Staff Reports

VALLEY HEAD – Brady Ruark ran for 179 yards on just seven carries with two touchdowns and threw for two more scores to Lucas McGatha. Ben Baker added 137 yards on six totes with a touchdown in leading the Spring Garden Panthers past Valley Head 40-6 in Class 1A, Region 8 football action on Friday.

Ruark put the Panthers (5-3, 5-0) up 7-0 with his 30-yard touchdown run at the 10:20 mark of the first quarter. Baker bolted for a 75-yard score later in the first quarter to give Spring Garden a 13-0 advantage. Ruark scored on a 69-yard run with 24 seconds remaining in the first quarter to push the Panthers out in front 19-0.

Lucas McGatha caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Ruark with 6:20 to go in the second quarter to extend Spring Garden’s lead to 26-0.

McGatha added a 12-yard touchdown catch with just under a minute to go before halftime to give the Panthers a 33-0 edge.

Cam Cade accounted for the Panthers’ final touchdown with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter for a 40-0 advantage.

Valley Head (1-6, 0-4) scored its lone touchdown on a run with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter for the final.

Cayden Thompson led the Panther defense with eight tackles and two assists. Mason Adkison added nine tackles with two assists.

Spring Garden has next Friday open before a showdown at Woodville on Oct. 23.