“Guys everywhere, dog, dog, dog, dog, left and right,” senior wide receiver Kire Keys said, waving his hands toward different parts of the field after the win. “There’s not a spot on our team where I feel like there’s a hole.”
South County’s offense thrived on the ground and through the air as the Stallions scored 36 unanswered points in the second half, stifling the Lions’ attack while converting on their own chances.
“It’s all the work they put in during the year that makes us a deep team,” Pannoni said. “And so it pays huge dividends.”
South County (3-1) jumped out to an early lead on the opening possession when senior quarterback Jordan Dennis threw a strike to Tommy Martz, who ran untouched for a 95-yard touchdown. The Stallions took a 14-7 lead into halftime after Dennis scrambled for a long rushing touchdown of his own midway through the second quarter.
The floodgates opened after the intermission. Dennis found Keys in the end zone first before tossing another touchdown to senior wide receiver Julius Person, exposing the cracks in the Lions’ defense despite the looming presence of linebacker Kris Jones, a four-star recruit and recent Georgia commit.
It was smooth sailing from there, as Dennis was pulled midway through the second half, replaced by two of the Stallions’ backup quarterbacks. Sophomore Henry Miska caught the Stallions’ fifth touchdown of the day to the delight of the South County bench as the team waltzed to victory.
Another positive takeaway, Pannoni said, was that the team hadn’t even fielded its entire roster. The coach said multiple contributors didn’t suit up for Thursday’s game, and with the Stallions looking primed for another Class 6 playoff run, their depth could be crucial.
“We haven’t played a game full strength yet, and we were even less full strength today,” Pannoni said. “But our mentality is next-man up, so [the depth] really pays off.”