Panthers Outlast Crusaders in Shootout, 42-31

Antwuan Haynes - Photo Credit: James Ragan Photography

The Florida Tech Panthers overcame a tough third quarter on Saturday, taking down the North Greenville Crusaders 42-31 and snapping a two-game losing streak in the process. 

“I really loved the execution of our offense and what they did,” said Panthers head coach Steve Englehart in his postgame interview with Jerry Durney and Paul Van Scott on WFIT Radio. 

“Defense played well too, they shut 'em down when they needed to shut 'em down. Whatever the yards and points are I don't care,  we win the football game. I don't care if we win 2-0 or 49-48, it was a great team win.” 

Big offensive efforts from quarterback Mark Cato, who completed 20-of-33 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns and Antwuan Haynes who carried 22 times for 155 yards and a touchdown, got the Panthers a big win over a team that ended their season last year in the first round of the playoffs. 

After a tough first drive that saw the Panthers lose six yards and punt, the defense forced North Greenville to try a 42-yard field goal that was wide off the foot of Matt Gravely. 

Florida Tech (4-3) got on track on the next drive, starting with an 18-yard Cato to Jaaron Barrett connection. He found Melo Guerrier for 18 yards a couple plays later. Facing a fourth down later in the drive, Cato threw the ball under duress and found Barrett in the end zone, good for 33 yards putting the Panthers up 7-0 with 7:33 to go in the quarter. 

Each team punted on their next possession before North Greenville put seven on the board their next time down, when NGU quarterback Will Hunter found Bobby Foos from 26 yards out, tying the game at 7 with 2:58 left in the first quarter. 

After Florida Tech punted on their next possession, the defense helped the Crusaders with a personal foul penalty and then Hunter found Mason Hunter for 24 yards. The Crusaders later finished the drive with a two-yard pass from Hunter to Sanders and the home team was up 14-7 with 13:48 left in the half. 

The Panthers answered immediately. Haynes ran for 13 yards on the fifth play of the drive and got 15 yards tacked on thanks to a personal foul by NGU, putting the ball at the 29. One play later Haynes rushed for 10 and Cato found Demetrius Frazier in the end zone for the 17-yard score and a 14-14 tie. 

After a Darius Goodman sack on the next Crusaders drive forced them to punt, Florida Tech took advantage of a pass interference call and got a 23-yard run from Haynes, highlighting an 11-play 81 yard drive that ended with Cato running the ball in from one-yard out and giving the Panthers a 21-14 lead with 5:25 to go in the half. 

Mark Cato - Photo credit: James Ragan Photography

Cato landed on his non-throwing shoulder on that touchdown run and that's a concern because it is an injury that caused him to miss most of the Coastal Classic against West Florida. Thankfully, it did not cause him to miss time in this one. 

“He's tough, he's tough,” Englehart said of Cato. “It was the same thing, the AC joint, he landed on it again. I'm sure it went numb on him a little bit, but he was able to bounce back.” 

The Crusaders got a 56-yard return on the ensuing kickoff and set themselves up with good field position, but a block in the back penalty hurt them a bit on the drive and they had to settle for a 41-yard Gravely field goal, making it 21-17 with 2:22 to go in the half. 

The next FIT drive started with a delay of game penalty on the Panthers, but Cato quickly wiped that out when he found Frazier, who was battling defenders downfield and actually tripped over the ref, before regaining his footing and catching the ball 47 yards later, setting the Panthers up at the NGU 33. Another pass to Frazier was good for 11 before the Frazier drive was capped with a 10-yard catch for the touchdown a few plays later.  

That put Florida Tech up 28-17, and Yawn Coleman made sure it stayed that way, as he picked Hunter off on the next drive. It was just the second turnover of the season caused by the Florida Tech defense and it got the Panthers into the locker room with an 11 point lead. 

Cato finished the half 13-of-22 for 190 yards, five of those passes went to Frazier who had 92 yards receiving at the break. Haynes rushed 12 times for 89 yards, leading the Panthers in that category. 

Last week against North Alabama, the Panthers melted down in the third quarter and it looked like that may happen again as the Crusaders reeled off 14 straight points.  

After a field goal made it 28-20, the North Greenville defense forced a fumble on the Panthers first play of the ensuing drive, as Cato was hit as he let it go. That resulted in NGU starting the drive at the Panthers 15. 

The visitors dodged a bullet though, thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct call and a personal foul later in the drive, forcing Gravely to come on for a 43-yard attempt, which he converted, making it 28-23, with 9:43 to go. 

The Panthers got two first downs on the next drive before disaster struck Cato again. He dropped the snap and the Crusaders were able to fall on it at their own 34. A nine-play 66-yard drive commenced and the home team finished it with a two-yard run by Tristen Jackson.  

NGU went for two and Hunter found Foos for the completion, giving North Greenville a 31-28 lead with 2:46 left in the quarter. 

It didn't take the Panthers long to come up with an answer, as Cato found Guerrier on a rollout for 25 yards, to the 50. One play later, Cato threw a deep ball to Terrance Bynum, who out-jumped the defender and wrestled it away from him. He was able to keep his feet and run it in for the score. Just like that, the Panthers were back on top, 35-31, with 1:40 to go in the third. 

“That was unbelievable,” Englehart said of the Bynum reception. “That was a Randy Moss type catch.” 

After the Panthers forced another punt on the next NGU drive, they were pinned at their own 11-yard line. They put together a great drive, with a nice mix of run and pass, that was finished off by a Haynes 15-yard run, making it a 42-31 game. The Panthers in what could be described as the drive of the season ran 13 plays and kept the ball for 5:30, as they covered 89 yards. 

Coach Englehart also gave credit to Sekai Lindsay on that drive, as he ran for 16 yards on that drive and picked up a key first down. He would then rip off a 13-yard run on the Panthers next drive and a 16-yard run on their final drive, as they looked to run out the clock. 

“He's a big back so late in the game when guys are tired, he can run through arm tackles and gain extra yards,” he said. “He's tough to stop and I'm proud of him.” 

Adonis Davis got a key sack on the Crusaders last drive, resulting in a nine-yard loss and forcing NGU to go for it on fourth down. Hunter threw an incomplete pass and the Panthers were able to run out the clock and beat the team that ended their season in 2016 in the first round of the playoffs. 

For more info: Florida Tech @ North Greenville Box Score 

Frazier did not catch a pass in the second half, sticking at 92 yards. Guerrier caught four for 61. Lindsay used a big fourth quarter to pick up 60 yards on 12 carries. 

North Greenville (3-4) will be a permanent member of the Gulf South Conference next season, as they will take the place of North Alabama, who beat Florida Tech last week in their final meeting as conference foes. 

The Panthers return home on Saturday for a meeting with GSC power West Alabama. That game kicks off at 2:00 p.m. at Florida Tech Panther Stadium 

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