Staff Reports

SPRING GARDEN – Chapel Pope ran for 117 yards on 14 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. He was also 3-of-5 passing for 65 yards and had an interception on defense to lead the Class 1A, No. 8 Spring Garden Panthers to a 33-16 Region 6 football win over Winterboro on Friday night for homecoming.

Cam Welsh got the Panthers (4-1, 2-1) on the scoreboard first with a 9-yard touchdown run with 6:35 remaining in the opening quarter. The extra point gave Spring Garden a 7-0 advantage.

Welsh accumulated 91 yards on 15 totes with the score. He also registered seven tackles on defense.

A little over two minutes after Welsh’s touchdown, Connor Bates scored on a 12-yard run to increase Spring Garden’s lead to 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Winterboro (1-3, 1-1) got on the board on a Deonte Smoot touchdown with 8:49 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs’ 2-point try was successful, trimming Spring Garden’s lead to 13-8.

The Panthers put up another touchdown before halftime on Pope’s 44-yard run. The 2-point try was good, giving Spring Garden a 21-8 advantage at the break.

Pope opened the third-quarter scoring with a 2-yard run. The point after was no good, keeping the score at 27-8.

Winterboro tacked on its second score of the night with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter on a Kamareon Curry 2-yard run. The 2-point conversion was successful, brining the Bulldogs within 11 at 27-16.

John Welsh put the game on ice for the Panthers with a 32-yard score with 3:11 to go for the final. He finished with 49 yards on six carries with a touchdown, and also posted seven stops on defense with a sack.

Reece Winstead also had two interceptions on defense for the Panthers. Gavin Cash finished with five tackles.

Spring Garden steps out of region play for a game at rival Cedar Bluff on Friday. Winterboro returns home to face Oakman.