PETAL – The play of its defense was the star Friday night for Petal, taking advantage of seven Gulfport fumbles – including four recoveries that all led to touchdowns by the Panthers – as Petal pulled out a 28-21 victory at home.
“Our defense should get the game ball tonight,” Boyles said. “They forced a fumble on about the 1, we bring it out to about the 30 turned it right back over and they returned it to the 1. So I thought they played well tonight.”
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Gulfport head football coach Eddie Pierce knew that giving the ball up to a team like Petal was going to cost the Admirals points Friday night in the battle of the Class 6A teams at Panther Stadium.
“Fumbles killed us tonight,” he said after his squad dropped to 1-1 on the season. “We just had too many turnovers. We killed ourselves and they’ve got a good football team. Coach Boyles does a good job.”
Boyles, whose passing offense let him down in last week’s season-opening 43-37 loss to Hattiesburg, said he was pleased with the first half.
“I thought we threw the ball and caught the ball really well the first half,” he said. “The second half was not quite as well as we did the first half, but then again that’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s a work in progress and we’re getting better.”
However, the offense took control late in the game after Petal squeaked ahead 28-21 in the fourth quarter.
“I was pretty proud of our offense at the end of the game,” Boyles said. “I think we got it back with about four minutes to play and held on to the ball. It’s wasn’t a pretty game offensively, but I thought when we had to make the plays at the end, we did.
“Our offensive line played pretty good toward the end of the game. We are close to being a pretty good offense. We’ve just to keep working and believe in ourselves.”
Pierce, however, was still optimistic about his squad’s future.
“I think once we get things ironed out, we’re going to be OK,” he said. “The little things turned into big things. I’m proud of our kids; they fought hard. We’re going to get better.”
Petal quarterback Jordan Wilson accounted for two Panther touchdowns, completing 19-of-31 passes for 151 yards and two scores with one interception. Nataurean “Phat” Watts was in on two of the team’s four TDs, rushing 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns while catching four passes for 47 yards and another score. His twin brother, Natorian “Deuce” Watts, had four pass receptions for 16 yards. Marquise Bridges brought down six aerials for 59 yards and a touchdown.
With one rushing touchdown for Petal was Micah McGowan, who rushed eight times for 10 yards.
Admiral quarterback T.Q. Newsome led the Gulfport offense at quarterback, rushing 19 times for 49 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 7-of-13 passes for 128 yards.
Petal opened the scoring in the first quarter when McGowan went one yard to cap a three-play, 33-yard drive with 8:38 left in the first quarter. The extra-point kick put the home team ahead 7-0.
Gulfport countered quickly when Newsome scored his first touchdown on an 11-yard run, ending an eight-play, 72-yard march with 5:15 to play in the first quarter. The extra-point kick failed, so the Panthers held a 7-6 margin.
Wilson threw his first touchdown – a 9-yard toss to Natorian Watts on the right side – with 3:38 still to go in the first quarter as Petal went up 14-6. In the last 45 seconds of the first quarter, Bridges caught an 8-yard scoring pass from Wilson and the PAT kick stretched Petal’s lead to 21-6.
However, Gulfport closed the gap to 21-14 on a 15-play, 55-yard drive that ended with Karlos Dillard’s 3-yard scoring run with 4:13 left until halftime. The Admirals converted the two-point PAT on a pass play.
In the third quarter, Gulfport tied the game with :28.4 showing on the clock when Newsome rushed the final yard after an interception by Chad Crenshaw brought the ball back to the Panther 1-yard line. The extra-point kick tied the game at 21.
Petal took the lead for good with 5:51 to play. A 35-yard field goal attempt by Panthers kicker Blake Craig sailed just left with 6:47 to play and Gulfport got the ball at its own 20-yard line. However, the field got shorter for the Panthers when Trey Clifton pounced on a Gulfport fumble at the Admirals’ 6-yard line. Two plays later, Nataurean Watts put Petal ahead to stay with a 3-yard scoring run.
PETAL – The play of its defense was the star Friday night for Petal, taking advantage of seven Gulfport fumbles – including four recoveries that all led to touchdowns by the Panthers – as Petal pulled out a 28-21 victory at home.
“Our defense should get the game ball tonight,” Boyles said. “They forced a fumble on about the 1, we bring it out to about the 30 turned it right back over and they returned it to the 1. So I thought they played well tonight.”
Gulfport head football coach Eddie Pierce knew that giving the ball up to a team like Petal was going to cost the Admirals points Friday night in the battle of the Class 6A teams at Panther Stadium.
“Fumbles killed us tonight,” he said after his squad dropped to 1-1 on the season. “We just had too many turnovers. We killed ourselves and they’ve got a good football team. Coach Boyles does a good job.”
Boyles, whose passing offense let him down in last week’s season-opening 43-37 loss to Hattiesburg, said he was pleased with the first half.
