FORT SMITH -- When the game was on the line, Cabot kept converting third downs.
The Panthers rushed for 367 yards, pulling away in the second half to whip Fort Smith Northside 40-14 in a 7A-Central game at Mayo-Thompson Stadium on Friday night.
With Fort Smith Southside's victory over Little Rock Central, Cabot (5-4, 3-3) has clinched the 7A-Central's fourth seed and a first-round home game. The Panthers host unbeaten North Little Rock next week.
"We're locked in, and I'm happy for our kids," Cabot Coach Mike Malham.
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Northside (2-7, 1-5) must win at Southside next week to clinch a playoff berth.
The Grizzlies got within 19-14 with 4:57 left in the third quarter on a 15-yard pass from Derrick Wise to James Clayton.
The Panthers responded with a nine-play, 61-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard run from Adam Flores with 48 seconds left in the third quarter for a 26-14 lead.
The drive, Malham said, re-established control of the game as Cabot converted two third downs. In fact, Cabot converted its last seven third downs and was 9-14 for the game and a 3 of 3 in fourth-down conversions.
"We needed that scoring drive," Malham said. "We came out in the second half and wanted to score early and get a nail in the coffin. Instead, they stop us and they score to get back in it."
After that, the Panther defense rose up, stopping a Grizzlies fourth-down play at the start of the fourth quarter and intercepting a pass with 4:19 left. Northside ran only five offensive plays in the final quarter.
"Our defense has played well the last two weeks," Malham said.
While Cabot's offense controlled the ball and the clock, the Panther defense limited Northside to 203 total yards (154 rushing, 49 passing).
Cabot marched 55 yards in 11 plays to put the game away on Bradley Morales' 9-yard run with 4:39 left for a 33-14 lead. After the interception, reserve back Graham Thomas added a 1-yard run with 26 seconds left to set the final score.
The Panthers had five rushers with at least 50 yards or more on the ground, led by T.J. Rogers with 108 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"Our offensive line is a bunch of seniors that have not played [varsity] before," Malham said. "Some are under 200 pounds. They are little, but they get after it."
Sports on 10/28/2017