WINNSBORO – Richard Winn Academy and Providence Athletic Club (PAC) faced off in the second of three games in the inaugural Midlands Honda Football Classic, hosted by Fairfield Central on Monday evening. The Eagles came away with a 13-8 victory over the Panthers in the two-quarter game.
The first 11 minutes of the contest were a defensive slugfest. The Eagles forced a Panther three-and-out on the opening series. Richard Winn quarterback Zack Taylor had a 21-yard rush before he went down with an injury and PAC put a stop to the Eagles’ offense. Taylor did not return to the game.
The Panthers looked to have a scoring drive working midway through the first quarter until a fumbled pitch resulted in the Eagles taking over inside their own 30-yard line. Richard Winn proceeded to march down the field. The drive was capped with a 58-yard scoring strike from junior quarterback Dru Caldwell to senior wide receiver Hudson Wade with three seconds remaining.
“[The fumble] was a huge momentum swing for us,” Eagle head coach Paul Brigman said. “With the early injuries, we had some young kids on the field at the time. It allowed us to regroup a little on defense and fix some of the issues that had been exposed on the drive.”
Midway through the second quarter, the Eagles lengthened their lead with a 20-yard rushing touchdown by B Baker. The Eagles converted their PAT and took a 13-0 before the Panthers scored their lone touchdown in the final minutes of the contest.
“We have a lot of areas to work on and get better,” Brigman said of the team’s first performance. “It can be difficult to see those things in practice, so being able to work in a game situation is very beneficial.”
With another week of practice under their belts, Richard Winn looks to continue to improve this Friday when they are back in action in their home jamboree. The Eagles will face King Academy and Laurens Academy in the third and fourth quarters of play. Cambridge Academy will also participate. Teams will play two quarters, each against different opponents. Games will begin at 7 p.m.
