Staff Reports
COLLINSVILLE – Collinsville senior back Keaton DeBoard ran for 192 yards on 20 carries and scored four touchdowns. He also had two interceptions on defense in leading the Panthers to a 37-20 victory over visiting Sand Rock in Class 2A, Region 7 football action Friday night.
With the win, Ernie Willingham became the winningest coach in Collinsville’s 102-year history. He passes Raymond Weaver, who coached Willingham. Willingham now has 86 wins in his 14th season at Collinsville.
After a scoreless first quarter, DeBoard got Collinsville (3-1, 2-1) on the scoreboard with two 1-yard touchdown runs at the 4:49 mark of the second quarter and with 8:35 left in the second. Those scores provided the Panthers a 12-0 advantage.
Sand Rock (2-3, 1-2) countered later in the third quarter on Carson Chesnut’s 72-yard touchdown toss to Jace Turner. Nathan Haygood’s extra point pulled the Wildcats within five at 12-7.
Collinsville closed out the third quarter on DeBoard’s 55-yard touchdown run to stretch the Panther lead out to 18-7.
Sand Rock’s Ace Ashley, who was making his return from an injury suffered in the spring, accounted for the Wildcats’ next score when he made a 21-yard touchdown connection with Logan Crider. Ashley couldn’t connect with Brian Giles on the ensuing 2-point conversion, keeping the score at 18-13 with 11:20 remaining in the game.
But the Panthers put the game away with three consecutive scores: a DeBoard 21-yard run, a Mason McAteer 55-yard run, and a Trevor Terrell 1-yard run to make the score 37-13.
Ashley connected with Everett DeBoard on a 14-yard touchdown toss with less than a minute to go. Haygood’s extra point was good for the final.
Ashley completed 12 of his 22 pass attempts for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Chesnut was 3-of-6 for 79 yards and a touchdown. Turner had four catches for 104 yards with a score. Gatlin Cox also caught four passes for 62 yards for the Wildcats.
McAteer added 158 yards on eight carries with a score for Collinsville, which travels to Gaston on Friday. Sand Rock returns home to host West End of Walnut Grove.