Cats top Panthers in the mud
Union preps for North Oconee, Putnam County
By JARED PUTNAM

Mud was flying in everyones face Friday night.

The Panthers were defeated by the Rabun Cats Friday night, falling 41-0 after a distracting week that left the team without several key players. "We went into the game with plans of throwing it," said Head Coach Todd Peugh. "We thought we could spread the field out a little more." But a messy field and slippery ball contributed to effectively grounding that gameplan.

Kody Owenby, who had previously shifted to another position, filled a big need by returning to the quarterback position for the game even though he had not taken a snap in weeks. "He took it on his shoulders and did what he had to do with a lot of people that had not had a lot of experience," said Coach Peugh. "To me that showed a lot of character, a lot of class, and a lot of unselfishness. If we have more people like that we'll become better quicker. He took a beating for the team. That speaks volumes about him and how he is raised."

This week Union County is matched up against North Oconee on homecoming night. "Like always, we'll have to change some things around to give the kids a chance to compete," said the coach. "We're not going to quit trying." The Panthers also now know that they will be playing at Putnam County the following week.

Union runs the ball through a muddy, rain-soaked field.

Coach Peugh said that while the team is focused on the final games of the season, an important part of the improvement process starts now as the coaches begin to look back on the mistakes made during the season. The coach said that he sees a lot of mistakes that he made during his rookie campaign as head coach, and that a key is to continue molding the coaching philosophies to fit the talent that the team has at a given time.

The Panthers tackle the Rabun County ballcarrier.