both Southside touchdowns on a 21 yard pass from Luke Bullock to tie the game in the first quarter and an 11 yard run in the second quarter. Moore finished with 109 all-purpose yards, almost half of the team total and led the defense with 7.5 tackles.

Fullback Brian Salinas gained 73 yards on 14 carries, while Nolan Dixon caught three passes.

Washington: The Pack fell, 30-20 at Greene Central. Senior Jerai Davenport returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown for Washington’s biggest play. Josh Gordon (four yards) and Gary Payne (one yard) added the other touchdowns. Payne led the defense with 13 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and also recovered a fumble. Marek Bates added nine tackles that included a sack and recovered a fumble.

Pungo Christian Academy: In 8-man action, Tailback Quay Artis exploded for 260 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored all four touchdowns in the 24-12 victory at Northeast Academy. Artis longest run was for 62 yards. McKinney Waters led the defense with 15 tackles that included a sack and also forced a fumble. Parker Byrd and Wells Eagles added nine tackles each as the Raiders raised their record to 4-2.