By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers continued their winning ways with a 41-0 mercy-rule win over the winless J.A. Fair War Eagles Friday night at J.A. Fair in Little Rock.
The Panthers scored six rushing touchdowns in the game where Cabot garnered 41 points by halftime activating the mercy rule for the second half where the clock continued to run substantially shortening the game.
The lopsided win also gave Malham a chance to play many of his second and third-tier players, including three quarterbacks: Cody Skinner, Jessie Windemaker and Layton Morris.
Not a pass was thrown by the Panthers, but they did run the ball 35 times for 207 yards. J.A Fair threw the ball downfield about six times, all incompletes and only completed one pass a short left side screen for no gain. Overall, the War Eagles ended the game with negative 21 yards.
The only negative on the Cabot side was two lost fumbles, but their defense held strong and no damage was done. The closest the War Eagles came to scoring was a 55-yard field goal that hit about six yards short.
Cabot’s first score took three plays and came at the 8:49 mark of the first quarter when Adam Flores went right up the middle for a one-yard touchdown run after strong runs by Braxton Burton and Austin Morse.
The Panthers scored again less than three minutes later on a 5-yard run by Tadariyan Rogers after Brad Morales turned a loss into a 33-yard gain.
Cabot’s defense was strong all night swarming and gang-tackling the War Eagles running backs.
At the 3:13 mark of the first quarter the Panthers were on the score board again as Burton zigged off left tackle and crossed the goal line standing up.
The extra point was missed, leaving the score 20-0.
But Cabot wasn’t through with their first quarter scoring as Seth Carter scampered five yards to make it 26-0 and the good extra point brought it to 27-0.
In the second quarter Windemaker took over the quarterback spot and on a third down play three yards from the goal he handed off to Mason Martin. who easily made it into the end zone. Tack on another extra point and it was 34-0.
Morris took over the reins then and quarterbacked the rest of the way and with five minutes left in the half lead the Panthers to their final score and extra point.
The War Eagles went scoreless for the third game in a row. The 3-0 Panthers, using their strong ground game, have outscored opponents 97-40. They will face the Catholic Rockets next Friday at Panther Stadium to open play in the 7A-Central Conference.
