COVINGTON, Ga. - Covington’s own Peachtree Academy Panthers fell to the New Creation Academy Crusaders 46-6 at home on Oct. 2. 

Both teams came out holding each other in check with neither team driving the ball past the 20-yard line. In the latter part of the first quarter, the scoring opened up courtesy of a special teams play by New Creation. 

The Crusaders blocked a punt close to the Panthers’ own end zone. On the Crusaders’ first play from scrimmage after the blocked punt, Nathaniel Houseworth ran the football left and then cut right into the end zone to put the first points on the scoreboard.

New Creation’s offense took to the air beginning in the second quarter. 

Tristen Palmer hooked up with Thomas Robinson for a touchdown reception. The score was set up after Palmer completed a 15-yard pass to Eric Scarbrough. 

The defense scored a touchdown of its own, too. 

Defensive lineman Evan Cauble intercepted a throw from Luke Patterson and ran the football into the end zone to increase the deficit for the Panthers. 

Peachtree scored its first points off a kickoff touchdown return. 

Christian Haynes, who evaded what seemed like all eight of the pursuing Crusaders, returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to put the Panthers’ on the board. 

In the second half, Palmer and Houseworth kept leading touchdown drives for the Crusaders. But the Panthers never seemed to give up. 

Toward the first part of the fourth quarter, Jayden Maxwell intercepted a pass that was deflected into the air by a Crusader receiver. Peachtree’s offense couldn’t convert the turnover into points, however, as Patterson had a difficult time throwing the ball in the dewey conditions. 

In the end, it was the right arm of Palmer, the legs of Houseworth, and the grit of the Crusaders in the trenches that propelled their team to victory on the first Friday in October.