Sept. 2 marked the annual
Labor Classic featuring the Prairie
View Panthers versus the Tigers
of Texas Southern University. The
game, a close one throughout, was
decided when Tiger kicker DJavan
Conway kicked a 33 yard field goal
with 11 seconds left to give TSU a 17-14
victory.Things started sloppy when
the opening kickoff was fumbled by
TSU and recovered by sophomore
Sheron Harmon at the 21 yard line.
Play only got sloppier when junior
Prairie View running back Arnell
Fontenot coughed up the ball and
gave possession right back to the
Tigers. Texas Southern started driving
the ball and got to the 16 yard line of
the Panthers, looking to score. Tiger
QB Tino Edgecombe sailed an errant
pass that was promptly intercepted
by sophomore defensive back Jason
Fobbs. Fobbs would add another
interception later in the game.
Neither team was able
to mount an offensive strike until
Edgecombe connected with a Tiger
receiver for a 50 yard touchdown
pass at the 11:09 mark of the second
quarter. With a little over six minutes
remaining in the first half, the Tigers
again scored on an Edgecombe
touchdown pass, pushing the lead to
14-0.
The Panthers were unable
to answer offensively until the 7:16
mark of the third quarter, when junior
QB Chris Gibson found sophomore
receiver Joe Townsend for a 22
yard touchdown pass. In the fourth
quarter, Gibson added another score
on the ground, this time a ten yard run
to tie the game at 14-14.
Play went back and forth
scoreless until Texas Southern blocked
a punt by the Panthers to set up a short
field that would lead to the winning
field goal.
Statistically, it was a bad
game for the Panthers. Gibson led the
squad in passing with 77 yards on 10
of 25 passing. Fontenot led all Panther
rushers with 52 yards on 17 carries.
Senior Marvin Howard was Gibson’s
leading receiver with 43 yards on six
catches. The Panther defense was
a swarming unit that forced three
fumbles and two interceptions. Junior
linebacker Zach East led all tacklers
with 14 stops. Senior defensive end
Jermaine McGhee was second with
11 tackles and senior linebacker Van
Sallier also finished with a double digit
tackle total with 10.
The Panthers return to
action on Sept. 9, when they host
Edward Waters here on the campus
of Prairie View A&M University.