Sep. 11—AMORY — Amory rebounded in a big way on Friday night, pounding the ground to pick up its first win of the season.
The Panthers rushed for 476 yards, snapping a two-game skid to open the season with a 51-21 victory against Mooreville on homecoming. The win gives Amory a 5-0 record all-time against the Troopers.
“I’m really proud of the way we played up front,” Amory coach Brooks Dampeer said. “We challenged those guys and our running backs Charleston (French) and Jaurquez (Ivy). We knew Mooreville could score really fast and really quick, so we had to keep the ball away from them.”
Charleston French started the rushing attack early with his first score less than two minutes in. Mooreville came up with a fumble recovery as Amory was driving into the end zone and cashed that in on a 99-yard scoring strike from Dawson Phillips to Jacob Scott to tie the game up, but the Panthers took over in the first half from there.
Amory (1-2) put up four more first-half touchdowns and added a safety before Mooreville could answer right before the half.
Quarterback Jatarian Ware scored on runs of 17 and 1 yards and also found Cameron Haynes on a 26-yard touchdown pass. Jaurquez Ivy picked off Phillips to set up one of Ware’s touchdown runs and then sprinted for a 50-yard score of his own midway through the second quarter.
Amory’s defense stifled Mooreville’s ground game and added a safety on a sack in the end zone in the second quarter.
“We improved on our tackling drills at practice this week,” Ivy said. “Coach (Tyler) Rosenthal, our defensive coordinator, has done a really good job of coaching us on defense.”
French iced the win by scoring on the Panthers’ first two possessions of the third quarter.
Scott hauled in the final touchdown of the night on a 10-yard pass from Phillips.
EXTRA POINTS
Turning Point: Amory piled up 30 points late in the first and in the second quarter to take a commanding lead, before Mooreville answered on a touchdown right before the half.
Point Man: French piled up 223 yards and 3 TDs on just 15 carries.
Talking Point: “We improved this week, and we’re just focusing on keeping getting better.” — Amory running back Charleston French
NOTES
—Mooreville’s Phillips was 12 of 22 passing for 203 yards, 148 of that to Jacob Scott.
—Amory scored on seven of its ten possessions.
—Amory travels to North Pontotoc next week, while Mooreville hosts Aberdeen.