Written by: Danny Talbert
LaGrange, Ga.-- This Saturday (Sept. 30), the LaGrange College Panthers take on the Knights of Southern Virginia University at 1 p.m. The LaGrange College Panthers are 0-3 and are looking to get their first win over a tough SVU squad. The Knights are 0-4 on the season, and are also hoping to get their first in-conference win this weekend. The game can be streamed here.
LaGrange College Panthers vs. Huntingdon Hawks | Live Stats | Video |
Location: Knight Stadium, Buena Vista, Virginia.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
Time: 1 p.m.
The Series
The Panthers are 1-1 against the Knights in football. The two teams have only competed the past two years. The Panthers won the first match 38-34 (Sept. 18, 2021) and the Knights won the following match 35-21 (Nov. 5, 2022).
Scouting The Panthers
The Panthers are 0-3 on the 2023 season with one loss coming against USA South member Huntingdon (Sept. 23). The offense is still trying to figure out which talented QB will take over the offense, but so far the reps have mostly been split between junior Rashod Brockington, sophomore Cam Long and junior Jaden Mann. In the game against Huntingdon (Sept. 23), junior running back Goldman Butler VI established himself as the primary back for the Panthers. He had 19 carries for 68 yards and the Panthers lone touchdown. Freshman linebacker Demon Jones again led the team in tackles (11) and tackles for a loss (3) in the past week's game. The defense also continued to cause turnover troubles for the teams they faced. Sophomore defensive back Deon King Jr. forced a fumble but it was recovered by the Hawks and senior defensive back Lakevin Debruce picked off a Huntingdon pass at the end of the first quarter. It will be exciting to see how the defense can try to slow down the Knights and how the offense can put more points on the board this weekend.
Scouting The Knights
The SVU Knights are 0-4 on the season with one of the losses coming against USA South member Methodist (Sept. 23). Do not let their winless record fool you, they have played some very tough competition in the Old Dominion Conference, including 11th-ranked Randolph-Macon. Also, in their game against Methodist (Sept. 23), they were leading 21-7 going into the fourth quarter, but allowed two consecutive Lion touchdowns to force overtime. In OT, the Knights failed to score points, so the Lions secured their victory when running back Sajari Love broke free for a nine-yard touchdown. Freshman quarterback Lachlan Haacke has captained the Knights offense in 2023. He has thrown for 356 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions with 27 completions on 57 attempts. Freshman wide receiver Isaac McMullin has been the go-to target for the Knights, accounting for one touchdown and 175 yards on 11 receptions. The Knights have leaned into being a run-heavy offense so far this year. QB Haacke has run the ball 19 times for one touchdown. They also have a stable of backs but three Knights have split the touches. Freshman Keven Williams leads the group in total yards with 147 on 23 attempts, which averages out to an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. Junior Alex Lanktree has the most attempts in the group with 28 carries for 62 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Walter Collins has the most touchdowns out of the running backs with two. He has 23 rushes for 41 yards on the season. It will be intriguing to see how the Panther defense can slow the scoring of their opponents in this week's matchup.
The workhorse named Goldman
In the Panthers game against Huntingdon (Sept. 23), the offense found success when feeding junior running back Goldman Butler VI the ball. In the game, he carried the rock an incredible 19 times for 68 yards and scored the Panthers lone touchdown of the day. This averaged out to a stellar 3.8 yards per attempt. The most impressive aspect of Butler's performance was how difficult of a time Hawks defenders had bringing him down. His relentless north and south hard-nosed running style made any Huntingdon defender that got in the way pay the price of getting run over. A workhorse, a bull, or a Mack truck are just a couple of ways to describe Butler's Jerome Bettis-like style of running (legendary Pittsburgh Steelers RB). It will be interesting how he continues to develop as the Panthers running back and fun to watch him continue to cut through opposing defenders like they are not there.
Team Captains
Defensive Captains-
No. 1 Jasharie Anderson, a junior defensive back from Union City, Ga.
No. 8 Lakevin Debruce, a junior linebacker from Birmingham, Ala.
Offensive Captains-
No.1 Devonte Scott, a junior wide receiver from Mobile, Ala.
No. 5 Rashod Brockington, a junior quarterback from Lakeland, Ga.
No. 8 Keith Kpodar, a senior tight end from Atlanta, Ga.
No. 24 Aubrey Carter, a junior running back from Newnan, Ga.
All six of these guys have earned the right to lead the 2023 LaGrange College Panther football team.
When and where-
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. in Knight Stadium, Buena Vista, Virginia. The game can be streamed here.
