BORN TO RUN | Spring Hill keeps it on the ground (like, the entire game) and leaves Sabine with 38-13 win
By JEREMY NEWLIN
Special to ETBLITZ.COM
LIBERTY CITY – It seems Spring Hill’s recent athletic success – a state baseball championship in June – might be continuing to fuel the Panthers, even in a new school year.
Sabine hosted the Panthers in the 2025 football opener for both teams Friday on the first cool night of the summer. The Panthers came away with the win, 38- 13.
The Cardinals (0-1) travel to Harmony next Friday.
The Cardinals elected to defer after winning the coin toss, and kicked off to the Panthers’ run-heavy offense.
The Panthers’ Brailyn Thomas sprinted 22 yards. This was followed by Devin Webb going up the middle for gains of 19 and 15. The drive stalled as the Cardinals’ Carter Peters sacked quarterback Travis Allen, but Joseph Ventura punched it in from the 7 for the score. Panther kicker Asher Young added the extra point and made it a 7-0 lead.
After a failed onside kick, the Cardinals took over from midfield. They immediately went to the air where quarterback Griffin Dehoyos found Lincoln Royce for a 5-yard completion. Dehoyos then found Terry Vanden for a 14-yard gain.
The Cardinals continued downfield with another completion for 16 yards to Cole Loveless, a good start.
But the drive stalled, and Sabine turned it over on downs.
The Panthers kept to the ground and facing a third down, Webb rattled off 25 yards. This was followed by Coleman Stout going 22 for the score. A two-point conversion failed, though, and left the Panthers leading after the first quarter, 13-0.
Following a punt by the Cardinals, the Panthers took the ball into the second quarter. With runs of 27 yards by Quinton Cutler and 18 by Allen, Webb plunged the final 3 for the score and a 19-0 lead.
A quick Sabine four-and-out with a turnover on downs lead to the Panthers taking over on a short field.
Webb ran for 14 and 8 yards in a drive that was capped off by a 5-yard run by Noah Weber for the score, and what would be a 25-0 Spring Hill advantage at the half.
The Cardinals took the ball to start the half with a short field. DeHoyos found Royce for 9 yards, followed by a run of 13 by Damin Richardson. Royce hauled in a 21-yard completion, setting up a first and goal.
But DeHoyos’ next pass was snagged off the top of the turf by the Panthers at the Spring Hill 3 to end the threat.
Proctor took the snap for the Panthers, and sprinted 22 yards to open up the field. The Cardinal defense forced a fumble, though, recovered by Jeremiah Templeton.
Near midfield, the Cardinals continued the air attack. Royce gained 9, followed by Harlan Anderson picking up 11. But again the drive was stalled with another turnover on downs.
On the first play from scrimmage, the Cardinal defense forced another fumble, this time recovered by Kelton Lee at the Cardinals’ 10.
Dehoyos took just plays to break into the end zone and put points on the board. The two-point conversion was no good, leaving the score at 25-6, Spring Hill.
The Panthers quickly answered with a 53-yard end-around by Ventura. The extra point increased the SH lead to 32-6.
The Cardinals’ offense went to the ground with a 13-yard run by Richardson and a 21-yarder by DeHoyos. Richardson capped off the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. Victor Avalos added the extra point (32-13).
The Cardinal defense stopped the Panthers to force a punt to end the quarter.
Spring Hill’s defense ended Sabine’s possession with a sack and gave the Panthers a short field. Thomas took the handoff and the 16 yards for the score, the final touchdown of the game.
Offensively, the Cardinals got 129 passing yards from DeHoyos. Royce caught five passes for 60 yards to lead the team. On the ground, Richardson had 74 yards and a score.
Spring Hill had no passing yards, but Webb had 92 rushing yards and a score, followed by Ventura with 69, and Thomas with 65, each with a score.