Dillard Wins Soul Bowl

    The Dillard Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak as they won the Soul Bowl with a 22-6 win over the Blanche Ely Tigers at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday night. It was the first regular season game played at Lockhart this year. The Panthers, who won their first Soul Bowl since 2008, will travel to Miami and face the defending Class 5A state champion Norland Vikings in a first-round playoff game next week. The Tigers regular season came to an end as they lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
    Dillard(5-5, 2-2) recovered a fumble on the Tigers first offensive play of the game just two minutes in. Dre'sean Nelson finished the ten-play, 38-yard drive as he scored on a fourth-and-three run through the left side from the five-yard line for a Panthers 7-0 lead at 5:19. Early in the second quarter, Nelson had a 74-yard run negated due to a holding penalty at the 10:30 mark.
    The Panthers put up 15 more points in the final four minutes of the first half. They had good field position with 5:04 to go at the Tigers 48-yard line. Nelson squeezed around the right end from one-yard out four plays later with 3:11 remaining in the second quarter.
    They got the ball back at their own 28-yard line following a punt for their final possession of the half at 1:34. LaDarion McBride caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Lee Martin on a slant pattern and capped a six-play, 72-yard drive with 20 seconds left. Nelson ran in the two-point conversion and Dillard had a commanding 22-0 lead at halftime.
    On the Panthers first possession of the second half, Eddie Roberts IV fumbled the ball away on a carry during the fourth play of the drive at their 49-yard line. The ball was recovered by Blanche Ely(5-5, 3-2) at the Panthers 38-yard line at 6:10. The Tigers were able to capitalize on the mistake and they moved down the field offensively. Terrance Blands completed the 12-play, 35-yard drive as he barely crossed over the goal line on a one-yard burst with 1:33 left. The extra point by John Bellfour was no good and the Tigers trailed 22-6.
    Neither team was able to score in the fourth quarter, but Blanche Ely came very close to narrow the margin. Tyquon Fields intercepted a pass at the Panthers 31-yard line at 7:51. The Tigers ended the eight-play drive at the one-yard line as Devonte Peete fell short of the end zone from a reception on a fourth-down play with 5:35 left.