Plenty to go around in Panthers' win

SMITHS STATION — Lorenzo Betties didn’t need to carry Smiths Station on his shoulders Friday night. He had plenty of friends willing to step up in the Panthers’ convincing 41-6 rout of Shaw (Ga.).

Justin Elias intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and caught a touchdown pass.

Quarterback Michael Nolin accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing).

Sean Jordan caught three passes — two for touchdowns — for 85 yards.

And then there was Betties, the 220-pound running back. A week after blitzing Russell County for 251 yards and six touchdowns in a 47-21 win, Betties rushed 18 times for 122 yards and a 36-yard, first-quarter touchdown. Betties had 106 yards rushing in the first half, but had just two carries in the second half.

But quickly thereafter, the Panthers’ focus turned to next week.

At 2-0, Smiths Station has matched its win total from last season and head coach Mark Rose has his Panthers hungrily staring down the barrel of opportunity when they play at Opelika (0-2) next Friday.

“This is going to be the biggest one in years,” he eagerly shouted to his players, who jumped up and down at the thought of playing Opelika. “It’s going to be like in 1994 at Bulldog Stadium.”

Smiths Station defeated Opelika 24-10 that season — Doug Barfield’s last as the Bulldogs’ head coach — the school’s only victory over Opelika in 18 tries. The Bulldogs have scored 35 or more points in 10 consecutive meetings, including a 49-13 win at Smiths Station last year.

“It’s not the Super Bowl, but it’s huge,” Rose said. “Opelika is Opelika. It will be a great game with a lot of tradition. I have no doubt our kids will be ready. It’s going to be a war.”
Elias, a senior safety, said Opelika “is like the big brother, and we’ve got to take down the big brother.”

Rose considered Friday’s win over the 0-2 Raiders as “typical Smiths Station smashmouth football.” The Panthers rushed for 286 yards on 51 carries, with Marcus Bilbrew and Brock Hightower complementing Betties with 66 and 63 yards, respectively.

Leading 7-0 in the second quarter, the Panthers quickly put the game away on the legs and arm of Nolin and hands of Jordan and Elias.

From the Raider 45, Nolin pump-faked and found Jordan wide-open at the Shaw 30, where he dashed untouched into the end  zone. Two plays later, Shaw receiver Marquis Brown coughed up the ball into the awaiting arms of Elias, who raced to the Raider 21.

“My friend, (Panther defensive lineman) Michael Thomas hit him real hard and the ball popped up into my hands,” Elias explained. “I had to take it.”

Rose said Elias is “all over the place.”

“He was our best defensive player last year,” he said. “He had nine tackles and two forced fumbles last week at Russell County. He’s only 158 pounds, but he squats 525.”

Elias added a pair of interceptions in the second half, including a grab near the goal line in the fourth quarter to prevent a potential Raider score.

The turnover set up Nolin’s nifty 17-yard keeper for a touchdown.

The quarterback faked a handoff to Betties, who ran left. With the Shaw defense in pursuit of the running back, Nolin darted back to the middle and easily scored for a 20-0 lead.

With 1:41 remaining in the half, Nolin beat the Shaw pass rush and delivered a strike to Elias in the back of the end zone for a 36-yard score and a four-touchdown lead.

“We lined up and ran the football and we hit big passes,” Rose added.

jmcadory@oanow.com | 737-2549