FORT SMITH -- Fort Smith Southside had five snaps inside the Cabot 7 in the last 80 seconds of the game, including four inside the 2, but the Panthers' defense never surrendered.
[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD: Full results + recaps, photos and more]
Cabot's Dylan Smith recovered a fumble on the final play of the game to preserve the Panthers' 27-23 victory over the Mavericks on Friday at Jim Rowland Stadium.
"Our defense was pretty good all night, but we set them up pretty good with turnovers inside the (Cabot 6) in the first half," Cabot Coach Mike Malham said. "Both teams gave each other momentum. Neither team gave up. It was just a great high school football game that anybody could have won. We were lucky to win it, and we'll take it."
Cabot (5-0, 2-0 7A-Central) seemingly had put the game away when Evan Hooper grabbed his second interception of the game to give the Panthers the ball at the Mavericks 19 with 2:45 left.
But on the next play, Cabot fumbled and Southside's Dylan Wyatt recovered at the 19.
"I'm proud of my guys tonight ... those guys in the blue jerseys fought their butts off tonight," Mavericks Coach Jeff Williams said. "We drive down the field with a chance to win. We could have given up after the interception, but we instead get a turnover and have a chance."
A pass interference penalty and sideline warning both assessed to Cabot moved the ball to midfield. Another pass interference penalty gave Southside a first down at the Panthers 36.
Two completions by Graves Schmidley for first downs gave the Mavericks (2-3, 1-1) a first and goal at the Panthers 7 with 1:20 left.
Taye Gatewood got to the 2 on first down, but the Cabot defense stiffened. A Gatewood rush followed by a Schmidley sneak left Southside with fourth down at the Cabot 1.
Gatewood was stuffed on a blast up the middle, but the Panthers were called for offsides with 5.4 seconds left. After a Mavericks timeout, Gatewood bobbled a pitch and Smith fell on it as time expired.
Southside had taken its first lead of the game on a Derek Gutierrez field goal with 6:24 left.
The Panthers stuck back on its next possession. On the first play of a six-play, 80-yard touchdown march, Jarrod Barnes hit Collin Thames for 47 yards to move the ball to the Mavericks 33. Five plays later, Barnes beat a defender to the left pylon for a 7-yard touchdown run for a 27-23 Cabot lead with 4:14 left.
The Panthers outgained the Mavericks 396-172, but three lost fumbles and 13 penalties for 136 yards almost spelled doom for Cabot.
Cabot scored on its first two possessions to take a 13-0 lead with 4:20 left in the first quarter. Barnes scored on a 9-yard keeper 90 seconds into the game, followed by a 55-yard touchdown run by Braxton Burton on a fourth and 1.
Southside took advantage of two Panthers turnovers inside the 10 late in the first quarter to tie the game. Gatewood scored on a 2-yard run while David Matthews caught a tipped Schmidley pass in the end zone to tie the game at 13 with 11:16 left before halftime.
Sports on 10/01/2016