By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
LUMBERTON – Region 4-1A has a new look this season, with several new teams coming into the region as a result of the most recent MHSAA reclassification.
But one thing remains the same. Lumberton is still the team to beat.
The Panthers showed off their prowess in all three phases of the game in dominating newcomer Sebastopol 41-14 Friday night at Lumberton Stadium.
The Panthers, ranked third in the Mississippi Gridiron Class 1A rankings, improved to 4-2 overall and remained undefeated in region play at 3-0. The Bobcats dropped to 3-2 and 1-1.
“I’m really proud of them,” said Lumberton coach Zach Jones. “They really stepped up tonight. We were especially good on special teams; we blocked two punts and made them a shank another one.
“This was a big ball game for us tonight, and I thought our kids really responded. I think we’re getting better and better.”
That could be scary news for the Panthers’ rivals for supremacy in Class 1A. Lumberton was smothering on defense, and efficient on offense in winning easily.
It was an emotional night for the Panthers on more than one front. The school retired the jersey of former Lumberton linebacker Dakota Walters, a 2018 graduate who died earlier this year, and the game was delayed for nearly a half-hour in the second quarter due to a serious leg injury to senior defensive end Cullen Hammond.
Hammond was taken by ambulance to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg after suffering what appeared to be a dislocated, and possibly fractured hip.
At the time, Lumberton owned a 14-0 lead after scoring twice in the first quarter.
The Panthers got on the scoreboard midway through the period on a 41-yard scoop-and-score by junior Trevon Jessie after senior linebacker Xavier Holder blocked a punt, then junior Robert Henry capped a quick three-play scoring drive with a 14-yard run.
Jones moved Henry to quarterback earlier this season and the results have been fruitful for the Panthers.
“I work on taking snaps every day, and I’m getting more comfortable with it,” said Henry. “Me and the line work well with it. I love those boys.”
Henry ran the ball seven times for 158 yards and three touchdowns in guiding a lightning-quick Lumberton attack.
How quick, you ask? The Panthers’ five offensive touchdown drives took a combined total of two minutes and 41 seconds. In fact, the Bobcats had a lopsided edge in time of possession, holding the ball for 34:08, which helped them not a bit.
“We looked a lot of film on them, and we knew what they were going to do just about every play,” said Panther senior cornerback Jayson Buckley.
Sebastopol did, however, take advantage of the long delay to complete a 16-play, 74-yard scoring drive that ate up 9:54 off the clock, scoring on a 5-yard run by Reginald Shepherd to close the margin to 14-7.
“Our coaches did a real good job of getting the kids back focused,” said Jones. “Coach Jonathan Ladner, our defensive coordinator, really did a good job of getting our defense back on track.”
That defense was tested immediately after the Panthers lost a fumble on the subsequent possession, and did they ever respond.
Lumberton got two negative-yardage plays, forced a hurried throw from Bobcat quarterback Jaden Mann on third-and-21, then blocked another punt to give the offense the ball back at the Sebastopol 18-yard-line.
On the second play of the drive, sophomore tailback Shavante Toney dashed over left tackle for a 7-yard touchdown run.
Buckley swiped a pass on the Bobcats’ next drive, setting up the Panthers at the 28. Henry hooked up with Jeffrey Townsend for a 22-yard pickup, then he dashed around left end for 15 yards and scored with nine seconds to play in the first half on a 3-yard run.
Then, on the first play of the second half, Henry picked up a bobbled snap and ripped through the Bobcats for a 61-yard scoring run. Toney closed out the scoring for Lumberton with a 10-yard run after a shanked punt of minus-10 yards.
“It was just a play I had to make,” said Henry of his third touchdown run. “I saw it open up and did what I had to do.”
Henry rushed for more than 2,000 yards last season as a sophomore, and he’s on pace to finish the regular season with more than 1,700 yards this season.
“I think he’s the best player in 1A football,” said Jones. “If there’s anyone better, you’re going to have to show him to me.”
And, of course, Henry is likely to have opportunities to add to his rushing total in the postseason, perhaps all the way to the state championship game.
“We’ve got the four championship banners over there, and that’s something we embrace,” said Jones. “There aren’t many schools that can say they have a chance to win state every season, but this is one of them.
“But as far as looking ahead, we take it one day at a time. We’re focused on the next game, the next practice, the next snap, and that’s it.”
That next game for Lumberton will be in Hattiesburg next Friday, as the Panther battle Sacred Heart.
GAME SUMMARY
Friday at Lumberton
Lumberton 41, Sebastopol 14
Sebastopol 0 7 0 7 – 14
Lumberton 14 14 13 0 – 41
First Quarter
L – Trevon Jessie 41 blocked punt return (Jake Robinson kick), 6:50.
L – Robert Henry 14 run (Robinson kick), 3:12 (3 plays/42 yards/1:04 possession).
Second Quarter
S – Reginald Shepherd 5 run (Caleb Leach kick), 5:28 (16/74/9:54).
L – Shavante Toney 11 run (Robinson kick), 2:59 (2/18/0:42).
L – Henry 3 run (Robinson kick), 0:09 (3/28/0:53).
Third Quarter
L – Henry 61 run (Robinson kick), 11:41 (1/61/0:19).
L – Toney 10 run (Run failed, bad snap), 5:21 (1/10/0:09).
Fourth Quarter
S – Nosikah Melendez 3 run (Shepherd kick), 7:55 (12/65/9:26)
TEAM STATISTICS
S L
First downs 12 9
Total net yards 132 243
Rushes-yards 45-112 22-213
Passing yards 20 30
Comp-Att-Int 3-8-1 2-3-1
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 7-90 6-59
Punts-total (avg.) 3-23 (7.6) 0-0
Sacks-yards 0-0 1-5
3rd down conv. 7-12 2-3
4th down conv. 0-1 0-0
Time of possession 34:08 13:52
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Sebastopol – Jaden Mann 21-64, Reginald Shepherd 11-33, Nosikah Melendez 6-19, Conner Henry 1-11, Jacob Williams 1-5, Jahiem Johnson 1-1, Team 4-(-21); Lumberton – Robert Henry 7-158, Shavante Toney 5-33, Kelby Bush 7-25, Debyron Conerly 1-2, Team 1-(-2), Trevon Jessie 1-(-3).
Passing
Sebastopol – Jaden Mann 3-8-1-20; Lumberton – Robert Henry 2-3-1-30.
Receiving
Sebastopol – Reginald Shepherd 1-8, Jahiem Johnson 1-7, Nosikah Melendez 1-5; Lumberton – Jeffrey Townsend 1-22, Jayson Buckley 1-8.
