Petal opened Friday night with a mistake, but everything that followed was near flawless.
The Panthers muffed the first punt of the night, setting up West Jones with good field position that eventually led to an early touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
Then Petal decided it was done with mistakes. The Panthers ripped off 45 unanswered points to roll past the Mustangs in a 45-6 statement victory.
Quarterback Caiden Belton was nearly perfect, completing 7 of 11 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. His main target, 6-foot-5 receiver Trey Barnes, finally broke through after weeks of being quiet in the offense. Barnes caught two passes for 153 yards and two scores, both on deep shots that electrified the home crowd.
The Panthers (4-2) now ride into next week’s rivalry showdown with Oak Grove (4-2) with momentum and confidence. More importantly, they earned the win against a West Jones team that entered the night 4-1, with its only loss a three-point setback to South Jones.
“Well, I don’t think you could be disappointed with that one,” Petal head coach Marcus Boyles said. “I thought we came out of the dressing room ready to play. The defense set the tone really early. We had the fumble on the punt return and they got a score, but I thought we settled in and played really well after that.”
Defense sets the tone
Petal’s defense was nearly flawless against a West Jones offense built around running the football. The Mustangs, averaging 33.2 points per game coming in, only crossed midfield once in the second half outside of two possessions where Petal’s special teams miscues set them up across the 50.
In the first half, Petal held West Jones to under 50 rushing yards, and the front seven consistently closed running lanes before they could open.
“Our defense is playing really well right now,” Boyles said. “We’re really good in the box, and we thought our strength matched up with what they wanted to do. And I think it did tonight.”
Kavaughn Peters recorded an interception and multiple players along the defensive line notched sacks. The high-scoring Mustang offense didn’t throw the ball well either, completing fewer than 40 percent of its passes.
It was a dominant effort across the board.
Belton’s growth
If Petal’s defense set the tone, Belton made sure the offense finished the job. The junior quarterback looked in command, taking his time in the pocket and picking apart the Mustang secondary when opportunities arose.
“He’s growing up,” Boyles said. “He’s getting more comfortable, and we gave him time tonight. That was a big difference. He had time to go through his reads. Our receivers did a great job running routes, but it all starts with the offensive line. They did a great job tonight.”
Belton credited both his teammates and his connection with Barnes for the offensive explosion.
“That was a great performance by the team,” Belton said. “Defense, all over special teams — we just balled out tonight.”
He found Barnes twice for scores, both on long throws downfield.
“We get extra work in after practice, just us two (me and Barnes), locking in,” Belton said. “Coach told me all week, ‘He’s 6-5. Just give him a chance.’ This week, we did.”
Barnes breaks out
For Barnes, the game was a breakthrough. After struggling to get involved in recent weeks, the tall receiver was unstoppable Friday night. His first touchdown came on a 75-yard strike down the sideline where he simply outran his defender. His second was nearly identical — one-on-one coverage, a glance toward Belton, and a perfectly placed ball.
“Watching film on them, we knew they can’t beat my speed,” Barnes said. “So just run past them, throw the ball up, and let me go get it. That’s all we had to do.”
Belton and Barnes said they communicate on the field with a simple look when they see single coverage. Against West Jones, it paid off twice in highlight fashion.
“Every time we see one-on-one, I give him a look,” Barnes said. “He looks back at me — yeah, we know it’s on.”
Boyles said the offensive staff has emphasized finding ways to feature Barnes more consistently.
“Trey is playing really well for us right now,” Boyles said. “He’s so fast and smooth, faster than people think, and with his length he’s just a mismatch. We also have other weapons, but tonight was a good night to get him going.”
Staying focused
The game could have easily been a trap with Oak Grove looming, but Boyles credited his seniors for making sure the Panthers stayed prepared and didn’t get caught peeking ahead.
“Good football teams get ready to play every Friday night,” Boyles said. “This could have been a trap game, but our kids handled it really well. I’m proud of them, proud of our senior leadership. They had our guys focused and ready to play this week.”
Belton said the Panthers wanted to make a statement.
“Everybody had us doubted this week,” he said. “We came out here and showed out, played ball. We’re ready for Oak Grove, very prepared for Oak Grove. I think it’s going to be the same results.”
Barnes agreed the victory gives the Panthers the momentum they need.
“That’s really all we needed,” Barnes said. “We needed all the momentum we can get for a tough opponent like Oak Grove. This win gives us that momentum to carry into this week.”
Looking ahead
Now with West Jones behind them, Petal turns its full attention to Oak Grove. Both teams will enter at 4-2. The Warriors have won four straight; the Panthers have won three straight.
“Drew (Causey) and them do a great job over there,” Boyles said. “They’ve got players everywhere. They were beat up early in the year, but they’re healthy now and playing at a high level. Going over there Friday night is going to be a great matchup, a great night for football.”
