Southridge defense smothers Palmetto in 32-7 victory

If there were any doubts about the Southridge Spartans defense, they were put to rest Thursday night against district foe Palmetto.

The Spartans (2-1, 1-0) bottled up the Panthers offense in a 32-7 victory that gives them in a favorable spot early on in their quest to repeat as District 16-8A champions.

“This win is huge for us,” Southridge head coach Billy Rolle said. “We told our guys a win here should put us in the driver’s seat and that’s what we were trying to accomplish.”

Palmetto (3-1, 0-1) came into the contest with an unbeaten record and an ax to grind after suffering two losses last season to Southridge as they marched toward the Class 8A title.

But their red-hot offense, averaging 40 points per game through three games, failed to gain traction on the ground against the Spartans defense.

The Spartans, who haven’t played a game in nearly a month due to Hurricane Irma, didn’t appear to show much rust. The defense earned two safeties and running back Courtney Reese rushed for two touchdowns and 100 yards on 14 carries before his night ended early due to a leg injury.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 10:43 PM with the headline "Southridge defense smothers Palmetto in 32-7 victory."