“I thought we threw the ball and caught the ball really well the first half,” he said. “The second half was not quite as well as we did the first half, but then again that’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s a work in progress and we’re getting better.”
However, the offense took control late in the game after Petal squeaked ahead 28-21 in the fourth quarter.
“I was pretty proud of our offense at the end of the game,” Boyles said. “I think we got it back with about four minutes to play and held on to the ball. It’s wasn’t a pretty game offensively, but I thought when we had to make the plays at the end, we did.
“Our offensive line played pretty good toward the end of the game. We are close to being a pretty good offense. We’ve just to keep working and believe in ourselves.”
Pierce, however, was still optimistic about his squad’s future.
“I think once we get things ironed out, we’re going to be OK,” he said. “The little things turned into big things. I’m proud of our kids; they fought hard. We’re going to get better.”
Petal quarterback Jordan Wilson accounted for two Panther touchdowns, completing 19-of-31 passes for 151 yards and two scores with one interception. Nataurean “Phat” Watts was in on two of the team’s four TDs, rushing 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns while catching four passes for 47 yards and another score. His twin brother, Natorian “Deuce” Watts, had four pass receptions for 16 yards. Marquise Bridges brought down six aerials for 59 yards and a touchdown.
With one rushing touchdown for Petal was Micah McGowan, who rushed eight times for 10 yards.
Admiral quarterback T.Q. Newsome led the Gulfport offense at quarterback, rushing 19 times for 49 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 7-of-13 passes for 128 yards.
Petal opened the scoring in the first quarter when McGowan went one yard to cap a three-play, 33-yard drive with 8:38 left in the first quarter. The extra-point kick put the home team ahead 7-0.
Gulfport countered quickly when Newsome scored his first touchdown on an 11-yard run, ending an eight-play, 72-yard march with 5:15 to play in the first quarter. The extra-point kick failed, so the Panthers held a 7-6 margin.
Wilson threw his first touchdown – a 9-yard toss to Natorian Watts on the right side – with 3:38 still to go in the first quarter as Petal went up 14-6. In the last 45 seconds of the first quarter, Bridges caught an 8-yard scoring pass from Wilson and the PAT kick stretched Petal’s lead to 21-6.
However, Gulfport closed the gap to 21-14 on a 15-play, 55-yard drive that ended with Karlos Dillard’s 3-yard scoring run with 4:13 left until halftime. The Admirals converted the two-point PAT on a pass play.
In the third quarter, Gulfport tied the game with :28.4 showing on the clock when Newsome rushed the final yard after an interception by Chad Crenshaw brought the ball back to the Panther 1-yard line. The extra-point kick tied the game at 21.
Petal took the lead for good with 5:51 to play. A 35-yard field goal attempt by Panthers kicker Blake Craig sailed just left with 6:47 to play and Gulfport got the ball at its own 20-yard line. However, the field got shorter for the Panthers when Trey Clifton pounced on a Gulfport fumble at the Admirals’ 6-yard line. Two plays later, Nataurean Watts put Petal ahead to stay with a 3-yard scoring run.
Petal 28,
Gulfport 21
Score by Quarter
Gulfport 6 8 7 0—21
Petal 21 0 0 7—28
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
P—McGowan, 1 run. (kick successful), 8:38.
G—Newsome, 11 run. (kick unsuccessful), 5:15.
P—Natorian Watts, 9 pass from Wilson. (kick successful), 3:38.
P—Bridges, 8 pass from Wilson. (kick successful), :45.4.
Second Quarter
G—Dillard, 3 run, (2-point successful), 4:13.
Third Quarter
G—Newsome, 1 run, (kick successful), :28.4.
Fourth Quarter
P—Nataurean Watts, 8 run, (kick successful), 5:51.
TEAM STATISTICS
G P
First Downs 15 12
Rushes-Yards 40-121 27-77
Att-Comp-Int. 13-7-0 31-19-1
Passing Yards 128 151
Total Plays-Yards 53-249 58-228
Punts-Avg. 5-25.4 4-35.3
Fumbles-Lost 7-4 0-0
Penalties 10-47 4-15
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Gulfport: Newsome 19-49 2 TDs, Braziel 12-44, Dillard 6-26 TD, Shugart 3-2.
Petal: Nataurean Watts 18-79 2 TDs, McGowan 8-10 TD, Wilson 1-(-12).
Passing
Gulfport: Newsome 7-of-13, 128 yds., Malley 0-1.
Petal: Wilson 19-of-31, 151 yds., 2 TDs, INT.
Receiving
Gulfport: Shugart 2-52, Knight 2-29, Martin 1-27, Hall 1-10.
Petal: Bridges 6-59 TD, Natorian Watts 4-47 TD, Russell 3-23, Nataurean Watts 4-16, McGowan 1-6.
