There are more than 100 players on the Panthers' football roster, and they each got some time on the turf of Callaway Stadium on Thursday.
On an overcast but still typically warm August afternoon, LaGrange College and Birmingham-Southern met in a preseason scrimmage.
In a competitive first half, Birmingham Southern scored a late touchdown to take a 7-6 lead.
The second half was basically a glorified practice, with players scrimmaging on both sides of the 50-yard line, with every team member getting a chance to show their coaches what they can do.
"We'll take tomorrow and watch the film, and get back in the weight room, correct our mistakes, and at the beginning of the week we'll go back to work," said Head Coach Earl Chambers, whose team opens the season on Sept. 3 at home against Middle Georgia.
During the second-half practice, many of the freshmen got their first chance to compete on the college level.
"Some of them were nervous you could tell, but they found a way to get through it," Chambers said. "They made plays."
During the first half, the Panthers got their points from a pair of Alex Rivera field goals.
The second field goal was set up by a terrific individual effort by Jasharie Anderson.
Anderson, a sophomore wide receiver, caught a short pass from Will Dean, and he juked a defender, raced down the right sideline and appeared to score on a 32-yard touchdown catch, but an official ruled that he stepped out of bounds at the 7-yard line.
That set up a field goal by Rivera, giving the Panthers a 6-0 lead with 7:38 left in the first half.
Earlier in the half, Rivera converted a 39-yard field goal after Ajani Williams made a nice leaping catch from Shedrick Lindsey to get the Panthers in scoring position.
The Panthers moved the ball well, with Aubrey Carter enjoying a productive first half, and JayDon Cooper provided one of the top first-half highlights when he hurdled a defender at the start of a 10-yard run.
LaGrange was in control on defense until Birmingham Southern put together a touchdown drive at the close of the first half.
The LaGrange defensive line, which is under the direction of new assistant coach Randy Starks, more than held its own against an imposing Birmingham Southern offensive line.
"Coach Starks, he's been unbelievable since day one," Chambers said. "He's still learning all their names, but he's coaching them as hard as he can, and he's teaching them. He's hands-on, and he's been a fantastic hire."
It was an encouraging overall effort for the Panthers against the country's 25th-ranked NCAA Division III team.
Birmingham Southern is coming off a memorable 2021 season that included a conference title as well as a victory over USA South champion Huntingdon in the first round of the NCAA playoffs
"I was very pleased that we got a chance to play them, because they gave us an opportunity to see what a championship ballclub looks like," Chambers said.
