Middle School football team picks up second win
By TODD FORREST Sentinel Writer

Above: Panthers recover a Dragon fumble during the second half of Tuesday'sgame. Below: Lilo Rivera scores the Panther's second touchdown of the game.

Quarterback Lilo Rivera threw for one touchdown and ran for another to lead the Middle School Panthers to a 14-6 victory over the Pickens County Dragons on Tuesday night.

Union County's first touchdown came early in the first quarter when Rivera hooked up with Heath King to put the Panthers on top 7-0. Then with just under 8 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Rivera scrambled nearly 40 yards for another Panther touchdown. The PAT was good and Union County led 14-0 at the half.

The second half was a defensive struggle as both teams struggled to move the ball. Late in the game, Pickens County was forced to reach into it's bag of tricks to get on the scoreboard. The Dragons completed a halfback pass which went for 75 yards and a touchdown. The PAT failed and Union County clung to a 14-6 advantage with 2:12 remaining in the game.

The Panthers recovered the onside kick and appeared to have the game under control until Pickens recovered a fumble with 1:45 to play. However, the Union County defense stepped up to the challenge and held Pickens to four downs and out. The Panther offense came back on the field with just over a minute left and simply ran out the clock.

The Middle School Panthers travel to Fannin County next Tuesday, September 18th. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.