Oglethorpe edges Union
Gowder extends scoring streak
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Sentinel photo/Jared Putnam Freshman Blake Gowder runs for one of his eight touchdowns this seasons.

Freshman Blake Gowder scored both of the Panthers touchdowns Friday night against Oglethorpe, giving him eight touchdowns in seven games this season.

The Panthers were down 14-0 at halftime and Oglethorpe added a field goal after the break, pushing the lead to 17-0. Union responded with a pair of touchdowns, including one on a drive of over 60 yards, but Oglethorpe held on for a 30-14 win.

While the second half surge was not quite enough to overcome the deficit, Head Coach Todd Peugh said it still served as an opportunity to instill grit in the ballclub."We're trying to emphasize to these kids that no matter the score, you have to fight," said Coach Peugh. "Out of that game, the positive is that we battled. At 17-0 you could very easily pack it in and give up, but we didn't. That's one of those baby steps you take."

The coach said that there were opportunities in the game that just slipped out of the Panthers grasp. "We blocked a lot better and protected the quarterback much better but we still had some breakdowns. We really felt like we should have won the game, we just didn't execute enough."

The defense improved from the game against Creekview. "The overall effort [was there]," said Coach Peugh."We tackled better. We did show some improvements, but game by game we have to continue to make those." This week's home opener against Morgan County is the final game before subregion action begins next week against Fannin County.