Welsh, Kirk carry Panthers past West Morgan

TRINITY – Luke Welsh and Weston Kirk helped lift Class 2A, No. 6 Spring Garden to a 40-22 victory at Class 4A West Morgan in a non-counting football contest on Friday night.

Welsh led the Panthers with 153 yards on 19 carries with two scores. Kirk collected 119 yards on 12 totes with four touchdowns. He also posted five tackles and a sack on defense.

West Morgan struck first on Connor Dillard’s 3-yard touchdown catch with 6:08 to go in the first quarter, putting the Rebels up 6-0.

That lead was short lived as Welsh scored his first touchdown less than two minutes later on a 1-yard run. The extra point gave the Panthers a 7-6 edge.

Welsh scored his other two touchdowns on 9 and 6-yard runs at the 10:34 and 4:35 marks of the second quarter. Those scores extended Spring Garden’s lead to 21-6 at halftime.

Kirk opened the third-quarter scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:14 remaining. The point after failed, keeping the score at 27-6.

West Morgan cut the Panther lead to 27-14 on Jalen Fletcher’s 38-yard touchdown run with 5:11 to go in the third.

Kirk came up with two more Panther scores in the fourth on runs of 2 and 8 yards to extend Spring Garden’s lead to 40-14. Cade Alexander scored on a 15-yard run with 2:26 remaining. The Rebels were successful on the 2-point conversion for the final.

Ryley Kirk completed 3-of-9 pass attempts for 51 yards for the Panthers. Chaz Pope led Spring Garden’s defense with seven tackles. Cooper Austin had six tackles. Jackson Rogers, Gavin Bass and Andrew Floyd each had a fumble recovery.

Spring Garden hosts Wadley on Friday to end the 2020 regular season. The Panthers will also host a first-round playoff game on Nov. 6 against Tanner.

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